Top 20 'Sunrise-to-Supper' Breakfast Spots to taste for an Unforgettable 'Brinner' Dinner Party This Season - Goh Ling Yong
Tired of the same old dinner party routine? The predictable cycle of appetisers, a main course, and dessert can start to feel a little… well, stale. If you're looking to inject a dose of pure, unadulterated fun and comfort into your next gathering, I have one magical word for you: Brinner.
That's right, breakfast for dinner. It’s a delightful rebellion against culinary norms, a concept built on the universal love for crispy bacon, fluffy pancakes, and perfectly runny eggs, no matter the time of day. A brinner party isn't just a meal; it's an experience. It’s nostalgic, wonderfully casual, and invites a level of creativity that a standard dinner party often lacks. Think DIY waffle bars, gourmet coffee stations, and mimosas flowing freely as the sun goes down.
But where do you find the inspiration for a truly unforgettable brinner? You look to the masters of the morning meal. From decades-old kopitiams serving up tradition on a plate to chic cafes pushing the boundaries of the brunch scene, Singapore is a treasure trove of sunrise-to-supper inspiration. We've curated the ultimate list of 20 breakfast spots whose signature dishes are perfect for your next brinner dinner party. Let's get cracking!
The Ultimate Brinner Inspiration List
Local Legends & Hawker Heroes
1. Ya Kun Kaya Toast
There is no breakfast more quintessentially Singaporean than kaya toast, and Ya Kun is its most famous ambassador. Their version is iconic: impossibly thin, crispy brown bread slices sandwiching a generous slather of fragrant, pandan-infused coconut jam and a cold slab of salted butter. Paired with wobbly soft-boiled eggs seasoned with dark soy sauce and white pepper, it's a masterclass in savoury-sweet perfection.
For your brinner party, this is comfort food at its finest. Set up a DIY Kaya Toast station. Provide a toaster, different types of bread (traditional brown, fluffy white, maybe even some brioche), good quality kaya, and pats of cold salted butter. Don't forget the egg station! You can pre-boil eggs to the perfect consistency or even have a sous-vide machine running to wow your guests with flawless onsen eggs.
2. Heap Seng Leong
Stepping into Heap Seng Leong is like travelling back in time. This rustic kopitiam in Lavender, with its weathered marble-top tables and seasoned uncles, is one of the last bastions of kopi gu you—black coffee with a slab of butter melted in. It sounds strange, but the butter smooths out the coffee's bitterness, creating a rich, aromatic brew. Their toast is the old-school kind: fluffy white bread toasted over a charcoal grill.
To bring this vintage vibe to your brinner, focus on the coffee. Brew a strong sock-style kopi-o and offer guests a small dish of cold, unsalted butter to stir in. Serve it alongside simple grilled toast with kaya or butter and sugar. It's a conversation starter and a tribute to a disappearing piece of Singapore's culinary heritage.
3. Mr & Mrs Mohgan's Super Crispy Roti Prata
The name says it all. This legendary Joo Chiat spot serves what many consider the island's best prata. It’s ethereally light, unbelievably crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. Watching the masters flip and fry the dough is a mesmerising performance, and the result is a flaky disc of perfection that’s incredible with their fish or mutton curry.
Recreating their prata from scratch might be a stretch, but you can channel their spirit. Buy high-quality frozen prata and pan-fry it with a generous amount of ghee until golden and shatteringly crisp. The key is the curry. Spend your effort making a rich, flavourful dhal or a simple chicken curry from scratch. Serve it family-style and let everyone tear into the prata with their hands.
4. Jian Bo Shui Kueh (Tiong Bahru Market)
Chwee Kueh, or steamed rice cakes topped with preserved radish (chai poh), is a humble breakfast that packs a massive umami punch. Jian Bo at Tiong Bahru Market is an institution. Their rice cakes are soft and wobbly, serving as the perfect vessel for the oily, salty, and slightly sweet chai poh, all tied together with a dollop of fiery chilli sauce.
This is a fantastic and unexpected appetiser for your brinner party. You can buy plain steamed rice cakes from local markets. The magic is in the topping. Finely chop some preserved radish and garlic, and sauté it in oil until fragrant and golden. Serve a platter of the warm rice cakes and let guests spoon the topping and chilli over themselves. It’s simple, delicious, and authentically local.
5. Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak
Nasi Lemak for dinner is already a Singaporean institution, making it a natural brinner champion. Boon Lay Power is a famous late-night spot, proving this "breakfast" dish truly shines after dark. The star is their fragrant coconut rice, which is fluffy and rich. Paired with a sweet and spicy sambal, crispy fried chicken wing, fried egg, and crunchy ikan bilis, it’s a symphony of textures and flavours.
A DIY Nasi Lemak bar is a guaranteed party hit. Prepare a big pot of coconut rice and lay out bowls of toppings: fried chicken, otah, fried eggs, cucumber slices, roasted peanuts, and of course, a killer sambal. It’s interactive, customisable, and caters to everyone's tastes. It’s a hearty, soulful centrepiece for any brinner gathering.
6. Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle
A Michelin-starred hawker stall serving breakfast? Absolutely. While many queue for hours for a lunch-time bowl, Bak Chor Mee (minced meat noodles) is a breakfast staple for many. Tai Hwa’s version is legendary for its perfect al dente noodles, tossed in a potent mix of black vinegar, chilli, and lard, then topped with tender pork slices, minced meat, and crispy fried sole fish.
This is an ambitious but show-stopping brinner main course. The secret is in the sauce. Perfecting the balance of vinegar and chilli is key. You can prepare all the components in advance—the minced meat, the pork liver, the dumplings—and simply blanch the noodles to order. It’s a dish that, as my good friend Goh Ling Yong would say, demonstrates how humble ingredients can create something truly world-class.
7. YY Kafei Dian
This bustling Hainanese coffee shop near Bugis is famous for its sugar-coated fluffy buns and kaya toast. Unlike the crispy toast from Ya Kun, YY's buns are incredibly soft, light, and airy, with a slightly browned top. They slice them open and fill them with their homemade kaya and a slice of butter. It's a pillowy, sweet delight.
Incorporate this into your brinner as a "dessert" course. Source some soft dinner rolls or brioche buns. Warm them slightly in the oven and serve them with a selection of spreads—kaya, Nutella, and fruit jams. It’s a softer, gentler alternative to traditional toast and a comforting way to end the meal.
8. Chey Sua Carrot Cake
Forget the sweet, cream-cheese-frosted cake. In Singapore, carrot cake (chai tow kway) is a savoury dish made from steamed radish and rice flour, stir-fried with eggs and preserved radish. Chey Sua, tucked away in Toa Payoh, is famous for its "white" version. They fry it in large, crispy-edged "pancakes" that are beautifully browned on the outside and soft on the inside.
This makes for an excellent side dish or a star vegetarian option at your brinner. You can buy blocks of the radish cake from a wet market. The technique is to pan-fry it until crisp before adding garlic, chai poh, and finally, swirling in the egg to bind it all together. Serve with a side of sambal for an extra kick.
9. Tong Ah Eating House
Located in the iconic triangular building on Keong Saik Road, Tong Ah is famous for its unique take on kaya toast: the Crispy Thin Toast. They take a traditional loaf of bread, slice it thinly, and toast it multiple times until it has the texture of a biscuit. The crunch is intensely satisfying, offering a completely different experience from the usual soft or crispy versions.
Feature a "Toast Tasting" flight at your brinner party. Offer Tong Ah's super-crispy style alongside Ya Kun's thin-crisp and YY's fluffy buns. It’s a fun way to showcase the diversity of a seemingly simple dish and will get your guests talking about their personal favourites.
10. Amoy Street Food Centre
This isn't one spot, but a hub of breakfast champions. You could build an entire brinner menu inspired by Amoy Street. Start with a light, peppery fish soup from Han Kee Fish Soup. Follow it up with a hearty, starchy bowl of Yuan Chun Famous Lor Mee, a thick, gravy-based noodle dish that's a classic breakfast choice.
For your party, create a "Hawker Centre" theme. Set up different stations, each representing a famous stall. You could have a pot of fish soup broth simmering, a station for assembling lor mee, and a platter of ngoh hiang (five-spice meat rolls) for guests to snack on. It captures the vibrant, diverse spirit of Singapore's food culture.
Modern Cafes & Brunch Hotspots
11. Wild Honey
Wild Honey's entire concept is built for brinner. With their tagline "Beautiful All-Day Breakfast," they offer an extensive menu of breakfast dishes from around the world. From the savoury 'Tunisian' (a fiery shakshuka) to the sweet 'Canadian' (fluffy pancakes with bacon and maple syrup), their menu is a global tour of morning meals.
The ultimate brinner party move is to steal their concept. Instead of a single theme, assign different countries to your guests and have them bring a breakfast dish from that culture. You could have Mexican huevos rancheros sitting next to a classic English Fry-Up. It’s a worldly, eclectic, and delicious way to celebrate.
12. Common Man Coffee Roasters
A pioneer of Singapore's third-wave coffee scene, Common Man serves up an impeccable Aussie-style brunch. Their 'Common Man Full Breakfast' is a masterpiece of balance and quality: perfectly scrambled eggs, artisanal sausage, house-made hashbrown, and sourdough toast. Their coffee, of course, is second to none.
Elevate your brinner by focusing on quality ingredients, just like CMCR does. Source sausages from a good butcher, bake your own sourdough (or buy from a good bakery), and learn how to make creamy, custardy scrambled eggs. And don't forget the coffee! Set up a pour-over or French press station with single-origin beans to give your guests a true cafe experience.
13. Clinton St. Baking Company & Restaurant
This New York import is legendary for one thing: pancakes. Their Pancakes with Warm Maple Butter are consistently voted among the best in the city. They are unbelievably fluffy, light, and served with a signature melted maple-butter sauce that is pure liquid gold. Their Fried Chicken & Waffles are also a top-tier savoury option.
A pancake and waffle bar is the heart of a fun, interactive brinner. Make a big batch of pancake and waffle batter and let guests cook their own on mini griddles. The real star is the topping bar: replicate Clinton St.'s warm maple butter, and add fresh berries, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and for the savoury fans, a platter of crispy fried chicken.
14. Tolido's Espresso Nook
This unpretentious cafe is a local favourite, beloved for its hearty food and lack of pretension. Their claim to fame is the Pandan Pancakes. These vibrant green hotcakes are infused with fragrant pandan essence, stacked high, and served with a generous drizzle of gula melaka (palm sugar) syrup and a scoop of coconut ice cream. It’s a brilliant fusion of a Western classic and local flavours.
This dish is a showstopper for your brinner's dessert course. You can easily make pandan-infused pancake batter at home. Serve them warm with high-quality gula melaka syrup and a good vanilla or coconut ice cream. It's an unexpected twist that feels both comforting and uniquely Singaporean.
15. Symmetry
Located in an old shophouse, Symmetry exudes a rustic, cool vibe and serves up a fantastic French-inspired brunch. Their Truffle Scrambled Eggs on toast, served with mushrooms and bacon, is the epitome of decadent comfort. The aroma of truffle fills the air, and the eggs are always cooked to creamy perfection.
Want to add a touch of luxury to your brinner? Truffles are the answer. Get some good quality truffle oil or truffle paste and fold it into your scrambled eggs or even a creamy mushroom sauce to pour over waffles. It's a simple way to make a familiar dish feel incredibly special and gourmet.
16. The Populus
The Populus is known for its inventive, Japanese-inflected brunch dishes and serious coffee program. A standout is their 'Populus Scramble,' which features soft-scrambled eggs folded with herbs and feta, served alongside a turkey bacon-wrapped sausage and a crispy potato rosti. It’s a complex plate with layers of flavour.
The brinner lesson here is about texture and layering. Don't just serve bacon; serve crispy bacon. Don't just serve hashbrowns; make a proper, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside rosti. Thinking about how different textures play together on the plate will elevate your home-cooked brinner from good to great.
17. Tiong Bahru Bakery Diner
We all know Tiong Bahru Bakery for its legendary croissants, but their Diner concept expands into a full-fledged savoury menu. Their 'Breakfast Croffle' is a genius invention—a croissant pressed in a waffle maker until crisp, then topped with a sunny-side-up egg, crispy bacon, and a sweet-salty ricotta cheese.
This is a brinner hack you need to try. Buy some good all-butter croissants, press them in your waffle iron for a minute or two, and watch the magic happen. The flaky layers become a grid of crispy, buttery goodness. It’s the perfect base for both sweet and savoury toppings and will absolutely blow your guests' minds.
18. PS.Cafe
PS.Cafe is an institution, known for its beautiful interiors, lively atmosphere, and indulgent food. While famous for their truffle fries, their brunch menu is equally impressive. The PS. Big Breakfast is a generous platter featuring eggs, bacon, sausage, and a cherry tomato salad, perfect for a leisurely meal. The ambiance is what makes it feel special.
Channel the PS.Cafe vibe for your brinner by focusing on presentation and atmosphere. Use your best plates, light some candles, and create a great music playlist. Serve generous, family-style platters of food rather than individual plates. It’s about creating a sense of occasion and effortless elegance. It’s a principle Goh Ling Yong often champions: the environment in which you eat is just as important as the food itself.
19. Forty Hands
Another OG of the Singapore cafe scene, Forty Hands has been serving excellent coffee and brunch in Tiong Bahru for over a decade. They are famous for their Tau Sar Pau (red bean buns) and their 'Big Boy Breakfast'. However, a real fan favourite is their 'Stinky Har Cheong Gai Waffles'—crispy waffles topped with savoury, umami-packed prawn paste chicken.
This sweet-and-savoury combination is brinner gold. Prepare a batch of prawn paste chicken (you can marinate it overnight) and fry it until crispy. Serve it over simple, fluffy waffles with a drizzle of maple syrup or sweet chilli sauce. It's a bold, funky, and incredibly delicious dish that your guests won't soon forget.
20. Lola's Cafe
This beloved neighbourhood cafe in Kovan is always packed, and for good reason. They serve reliable, delicious comfort food. Their Avocado Eggs Benedict is a standout, with perfectly poached eggs and a creamy hollandaise sauce served over smashed avocado and toasted sourdough. It's a modern classic done right.
Mastering poached eggs and hollandaise sauce is a culinary rite of passage and a surefire way to impress your brinner guests. Make the hollandaise in a blender for a foolproof method. Set up an eggs Benedict station where guests can assemble their own with various toppings like smoked salmon, sautéed spinach, or crispy bacon. It’s a sophisticated and satisfying centrepiece for your meal.
Your Turn to Host the Ultimate Brinner
The beauty of brinner lies in its versatility. It can be as simple as a comforting bowl of noodles or as elaborate as a multi-course global breakfast tasting menu. It's a theme that encourages fun, creativity, and a delightful disregard for the rules.
Use this list not as a rigid set of instructions, but as a launchpad for your own creativity. Pick a dish that excites you, a vibe that inspires you, and build your own unforgettable 'sunrise-to-supper' experience. After all, sharing a meal is about connection, and nothing connects people quite like the shared joy of eating breakfast food long after the sun has set.
Now, I'd love to hear from you. Which of these spots sparks your brinner imagination? What's on your dream breakfast-for-dinner menu? Share your ideas and favourite spots in the comments below
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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