This document provides an overview of the up-and-coming Bras Basah neighborhood in Singapore, highlighting several cafes, shops, and other attractions that lend the area an artsy and hip vibe. It describes 6 locations in the neighborhood - the Lasalle College of the Arts, which has brought new life to the area; the concept stores 3 Actually and Actually Actually selling avant-garde fashion; the rooftop bar Loof with stunning city views; the indie bookstore/cafe Cat Socrates known for its knickknacks; the design-forward Naumi Hotel with an infinity pool; and the glass-walled cafe/shop Food For Thought which donates profits to charitable causes. Overall the document

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Creative Quarter.
Singapore’s up-and-coming
Bras Basah area offers a hip
young vibe and artsy chic.
By LIANG XINYI
W
EDGED BETWEEN LITTLE INDIA, ORCHARD ROAD
and Civic District, Bras Basah is known mainly as a
haunt for students sourcing cheap secondhand books
and art materials. Lately, however, trendy boutiques and cafés
have sprung up to cater to the area’s arty inhabitants, lending the
neighborhood a distinct air of boho-chic. Below, T+L guides you
through one of Singapore’s most unexpected corners. ✚
J U L Y 2 0 1 0 | T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M46
DRINK
Colored dots along a
dim stairwell lead up to
3 Actually (29A Seah St.;
65/6336-7298; actually.com.
sg), a second-floor concept
store stocking avant-garde
labels like Song Zio and
Complexgeometries. The
100-square-meter space
oozes eccentric chic, from
chairs suspended mid-air
to vintage suitcases with
open lids. Eco-conscious
fashionistas, take note:
this is the only place in
Singapore that sells Freitag
bags recycled from brightly
hued truck tarpaulins. Also
check out sister boutique
Actually Actually on
neighboring Purvis Street.
Perched atop the WOHA-designed
Odeon Towers, 5 Loof (331 North
Bridge Rd., 03–07 Odeon Towers Extension
Rooftop; 65/6338-8035; loof.com.sg; drinks
for two S$36) draws a young, stylish
crowd with its plugged-in
atmosphere, dazzling city
views and original
house cocktails;
try the deliciously
fruity Gummiberry
(right). A “When It
Rains, We Pour” deal
offers one-for-one drinks
till 9 P.M. on rainy nights
—just be sure to grab
a covered seat.
Hidden within a
monolithic complex,
the whimsical 2 Cat
Socrates (03–39B,
Bras Basah Complex, 231
Bain St.; 65/6333-0870;
catsocrates.com.sg) is an indie
bookstore–café crammed
with knick-knacks and novelty
items, from pretty sketchbooks to
nostalgic tin toys, all sourced by
husband-and-wife owners Brett
and Hellen Zhang on their trips
around Asia. The café is bohemian
hangout, and a great place to
linger over a cappuccino.
SHOP
Bras Basah’s newfound vitality owes
much to 1 LASALLE College of the
Arts (1 McNally St.; 65/6496-5000;
lasalle.edu.sg), which moved to its
present location three years ago.
Student days long gone? Don’t fret.
You can still view fresh artworks at
the Institute of Contemporary Arts,
explore the campus’s
striking asymmetrical
architecture—think
crisscrossing sky
bridges under an
arched roof—or
take in theater,
dance or music
performances at
one of three spaces.
DO
SHOP
SINGAPORE
EAT
The origami-like
façade of the
steel-and-glass 4
Naumi Hotel (41
Seah St.;
65/6403-6000;
naumihotel.com; doubles
from S$370) stands in stark
contrast to the colonial architecture of
the Raffles Hotel next door. Its 40
spacious rooms feature soothing creams,
ornate wallpaper patterns, hanging
globular lamps and brightly colored
armchairs. On the 10th-floor rooftop,
sit back on a pod-like lounge chair
by the infinity pool and take in the
unobstructed vistas over Singapore’s
ever-changing skyline.
STAY
A stone’s
throw from the Singapore Art
Museum, 6 Food For Thought
(8 Queen St.; 65/6338-9887;
foodforthought.com.sg; lunch for two
S$40) is a box-like glass house that
hosts a friendly café and shop run
by four socially conscious friends,
who donate a portion of profits to
causes like World Vision. The
sleek, monochromatic interior is
offset with quirky touches like
glass jars in neat rows, overturned
flowerpots dangling from exposed
beams and table mats emblazoned
with do-good slogans. Sit down at
a gray-tiled table and dig into one
of the healthy but hearty dishes:
try the tasty rosemary–garlic fries,
sage-roasted pumpkin risotto or
basil-pesto chicken, all served in
generous portions.