After returning from Rome, we've been on a cappuccino hunt for something that comes remotely close and just by sheer luck (and a few disappointments) we stumbled upon Tolido's Expresso Nook, at the corner of Crawford Lane.
Singapore is indeed on the verge of death by cappuccino in cafes - but my interpretation of that is death by 'bad' cappucino. There was a point of time we went for brunch every weekend until Nette got tired of the bad coffee, egg overdose and poser crowds. So we stopped and we really have been sticking to local food until Tolido's, where she even proactively requested to visit two weekends in a row.
It's small and relatively new so the staff may get on your nerves just a little bit due to their inexperience...but they are saved by cappucino, served by an award-winning barista no less!
The first time we were there it was full house, and they offered us a bar seat (which I honestly don't mind)...but the bar seat was inaccessible because a guy sitting at the edge of a table of 5 was blocking the whole bar area. Ok...so we waited about 5 mins for a table to clear, and once the waiter showed us to our table and we sat down he suddenly said "oh! The table is reserved I forgot...can you sit at the sofa instead?" Grumpy us without coffee...literally rolled our eyes and almost left. Thankfully the sofa turned out ok as we had a view of the entire cafe.
Second time we sat outside instead, which was also nice. Just remember to get them to switch on the fan so you don't melt.
Now for the food..prices are quite reasonable ($9.90-$16.90) and they offer a range of the usual all-day breakfast dishes, as well as pasta, rosti and waffles. Here are a few dishes we tried, all of which are pretty good!
Spend less on food and splurge on coffee! We always have at least 2 cuppas. The coffee beans are from Yahava, roasted by our good friends who imported the brand from Australia, so we may just be a little (just a little) biased here. But they were brewed to perfection by the crew at Tolido's. Whatever dissatisfaction we had went away with the first sip! I recommend the sea salt caramel latte or the good ol' cappucino!
They take reservations, or go early to grab a spot at a table of your choice!
Update: brought our pals there yesterday and got the thumbs up from them too!
Update: brought our pals there yesterday and got the thumbs up from them too!
Tolido's Espresso Nook
462 Crawford Lane