cafe
Tiong Bahru Bakery
The cornerstone of the neighbourhood's 2010s revival. Chef Cédric Grolet-trained viennoiserie, the best sourdough in Singapore, and a kouign-amann that's worth the queue. Open 08:00-22:00.
Singapore · Singapore
Tiong Bahru
Singapore's 1930s public-housing heritage district — Art Deco low-rises, independent bakeries, and the city's most-beloved gentrified neighbourhood
— The Neighbourhood
Tiong Bahru is Singapore's oldest public-housing estate — Streamline Moderne Art Deco low-rises commissioned in 1936 by the Singapore Improvement Trust, the first public-housing effort in Southeast Asia. Residents stayed, the buildings survived Japanese occupation and demolition pressure, and the neighbourhood gentrified gradually through the 2010s into a cluster of independent bakeries (Tiong Bahru Bakery is the established destination), bookshops (BooksActually, until 2022 when it moved online; its former location is now Woods in the Books), and cafés that give Singapore something it otherwise lacks — a low-rise neighbourhood-scale residential fabric you can walk through at human pace.
— Highlights
Where to eat, drink, and explore
restaurant
Tiong Bahru Market
Wet market on the ground floor, 80-stall hawker centre upstairs (one of Singapore's best — Jian Bo Shui Kueh, Hong Heng Fried Sotong). The combined food-plus-shopping morning is peak Tiong Bahru.
sight
Art Deco walkaround
The SIT blocks along Tiong Poh Road, Yong Siak Street, and Eng Hoon Street are the best-preserved. Streamline Moderne curves, white renderings, and 1930s-era air-vent designs. Allow 45 minutes of walking.
cafe
PS.Cafe Petit
The smaller version of PS.Cafe, located in a corner shophouse. Excellent weekend brunch; kids welcome; the truffle fries is the order.
shop
Woods in the Books
Children's-book specialist and art gallery in the former BooksActually location on Yong Siak Street. Free; the adjoining boutique-press selection is genuinely curated.
— Where to stay
Sleeping in Tiong Bahru
Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong is the nearest boutique hotel (10 min drive east). Tiong Bahru itself is residential — serviced apartments and Airbnb dominate, with 1930s SIT-block apartments available from SGD 200/night. The Oasia Novena or the M Social Singapore are the closest hotel-proper options.
Hotels in Tiong Bahru
Live rates via Expedia
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— Getting around
How to move
Tiong Bahru MRT (EW17) is the neighbourhood's entry point. Walking within the neighbourhood is the only sensible option — it's compact (1 km across). Grab for further afield. Food-delivery is king here; locals often don't walk more than 300m for dinner.
— FAQ
Tiong Bahru: common questions
For a Saturday-morning walk + café + market circuit, absolutely. One of Singapore's best 3-hour blocks. As a base, it's quieter than Chinatown but further from the main sights.
— More in Singapore
Other Singapore neighbourhoods
— If you love Tiong Bahru
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