PRAIRIE by Craftsmen: Pastel Pink Brunch Cafe Opens at River Valley
Hot off the heels of the launch of their new cafe concept PRAIRIE, the Craftsmen Specialty Coffee group has opened a second outlet under the name along River Valley, an area well-supported by the expats and residents in the vicinity.
I was surprised to hear that they were opening a second outlet so soon, but more power to them.
The Bukit Timah outlet is quite a large one, with a courtyard offering alfresco dining in addition to their beautiful green and white-themed indoor space.
With the River Valley outpost though, they have opted for powder pink, red and orange hues instead.
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The PRAIRIE concept seems to be a lot more aesthetically pleasing than any of their Craftsmen outlets, and I quite enjoy seeing what they come up with, especially if each PRAIRIE outlet is going to go for a different colour theme.
As you push through the glass doors, you’ll find a beautiful space bathed in natural daylight and warm overhead lights. The tiled feature walls and seats are accompanied by light wood furniture, livened up with hanging potted plants.
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As they are currently in their soft launch phase, the food menu is limited to brunch items, though you can expect a bigger menu from May onwards— I’d expect the food selection to not be worlds away from what they’re currently offering at their Bukit Timah outlet.
We had the Hummus Sourdough (S$16) and Beef Breakfast (S$18).
The Hummus Sourdough was topped with roasted cherry tomatoes, sweet potato chunks, kale and herb oil. No complaints with this dish as it was done well, the cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes providing a beautiful counter balance to the savoury flavours of the hummus paste.
With the Beef Breakfast, the dish was served with a beef patty, poached egg, sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes and mushroom sauce. The combination of flavours here worked wonderfully too.
Expect the same beverage menu you can get in Craftsmen outlets, which means there is a pretty wide selection on offer.
I initially opted for the Iced Salted Caramel Latte (S$8) which unfortunately really wasn’t to my liking at all. I thought it was a tad too salty, overpowering the caramel and coffee flavours.
The staff were kind enough to change the coffee for me though, so I opted for the Iced Vanilla Latte (S$8) instead which was thankfully much better.
Overall, I quite like the vibe of the River Valley outlet, and they seem to have ironed out the kinks that plagued the Bukit Timah branch at the start, like running out of a lot of the menu by noon, slow service, overwhelmed staff etc. so that’s great.
I won’t be surprised if the crowds start packing PRAIRIE out soon!
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WHERE | 486 RIVER VALLEY RD, SINGAPORE 248370
