Acoustics Coffee Bar: Cosy Brunch Cafe Relocates to Neil Rd

Many new cafes that have opened in recent years have moved out of their spaces downtown and into residential suburbs, perhaps a reflection of how much cafe culture has caught on in Singapore that we now expect to find brunch and coffee within a stone’s throw of where we live.

Doing the opposite though, is Acoustics Coffee Bar, which used to be at Ang Mo Kio.

Now taking up real estate just opposite Apiary along Neil Rd is their brand new pet-friendly space.

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Decked out completely in earth tones, Acoustics Coffee Bar has the aforementioned outdoor dining area, as well as an air-conditioned side, which is upholstered with a fabric that absorbs sound, in hopes to make the cafe a cosy and quiet one even at peak brunching hours.

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I’d say it definitely works, as I’ve often found many of our cafes to be quite rambunctious when they get busy, to the point raising my voice becomes necessary just to have a decent conversation.

It’s not a slight on any of those cafes, but it’s what happens when many of our cafes are packed into the ground floor of narrow shophouses, where cafes overseas have the luxury to be located in industrial warehouses with high ceilings, open air terraces overlooking the sea, huge standalone glasshouses in the middle of parks etc.

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The menu here is relatively concise, from all-day brunch items like the Acoustics Breakfast (S$24), Acoustics’ Fluffy Pancakes (S$12), Brie & Mushroom Croissant (S$13) etc. to mains like Steak & Mushroom (S$24) and Roasted Chicken Pita Pouch (S$14) etc.

These days, I’ve been a bit bored of standard cafe offerings, so I was glad to see they had some interesting dishes to choose from on the menu.

First, we had the Laksa Cream Spaghetti (S$20), a western take on a local favourite. As someone who loves a bowl of laksa from time to time, I loved how creamy this sauce was in comparison to the kind of soup that we’re used to, which I felt really complemented the spaghetti. The prawns were fresh and the crispy tofu puffs were interesting and added a bit of texture to the proceedings.

Next, the Salmon Lemon Buttercream (S$18), another creamy pasta dish— this time with dill & lemon. It’s hard to go wrong with a creamy pasta and salmon combo, but what makes this dish special is the refreshing zest of citrus with every bite. It truly felt unique (to cafes at least) and not something you can get everywhere.

For coffee, we had the Iced White (S$6) and Iced Orange Mocha (S$8).

I’m well aware orange and chocolate together is an acquired taste, but I personally love this combination, and knew I had to try.

The other time I had a coffee with those flavours was at Alchemist for their Chinese New Year special earlier this year, and I will say that Acoustics’ take on it is less intense— a good thing for most I’m sure, but whilst I would have loved for the flavours to be stronger, it was still a satisfying cuppa all round.

There are not many cafes I can say I would make a point to revisit, if only because the menu and overall experience is relatively streamlined these days, making it difficult to truly point out those that are unique.

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed Acoustics Coffee Bar, and it felt cosy enough to be a place I’d happily while an afternoon away in.

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WHERE | 61 NEIL RD, SINGAPORE 088895