One of the most notable openings within the Singapore F&B scene in early 2025 would be that of Blue Bottle Coffee — there has been a period of time where Lumine within Raffles City Shopping Centre had played host to Blue Bottle Coffee retailing their merchandise within their retail store when they had first made their move from Clarke Quay Central. That being said, Blue Bottle Coffee does have their very first outpost in Singapore — this would be located exactly within Lumine at Raffles City; the area of which Blue Bottle Coffee is located within Lumine is around the entrance of where the now-defunct Robinsons departmental store used to be that is accessible from the junction of North Bridge Road and Stamford Road diagonally across from Capitol Singapore. That being said, one can still enter Blue Bottle Coffee from within the mall via Lumine itself as well. The Blue Bottle Coffee outlet in Singapore does feature a dine-in area; the entire outlet is decked in a minimalist decor theme that features both metallic elements and wooden furniture and fittings — a clean look with the mostly white walls and floors within Lumine itself. Tables are configured in a layout that would suit those visiting in pairs or groups of four (4) pax — there is also a high table that works especially well for individuals looking for a cuppa that faces out towards Capitol Singapore that makes for a good spot to watch the world go by. Blue Bottle Coffee’s main focus would be on their espresso-based specialty coffee offerings; these would be brewed using blends that are being brewed using their very own roasts — all of which available to be purchased alongside the merchandise that they have to offer. Apart from espresso-based specialty coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee also offers a line-up of sparkling beverages, drinking chocolate and Matcha Latte — there are also a few pastries that Blue Bottle Coffee at their Raffles City location; some of which being Singapore-exclusive items which are created in collaboration with Bakery Brera that also runs their own space at Farrer Road and National Museum of Singapore.

One of the two Singapore-exclusive pastries that Blue Bottle Coffee offers in Singapore would be that of their Coconut Kouign Amann; this would be a twist to the standard Kouign Amann — the Coconut Kouign Amann being described on the menu as “caramalised Breton pastry with a tropical twist of toasted grated coconut”. The Coconut Kouign Amann came with the same swirls being the beautifully laminated dough that creates the layered look of the usual Kouign Amann; the pastry being inherently buttery whilst being suitably sweet — the sweetness being more evident as one reaches the core in the middle. The tropical twist sees the Coconut Kouign Amann coming with toasted grated coconut that seems to be soaked in Gula Melaka — the flavour profile being largely familiar to that of Ondeh Ondeh with its slightly earthy notes amidst the sweetness that differs from the crackling, crystallised sugar layer that one can find on a typical Kouign Amann. During the same visit to Blue Bottle Coffee, we had also went for the Pandan Canele with Kaya; this would be a twist to their standard Canele which they also serve up. The menu describes the Pandan Canele with Kaya to be come with a “caramalised crust, a custardy Pandan interior and a rich heart of Kaya”. Served as-is straight from the storage compartment, we do feel that the Canele would have come a little more crustier with a better crunch if it were to be served warmed up. That being said, we liked the bitter sweetness that is being carried by the caramalised crust in the exterior, whilst slicing through the Canele would reveal its pandan-infused interior that comes with a green hue which whiffs of a slight hint of Pandan whilst at it; the addition of Kaya giving it an added note of sweetness with a local touch.

Of course we wouldn’t be leaving Blue Bottle Coffee without giving their espresso-based specialty coffee a go. Wanting to go for something a little different, we went for the Gibraltar — our dine-in order was unfortunately keyed in as a Takeaway order and we found our order of the Gibraltar being served in a disposable cup rather than a glass cup instead. For those whom haven’t heard about the Gibraltar, this would essentially be something very similar to that of a Flat White considering how it comes with a double shot of espresso whilst also coming with steamed milk; the serving size of the Gibraltar being at 4.5 ounces. The cuppa at Blue Bottle Coffee is well-pulled being all smooth and creamy; the Gibraltar coming with a medium body considering the proportion of milk to coffee that it comes with — the flavour profile being one that is fruity but not acidic, and slowly transitions into and earthy note with a clean finish. Blue Bottle Coffee is certainly one establishment where the brand name is more of the attraction for those familiar with the cafe-hopping scene; something more similar tot the likes of Arabica% especially considering how Blue Bottle Coffee has its own international following as well. There are some whom have commented that the Singapore outlet of Blue Bottle Coffee does pull better cuppas than that of some other of its Asian locations, though we would leave that commentary for those whom actually been to those outlets. That being said, the queues for Blue Bottle Coffee seemed to have pretty much subsided to pretty acceptable levels now; probably the right time to give them a visit for those whom have bookmarked doing so whilst wanting to avoid the crowds.