Alto Cafe: New Hidden Brunch Cafe Tucked Away in the East

Yes, Alto Cafe is one of many new cafes that have opened up on the East side of Singapore just this year. Unlike many other cafes that have opted for prime real estate along major roads like East Coast Road, you will find Alto Cafe hidden away in a condominium named Bayshore Park, closer to the expressway than any public bus stops or train stations.

EDIT: As of 7 June 2021, the owner of Alto Cafe wrote in to clarify that Alto Cafe is not entire Muslim-owned, and thus the headline has been edited accordingly.

Perhaps more catered to the residents around or for those with their own set of wheels than the casual brunch-goer simply looking for a convenient coffee fix, you’ll have to go through the guard house and inform them of your brunch plans at Alto accordingly before you can be let in.

Once you’re in the compound, you’ll find them at Block 54, alongside several other provision stores.

With white walls spruced up by artwork, light wood furniture and potted plants all around, Alto goes for a safe aesthetic currently present in many cafes like Knots Cafe & Living, The Kins’ Specialty Coffee, and C Cafe, just to name a few.

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There is a decent menu on offer here, consisting of sandwiches, open-faced toasts, salads, pastas, ‘croissantwiches’, waffles, açai bowls and all-day breakfast plates.

Bakes are also displayed on the counter right next to the door.

We had the Savoury Waffles (S$15.90), featuring Belgian waffles (think Liege Waffles) topped with almonds, scrambled eggs in house made sauce, pea sprouts, with an additional serving of either smoked salmon, chicken or portobello as part of the dish. It certainly looked pleasing to the eye, but my gripe would be that the waffles were a little too sweet.

Speaking to the staff, they wanted to strike a balance of sweet and savoury here, and that sugar is already added to the batter (and thus is not something you can request to opt out of). Certainly, sweet waffles are not new to the culinary scene, but my party personally felt it was a bit much for our tastes.

Perhaps diners big on sweet things would enjoy this dish, and it might also be nice to spell out the sweet nature of the waffles somewhere on the menu to avoid a possible mismatch of expectations.

They mentioned they might introduce non-sweet waffles in the future, depending on how feedback goes, so I definitely look forward to hopefully having that option the next go around.

Next, the Papa Rösti (S$14.90). The name rosti might be a little misleading, as many might be expecting the traditional Swiss rösti pan-fried as one piece, often featuring shredded potatoes. They’ve opted for the rösti bites finish here at Alto, which is closer to what we know as tater tots. The potato is served alongside scrambled eggs, mushrooms, and house-made yoghurt dill sauce on the side which registers more on the sour side of things. You can also add chicken or salmon for S$3.90 more.

Coffee here has a noticeably chocolatey profile, and their espresso-based drinks start at S$3.50.

We had the Flat White (S$4.50) and Cappuccino (S$4.50).

All in all, Alto Cafe is definitely a place one would have to actively know and seek out, and less so a pleasant find to stumble upon, unless you live in Bayshore Park of course.

Food here is pretty decent and there’s a pretty wide selection on offer (especially considering it doesn’t look like they have a big kitchen, so props to them). Coffee’s good, and it being so hidden makes it a bit of a peaceful oasis especially on weekdays, which in itself is a big draw.

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WHERE | 54 BAYSHORE RD, 01-01, SINGAPORE 469979