When I visited Atlas Coffeehouse a few days ago it was barely a week old, yet patrons were already lining the counter seats facing the busy main road of Bukit Timah.

Interestingly, this is not the first hot new cafe that is helmed by another established one, as others before seemed to have been doing so too, with different propositions and monikers (like On The Table by Lola’s Cafe, The Populous Cafe by Department of Caffeine etc).

Atlas is by the Assembly Coffee team (wonder if both places starting with an ‘A’ is a coincidence?), and has a similar preppy vibe and ambience, with its grey walls, brown tables, hanging bulbs and glass doors that let the lovely natural light stream in.

While Assembly is at a quiet, less busy area which is a bit of a trek from the MRT station, Atlas is located in an old residential building along a main road (with a bus stop right in front of it).

The delicious sounding Salmon Soba Noodles (S$17) was awfully tempting, but I ended up ordering the popular Creamy Mushrooms on Sourdough (S$12, + S$2 for sunny egg or S$3 for scrambled eggs).

Overall, I thought the dish was well executed – mushrooms and cream sauce were buttery and delicious, with a slightly sweet and tart flavour from the addition of some tomatoes (and possibly figs) and the sourdough bread tasted fresh and was nicely toasted with a good crunch.

I found the sauce a bit ‘jelat’ (Singlish for the feeling you get when you eat too much of a rich food) towards the end, but still enjoyed the meal.

The scrambled eggs seemed more like a scrambled egg omelette instead of the usual kind (the bottom was a bit brown and the whole thing was in one piece), which was a little strange but tasted pretty good still so I guess that’s fine – just that I prefer the runnier, milkier type.

As for the coffee, I really liked the Cappuccino (S$4.50) that I had. It was not too bitter or sour and had just the right amount of roasted coffee flavour to it.

I also tried the Lemon Meringue Pie (S$7.50). Am usually not a huge fan of meringue because I find it too sugary and stiff, but somehow this cake was just calling out to me.

Didn’t regret it though, as the lemon filling was one of the best that I’ve had so far in cafes here. The soft cream was nice and tarty and filled my mouth with a wonderful burst of flavour, and the meringue was surprisingly good too – of a somewhat gooey yet fluffy texture and a lightly sweet taste that complemented the lemon.

The base was a tad too thick for my liking, but still, it was a really enjoyable cake.

Not sure if it was just me, but I found the air conditioning super cold – a welcome respite after walking in the quintessential Singapore heat from Botanic Gardens MRT, but which quickly became artic and the reason for me to leave (I wonder if it is on purpose to maintain a certain level of turnover…?).

I like this new cafe though, and think I will go back again sometime to have more of their coffee and try some of the other exciting dishes on the menu (the chicken stew sounds amazing).

The variety seems a bit limited but I get the feeling that what they offer, they do it well. They also have a rather delicious and healthy sounding salad on the menu…

FYI, Atlas Coffeehouse does not provide WiFi.

[*Update as of 9 Apr 2021: I went there a few more times over the last few years, and think that they’ve done a good job in refreshing the decor and keeping the menu items interesting. Really like their brunch items and also the healthy grain bowl and coffees. Keep it up Atlas!]

—————————————–

Atlas Coffeehouse
6 Duke’s Road, Singapore 268886 (facing Bukit Timah Road)
Nearest MRT: Botanic Gardens

Tel: +65 6314 2674
Website: https://www.facebook.com/atlascoffeehouse

Open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 8.00am to 5.00pm, closed on Mondays.

*Note: All pictures were taken with an iPhone 6 as my Sony NEX5R is in the hospital.