Apartment Coffee

Ranked first in Asia, and not a brunch plate in sight. The show is the counter.

Go to Apartment Coffee if you care how your coffee is brewed and want someone to talk you through it; go elsewhere if you need a laptop table for the afternoon or a flat white in a hurry. It is a small, white-walled room on Selegie Road, a few minutes from Rochor MRT, built around filter coffee and a counter. The compromise is the attention the rankings have brought: expect to wait, and plan a cup and a conversation rather than a work session.

The ranking is the headline. In February 2026 The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops placed it sixth in the world and first in Asia, for the second year running, and it was the only Singapore café on the list. The room doesn't make a fuss about it: white walls, natural wood, a minimalist edge, and no brunch menu (in this city, a café without eggs Benedict is practically a statement). Drinks are made in front of you at the counter, which is why the counter is where to sit.

Behind the bar is pedigree. Barista Yeo Qing He placed sixth at the 2018 World Brewers Cup and has collected a shelf of brewing titles since. The menu is short, seasonal and filter-first, with coffees sourced from Indonesia to Latin America, and the team has travelled to producing regions such as Colombia and Rwanda to choose them. Espresso drinks exist, but they are not the headline, and the board changes often, so the coffee you read about may have rotated off by the time you arrive.

How to do it well: take a seat at the bar, ask what the barista is most excited about this week, and drink that rather than your usual. Come solo or with one like-minded friend; a big group turns a coffee studio into a waiting room. It is closed on Thursdays.

If you get hooked, there is a monthly bean subscription, home-brewing and espresso workshops and, since June 2025, a weekend-only roastery with dine-in on Jalan Riang in Serangoon, which is the version to try if Selegie Road is busy.

Good to know About six minutes' walk from Rochor MRT. Closed on Thursdays; check the official site or Instagram for changes before you go.

Apartment Coffee | 139 Selegie Road, #01-01, Singapore 188309 | Nearest MRT: Rochor