Alchemist at The Mill: Hidden Sleek Coffee Spot in a Kitsch-Gothic Building

The humble estate of Bukit Merah has quite a few interesting finds, from cosy cafes like Refuel II to a new Alchemist Coffee outlet tucked away on the second floor of The Mill— a towering dark kitsch-gothic building located behind the main road of Jalan Bukit Merah.

Surrounded by unassuming office spaces, The Mill sticks out a sore thumb, and brings to mind that gothic building in Bugis; the one Atlas Bar calls home.

The Mill, which has stood at No. 5 Jalan Kilang since 1968, was replaced by this new building in 2017, and is a curious mix of gothic and art-deco aesthetics, with rental studio units and event spaces.

Just last month, Alchemist opened a new outlet (their fifth!) on the second floor of The Mill, with an interior to match the sleek façade.

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With beautiful high ceilings, you’ll find chandeliers, plush couches, an open concept coffee counter, and concrete grey walls.

I’ve personally been to their Design Orchard and Tai Seng branch, and I enjoy how each outlet matches it’s location.

You’ll find the same coffee menu here, as well as pastries supplied by Bakehaus.

For their festive Chinese New Year special, we had the Iced Chocolate and Iced Mocha with Orange.

I personally love the way (dark) chocolate goes with orange, so this was right up my alley.

On a weekday afternoon, it was not overly crowded (also perhaps because it’s very new) which I loved, and the high ceiling certainly helps the cafe not get too noisy.

This is definitely a place I could while away a whole afternoon at.

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