Smitten Coffee and Tea Bar

Full blog review with pics: http://takeko.blogspot.com/2011/11/cafe-hangout-smitten-coffee-at-60.html

Fasterly checked out another indie cafe yesterday! 1 more item off my to-drink list. Heh. With Smitten Coffee and Tea Bar, I complete the Robertson Quay stretch of coffee joints (the others being Kith Cafe and Toby's Estate).

It was Sunday, 5pm. This place is part of the Quayside building (there's parking available) and very easy to find. Quite a small space though. We sat outside since it was full indoors.

They have coffee, tea and food.  Prices are rather pricey (oolong for $13?). Quite liking their coffee related displays and decor though. Very cosy and bright space.

We ordered 2 lattes ($5.5 each) and a Ethiopian specialty coffee ($6), which apparently is quite diluted compared to Coffee Club's. I really like their elf signboard and their tagline, "Daymakers". Because they make your day!

We also ordered a banana bread (cake) and a raspberry friand.  The latter cost 3.50 and it was smaller than the size of a child's fist. Seriously overpriced. We got ripped off!

Honestly felt that Smitten was the epitome of the new indie cafes out there with all the characteristics of the phenomenon. Small space in a 'cool' enclave that has coffee furniture, homemade coffee beans, and ikea/casual furniture. There will be alfresco sitting, juices and some easy to store pastries from a factory that is 5x overpriced. If they have a slightly bigger space there will be brunch sets ranging from 15-22 dollars. Target audience - expats, hippies and singaporeans looking for new places to go (me included). Am glad that I checked this cafe out, but won't be going back there for it's coffee or food any time soon.

For pictures and more, do visit www.ohnomnomnom.wordpress.com

If you are looking for somewhere to hide while sipping on your cuppa in this rainy season, Smitten has gotten you covered.

Tucked neatly under The Quayside, you can rest assure that your coffee art will not be distorted by the bombardment of the raindrops as you snag a seat indoors or alfresco. If the lovely perfume of tea leaves and coffee beans fail to stop you in your tracks, at least the rustic interior will. They score high points for their charming ramshackle ambience and the range of curious apparatus behind the counter. Choose to be smitten-ed by the mini grandstand that flanked the raw brick walls, or enjoy the occasional lick of breeze on the outside.

Their cafe nibbles are pretty limited, just a handful of pastries and sandwiches to go along. But since they are neighbour to Stacked Dim Sum Bar, we have no complains.

WE ORDERED:

1.Latte, 5.5+:

The raw sugar by the table will take care of the unsweetened latte, but we liked it the way it is. Despite the slight burnt aftertaste, our brew was just nice to soothe our souls in this chill weather.

2. Honest Chocolate Cake, 7+:

Our honest chocolate cake should appeal to the sweet tooth. With that obscene amount of chocolate mousse in multiple tiers, we wished the sponge could be more substantial. Looks like honesty isn’t really the best policy because the chocolate cake got queasy not long after. We say sharing is caring.

3. Raspberry Friand, 3.8+:

Friands are like the egg-less replica of the typical madeleines, in terms of taste and appearance. This medium-fine sponge + raspberry jam union is perfect to be paired up with a cup of adroitly-prepared tea by the smitten crew. Having said that, we have qualms about the woefully meagre friand for that price.

Bring just the best buds to this cosy 20-odd seater as seats are limited. Watch out though, prices can be decidedly un-nostalgic, hence it is no wonder the bill can mount up so quickly.

For pictures and more, do visit www.ohnomnomnom.wordpress.com

For full review and pictures, please visit : http://storyofoursummers.blogspot.com/2011/09/smitten-coffee-and-tea-bar.html

After a satisfying lunch at Hummerstons, we took a slow walk to Smitten.

Smitten, they are indeed daymakers. Well, they definitely made mine.

1) Iced Latte. Their coffee is pretty impressive but as coffee connoisseurs will probably say, good quality coffee is meant to be drank warm. Haha but it was still pretty good. The coffee was really strong and unique

2) Hot chocolate! This is definitely one of the better hot chocolate I've tasted so far! The sad thing about it was it wasn't warm enough when it came to me.

I like the feel of the cafe. Pretty chill. Although they do not have many seats indoors, they do have a couple of tables and chairs outdoors. And I feel that the long cement tables kind of makes it difficult for bigger groups to interact. It was okay for us because there were just two of us but if you have a bigger group, there's only one big table that yall can sit around indoors. The outdoor tables are round so they might be more ideal for groups of 3-5.

Anyhows, Smitten is a must to visit if you're a fervent coffee or tea lover!

For more reviews, please visit http://storyofoursummers.blogspot.com

                                                  PICTURES HERE

 The monthly Farmer’s Market originates from Loewen Garden (Tanglin Village) which now echoed one at Roberston Quay for the second time this September.

It is situated just right outside Smitten as well as Stacked Dim Sum Bar, happens every 4th Saturday of the month.

I was delighted to be able to kill two birds with one stone on this sunny & hazy Saturday morning.

After a quick browse through the pop up market and resulted in zero purchase.

We immediately hopped into Smitten. He got a Cappuccino and I got a Latte.

This is a long overdue visit, I read about this coffee shop a good few times over blogs.

So, I had an idea what sweets to get with my cuppa.

They stock good range of tempting cakes and macarons from ET Artisan Sweets (Holland Village).

Boy, love the macaron. The shells were on the chewy side, nice medium sized and firm ganache (just not salty enough for a salted caramel filling).

I can’t help to compare to the other cafes we have been to.

I find the coffee here is smooth overall, but the least potent of all compared to Oriole Cafe and Forty Hands.

However, I like it, just nice for a non coffee connoisseur (psst, I’m actually more of a tea drinker).

I have dug up some reviews on Smitten with fantastic pictures. Have a read.

Cheers to another good weekend!

was looking for a quick cuppa in Robertson Quay, and came across this new little joint. Nestled amongst other coffee mainstays like Boomerang and Dimbulah, Smitten does indeed please its customers with a welcoming aromatic coffee scent, a warm cosy setting, and friendly service staff. only had time for a cappuccino, but overheard that they would be starting their food menu the following week. overall, nice find and definitely going back there soon for my caffeine fix.  

Our nostrils were treated to an enticing coffee aroma once we stepped in, and was greeted by a s-e-x-y black Giesen Coffee Roaster at the entrance.

Brightly lit and cheery, the white brick walls, concrete floor and hanging light bulbs injected a touch of urban industrial stylishness. The wooden bench softened the rawness but was harsh on our bums after a while. The vintage steel furniture provided a more comfy option but alas, every table was taken.

Seated facing the glistening Mirage Triplette Idrocompresso, we had an eyeful of staff pulling shots and were eager to try the in-house Thumper blend.

We ordered latte - hot and cold ($5.50) and I wasn't too thrilled to taste a bit of sourness in it. A little raw sugar took care of it but then I wasn't too pleased with the sweetness thereafter. Nevertheless, it helped me get through a less than exciting book for a couple of hours.

Having freed up some stomach space, we decided to grab the carrot cake ($6) before it ran out like the honest chocolate cake and cheesecake.

Topped with dried apricots and walnuts, the cake was nicely spiced, moist and fluffy, while the side of sultanas was a thoughtful addition.

A tad disappointed with the coffee but the cafe doubles up as a tea bar with some pretty interesting offerings. Together with the selection of macarons, they're certainly going to tempt us back!

Note: Prices are nett. 10% off total bill for DBS/POSB cardholders. Cakes are 20% off after 9pm.

Hihi.. Smitten Coffee and tea bar serves great coffee and tea in the newly established Cafe in the heart of Clarke Quay..

Lovers, Students, Office people and folks living or working near Town are highly recommended to try the Coffee and Tea.

Please put the 2 bosses into test when you order the special drink you wishes to try.

They are more than willing to share and impart knowledge to you. eg. Special brew of tea require what temperature and how long to brew a cup of tea and the different types of grains of Coffee beans used in their Cafe...

I tell you, simply head down and try the Brazilian Cup-of- Excellence Coffee now!

PS: They have a TOP Barista in House too.. Vic!

See my pics for further descriptions.

Cheers to Darren and wife! Kudos!!!

was pleasantly surprised by the strong and aromatic coffee, with affordable price - cheaper than many other coffee joints. I personally really like the coffee and will definitely come back for more!

as this place is new, it was a pity that their food menu is still very limited. no food to cure my fren's hungry stomach. however, we tried the honest chocolate cake and liked it- the mixture of chocolate and the crumb base brings a great texture to the palette!

my fren ordered kyoto tea - a seasonal tea on the menu - it tasted really interesting (like seaweed) - and the kind lady owner was patient enough to explain to us tea noobs how we should taste it - which i have never experienced before in other tea houses.

all and all, a wonderful sunday afternoon experience, with great hosts, coffee and tea :)