Our favourite discoveries in Singapore's Bohemian enclave.
Say you’ve had a tough week. You’ve overcome all sorts of challenges. You are triumphant, elated, and exhausted. This weekend, you're planning a perfect day to reward yourself.
Nothing too fancy or stuffy – nowhere that requires a jacket or even shoes. No big crowds at major chain stores either. Something easy and familiar; yet feels just that little extraordinary. How about Holland Village? Affectionately dubbed Holland V by locals, it’s a vibrant neighbourhood of eye-pleasing homes, restaurants, bars, and one-of-a-kind purveyors; seemingly curated for those who won’t settle for the commonplace.
To start your day, fuel up at Hatched, an all-day breakfast restaurant that specialises in the art of cooking eggs – from poaching to baking to frying and everything in between. Enjoy traditional eggs benedict with hollandaise and bacon; or unusual options like pesto-drizzled eggs on eggplant, zucchini and toast; or sweet brioche French toast layered with grilled peaches, walnuts and cheese. Eggs any way you like - all cooked to perfection.
Once done with your breakfast, just walk a few minutes to Spin in Holland Road Shopping Centre. The artisans at Spin have merged modern, minimalist aesthetics with ancient Chinese porcelain-making techniques to create contemporary pieces of usable art.You can appreciate Spin’s beautiful, high-quality pieces in their showroom, and perhaps pick up a few to adorn your home.
Hungry for more beauty? Simply take yourself across Holland Avenue to Chip Bee Gardens. Here you will find Taksu - a gallery showcasing contemporary fine art pieces with a distinctly urban edge. Taksu represents a broad range of artists, from emerging young talents to critically acclaimed names in fine art circles. Will you find a piece here for your home or your office; or buy a masterpiece whose value will increase a hundredfold? It’s certainly worth spending an hour or two in enraptured discovery.
It’s lunchtime now, and you won’t have to go far to quiet your rumbling belly. Step out of Taksu and you will find gourmet cafés and restaurants on either side. Artisan bakery Baker & Cook offers everything from cakes to jams to hearty meals. For simple, pure Italian flavours, you can choose between Da Paolo Gastronomia and Madrinaa Italiano. Original Sin offers healthy, gourmet Mediterranean-style vegetarian creations; while Sunday Folks will delight with hand-crafted sweet treats. Your palate will be truly spoiled for choice.
You've viewed beautiful things earlier today. Now you may feel inspired to create them. You can do this in Chip Bee Gardens too, at Bynd (pronounced “Bind”) Artisan’s atelier. An uncommon find in these days of mass-produced, throwaway convenience, Bynd offers exquisite personalised stationery and gifts in paper and leather. You can buy ready-made items from the store, or join one of their workshops and experience the satisfaction of crafting these items with your own hands.
Workshop completed, you stroll towards an unmissable two-storey structure. Wala Wala Cafe and Bar is a neighbourhood institution and a great place to unwind over food, drinks and a few laughs with friends. They serve salad, pizza, bar bites and more; accompanied by an extensive drinks menu. Better yet, there’s great live music to accompany the unhurried transition of dusk into night.
If you’ve enjoyed our tour of Holland Village, you may be interested to know there’s a new residential development coming up nearby. Developed by Far East Organization, Parksuites is located in a small, quiet enclave of Holland Grove; just minutes from Holland Village; as well as Rochester Park and Dempsey Hill.
Built around the existing Henry Park, it is a quiet, low-density neighbourhood that’s designed to make park living a central part of residents’ day-to-day life. Beyond offering exclusivity and tranquil green spaces, Parksuites will also be introducing an eclectic selection of F&B and specialty retail outlets to the area. No doubt these will be in good company with the offerings which residents and visitors in the area already enjoy.
Learn more about moving to Parksuites.
All images shown are for illustration purposes only.