Singapore’s bustling culinary scene is often celebrated for its vibrant hawker centers and the best fine dining establishments, but tucked away in its charming neighborhoods are traditional old-school bakeries that offer a delightful glimpse into the city’s rich heritage.
These surviving old-school bakeries, some of which have been around for decades, continue to serve up time-honored treats such as buttercream cakes, pandan chiffon cakes, kuehs and egg tarts.
Here are 12 traditional bakeries in Singapore you must visit for old-school bakes.
For those who live in Clementi, Balmoral Bakery is an old-school bakery that would be no stranger to you. With roots dating back to the mid-1960s, Balmoral Bakery is well-loved for their baked pastries and fluffy cakes.
Balmoral Bakery is located at the edge of the rows of shops at Sunset Way Residence. However, what makes this humble bakery stand out is its brick walls and tiled flooring. The pastries at Balmoral Bakery are priced affordably and most are below S$2 each. Our picks were the Chicken Pie (S$1.80), Char Siew Soh (S$1.60) and the Beef Pie (S$2.50).
105 Clementi Street 12,
#01-06, Singapore 120105
Tel: 6779 2064
Dona Manis Cake Shop is a small and humble 28-year-old bakery nestled within the basement of Katong Shopping Centre. Co-founded by friends back in 1992, Dona Manis Cake Shop has received much love for their banana pie over the years and there is no indication that this is going to change any time soon.
Dona Manis Cake Shop’s Banana Pie will only set you back S$3.30 per slice and S$33 for a whole pie (10 slices). So are we fans of the Banana Pie? You bet we are. Their Banana Pie was filled with a generous helping of bananas, and the filling was moist even after the Banana Pie spent a day in the fridge. The moist filling was complemented by the crunch of the toasted almonds atop the pie. Whilst you can pick up the Banana Pie in stores, do consider ordering the Banana Pie in advance to avoid disappointment.
865 Mountbatten Road,
Katong Shopping Centre, #B1-93,
Singapore, 437844
Tel: 6440 7688
JI XIANG CONFECTIONERY
Ji Xiang Confectionery has been handcrafting traditional Ang Ku Kueh since 1988 and the family-run business is fortunately unthreatened by the rising number of cafes in its vicinity. These handmade Chinese pastries are usually filled with sweet mung bean or peanut but you can also find other flavours such as Coconut, Corn, Salted Bean and Yam over at Ji Xiang.
1 Everton Park
Singapore 081001
Tel: +65 6223 1631
JIE BAKERY
Feeling nostalgic for old-school roti loaves that are freshly sliced right in front of your eyes? Then head down to Jie Traditional Bread Bakery, one of the older bakeries in Singapore that remains unfazed by Singapore’s rapid development.
The rustic bakery still exudes quaint old-world charm and is a must-visit for those who wish to teleport back to the old days. If you’ve ever wondered where those rainbow-coloured bread—the ones commonly found at push kart ice cream stands—come from, here’s your answer.
123 Upper Paya Lebar Road
Singapore 534837
Tel: +65 6289 7461
LEK LIM NONYA CAKE CONFECTIONERY
Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery is a Halal-certified bakery that takes pride in serving a plethora of traditional Peranakan delights. It started in 1968 when they first started selling tasty homemade kuehs and the rest is history.
Savour their signature Ang Ku Kueh (S$0.55 per piece), Kueh Lapis Nonya (S$0.65 per piece) and Kueh Kao Swee (S$0.65).
#01-21, Block 84
Bedok North Street 4
Singapore 460084
Tel: +65 6449 0815
LOVE CONFECTIONERY
Love Confectionery is located beside Alexander Village Food Centre and has been a perennial favourite amongst residents since their childhood days for its buttercream cakes and homemade spreads. Their pandan cake remains a hot seller and is one that definitely warrants a try.
Block 122 #01-60
Bukit Merah Lane 1
Singapore 150122
Tel: +65 6278 2385
Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries is Heaven on Earth. Upon stepping in, you would be greeted by the aroma of fresh bakes and everything wonderful. This old-school looking confectionery may look next to nothing, but they have one of the best egg tarts in Singapore.
We first had the egg tarts from Leung Sang Hong Kong Pastries back in 2007, and we have been fans of it ever since. The confectionery used to be on Sago Street – inconspicuous and hard to locate. But the ones in the know make it there anyway. Today, they sit on Jalan Membina, opposite Tiong Bahru Bakery.
18 Jln Membina, #01-06
Singapore 164018
Tel: +65 6271 6056
For those who grew up in the West side of Singapore, Ng Kim Lee Confectionery would be a name familiar to you. A family-run bakery situated along Chun Tin Road, Ng Kim Lee Confectionery is known for selling Teochew-style pastries and traditional Western cakes at affordable prices.
Pastries always taste best freshly baked, and this is exactly what you’d get at Ng Kim Lee Confectionery. One of their top-selling bakes is the mini butter muffins.
At just S$0.70 per piece, you’d be able to sample many of their flavours without feeling the pinch. As we arrived rather late in the day, we only managed to pick up a couple of their Strawberry Muffins and Jam Muffins. These mini butter muffins had a balanced taste and was not overly buttery.
4 Chun Tin Road
Singapore 599591
SERANGOON GARDEN BAKERY & CONFECTIONERY
Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery is an institution which has been dishing out Singapore-style old-school breads—or better recognised as buns—for decades.
The Butter Bun is probably the most famous one, while the Cheese Bun comes close in terms of popularity. The Hamburger is essentially chicken luncheon meat enveloped in soft bun, and the Kaya Peanut is our all-time favourite.
While everyone has their favourites (and there are only a handful of surviving traditional bakeries in Singapore), we grew up with Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery at Serangoon Garden Market and it is our go-to place whenever we want to satisfy our craving for old-school buns.
49A Serangoon Garden Way
#01-45 Garden Market
Singapore 555945
Sembawang Confectionery is a humble old-school bakery tucked away at the ground floor of a HDB estate at Beach Road, not Sembawang. This bakery has been rolling out freshly baked bread and cakes since the 1960s. Best of all, their goods are free from preservatives.
Sembawang Confectionery carries a wide array of baked goods for your picking. From individually wrapped buns, loaves of bread, kueh, pastries and nostalgic Western cakes, there is something for everyone here.
6 Beach Rd, #01-4869,
Singapore 190006
Tel: +65 6295 3965
In this day and age, you don’t often come across bakeries that are open 24 hours every day. Sing Hon Loong Bakery is a traditional bakery at Whampoa which sells old-school buns throughout the day. Yes, that’s right; all day, every day.
When you drop by, you need to pick up a few of Sing Hon Loong Bakery’s traditional loaves which would pair perfectly with a cup of Kopi or Teh.
With more than 50 years of history, this is one of the best bakeries to visit for a trip down memory lane or if you’re looking for a quick yet reliable fix for that random carb craving.
4 Whampoa Drive
Singapore 327715
Tel: 6256 0878
THIAM YIAN CONFECTIONERY
Located in the Kovan heartlands, Thiam Yian Confectionery is a humble old-school bakery that serves cream cakes, Chinese pastries, and handmade kuehs since the 1980s.
It is located along the same stretch as Heng Long Teochew Porridge and Selegie Soyabean. You can head over to Heng Long for a simple and hearty Teochew porridge meal before grabbing some desserts from Selegie Soyabean and pastries from Tjiam Yian Confectionery.
1004 Upper Serangoon Rd, Singapore 534742
Tel: +65 6458 1478