Where To Get FREE Coffee In Singapore - Staying Awake At The Wheel

Dozing off at the wheel is something we as drivers, have probably all struggled with before. After a heavy lunch, driving back to the office alone with the sun directly in your eyes, air-con on full blast because you parked in the blistering heat during lunch, food coma creeping up on you - we’ve all experienced this. It’s a tough situation to be in, because you can’t necessarily avoid such situations all the time, yet, neither can you just decide not to drive. So what do you do? Personally, I make it a point to grab a coffee each time I am faced with such a situation, just to help ensure that I stay alert, and on top of the situation. Here’s sharing with all you drivers out there, all the places in Singapore that I know, that serve free coffee. Yes you heard right, FREE coffee. If you’re too lazy (or too sleepy) to read all of this, but desperately need that cup of joe, click here to view the full list of locations giving out free coffee, and to get your free coffee e-Vouchers.

Situated in the Robertson Quay area, Memo Cafe is owned and managed by Studio M Hotel and sits in Studio M’s lobby on the ground level. Because Studio M is positioned as a trendy and young establishment, the cafe atmosphere echoes this persona by being very casual and laid back. What is interesting at Memo Cafe, is that if you were to order a milk based coffee like a Latte, they will actually use a high tech coffee printer to print a design onto the milk foam layer of your coffee. There is also a good selection of pastries, cakes, and light bites that you can order together with your coffee via self order at the counter. They will serve the items to your table thereafter. During the afternoons, Robertson Quay is pretty quiet and there should be adequate road side parking along Mohamed Sultan Road, though this may require a short two to three minute walk depending on where you park. If you fancy sheltered parking, there are also options within Studio M Hotel itself (though very limited) and nearby buildings, but be prepared to pay CBD rates for these options.

Just across the road, sits M Social, which is the sister property to Studio M Hotel, and also caters mainly to the young and trendy. Just like Studio M Hotel, M Social has also carved out a bit of a reputation for being a top choice among staycationers. On the lobby of the hotel, sits Beast & Butterflies, a sprawling restaurant that faces the Robertson Quay and the river. Inside, it is decked out in psychedelic colors and features an usually large collection of lava lamps, tv screen tables, and non-matching furniture. Quirky. Here, the free coffee that you can redeem is a little more specific in the form of a Cold Brew, which caters to those with a deeper appreciation for coffee. For the uninitiated, a Cold Brew is a black coffee, that has been made by dripping cool water over coffee grounds under normal atmospheric (room temperature) environments, over a period of a few hours. Because the coffee grounds used in this process are not heated or pushed through a pressurised espresso machine, the end result is much cleaner and lighter, and you’ll be able to taste more fruit and floral notes that you might otherwise miss in an espresso based coffee. The real kicker is that the coffee is then pumped through a tap head (a bit like a beer tap) which infuses nitrogen into the coffee, to create a frothy, rich, and delicious end product that seriously resembles a pint of Guinness stout. Parking at M Social is actually really easy and convenient, as there are ample parking lots on the 2nd story of this property, with a lift that grants you direct access to the lobby.

Still staying within the Robertson Quay area, is Shabestan, which is actually a semi-fine dining Persian restaurant, and has a reputation for serving wonderful charcoal grilled meat platters. I’m not a connoisseur of Middle Eastern cuisine, but most things about Shabestan seem authentic, especially the fact that their Head Chef actually hails from Tehran, Iran. Due to its stature as a semi fine dining restaurant, I actually feel a little intimidated about going into Shabestan for just a cup of free coffee. If you feel similarly to me, you can always order a little hummus and bread, which in my opinion, is always a wonderful snack. Or better yet, bring your whole family down for dinner, as the place really comes alive at night, with an “Arabian Nights” feel to the whole place. The nearest parking available is at The Pier, which is a mixed-use development which also features a residential condominium, on top of rows of restaurants and eateries on the ground level.

Heybo is actually a really new concept located in Republic Plaza that is the brainchild of the current owners of Saladstop, and the former owner of Maki-San. Aside from that amazing restaurant concept pedigree, Heybo specialises in delicious grain bowls topped with fresh ingredients. However, to me, their standout product has got to be their breakfast range called “Heybaos”. As the name suggests, these are actually a range of breakfast burgers / sandwiches that use soft and fluffy bao buns instead of burger bread. Think sausage mcmuffin with egg, but using a bao bun instead of the muffin bun. I don’t know if everyone is going to buy into this concept, but it’s so hipster that I absolutely love it. Moreover, it’s a perfect accompaniment to the free coffee which you can redeem from Heybo before 11am during operation days.

For the health conscious population out there, Saladstop has been satisfying appetites out there for many years. To date, they have more than 10 outlets in Singapore itself, and plenty more overseas. The reason why Saladstop became so popular is because previously, good quality salads were usually only sold in higher end establishments, while the convenience salads were usually of really low quality. By offering interesting salad bowl creations (you can also get them in a wrap format) using high quality ingredients in a take and go format at a reasonable price, seems to have really hit the spot with local diners. Like Heybo, you can redeem a free cup of coffee at numerous saladstop outlets before 11am during operation days. Though the coffee served here is not spectacular or special, Saladstop offers the widest reach and coverage for this free coffee redemption. Saladstop outlets that offer free coffee are Capital Tower, MBFC, The Sail, Fusionopolis, Metropolis, Harbourfront, DUO Galleria, UE Square, Novena Square, The Cathay, Tanglin Mall, Republic Plaza, and Great World City.

Hermitage Quality Wines is a hole in the wall establishment located at One Shenton that is a wine bar, but also doubles up as a cafe. Seating here is extremely limited, and the impressive wine displays take up about the same amount of space as the seating area. However, unlike some other free coffee offerings from other outlets on this list, Hermitage actually serves up a proper espresso based coffee, from a 2-group semi automatic that dominates their bar counter. The atmosphere here is cosy, and could be great for a small group gathering, though i highly suspect it might get a little bit uncomfortable here if crowded. Personally, I like this place for an easy drink, after which you can grab a coffee right there, before heading back. Accessibility wise, I also like this place as it is sort of located on the fringes of the CBD, which means that after you exit the car park, you can easily zoom into MCE via Straits Boulevard.

For everyone out there who has ever tried Seaweed Chicken, you might be shocked to know that the original creators of seaweed chicken, C.S Tay, are actually the operators of BBQ Express. Another interesting fact about C.S Tay and BBQ Express, is that back in the day, when Cold Storage started their famed BBQ and roasted meats deli section, it was actually run by C.S Tay, before Cold Storage eventually took over the endeavour and ran it on their own. It should be no surprise then, that the present day BBQ Express concept, is quite similar to, and likely even better than the Cold Storage offering. Located conveniently in shopping malls such as Bishan 8, Tampines Mall, Bukit Panjang Plaza, and Lot 1 Shopper’s Mall, BBQ Express specialises in take away BBQ meats. However, certain outlets like the one in Bishan 8 actually have a small seating area where you can enjoy value priced bento sets that also feature BBQ Express’ famed BBQ meat selection. What I found interesting, is that they also have an alternative meat selection, which is a sustainable and fungi based meat alternative that the sustainability and health conscious among you will love. The free coffee available here is only black coffee, though they provide creamer and sugar at no charge.

You may view the full list of outlets and get your FREE coffee e-Vouchers here.

#Coffee #Free #Cars #Autos #Drive #Takeout

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