Heard a few things about Haven Coffee (not to be confused with another now-defunct Haven Coffee that existed in 2013 at FilmGarde Bugis+ above the cinema’s box office) before I had checked them out — said to be opened by a barista formerly of %Arabica, it is situated along Tanjong Pagar Road and is just beside Buko Nero. Much like most cafes of the late, Haven Coffee opted for a minimalistic interior design with heavy usage of white elements for a clean look; the menu consists of pastries (sourced from The Bakehaus at Owen Road), desserts (which is made up of a selection of tartelettes) and hot food such as croissant sandwiches and toasts. Beverage options included specialty coffee, tea and non-coffee options such as chocolate and matcha.

After being told that our initial order of the Tartelettes Citron Meringuees being unavailable for the day, we went for the Tartelettes Framboise (Raspberry) instead. Felt that this probably wouldn’t work well for the purists that are picky with their tarts — the tart felt as though it comprises of almond frangipane that largely made out the base of the tartelette; a texture that is softer and more moist than that of an actual tart base, though aptly nutty and crumbly. Topped off with berry compote and raspberry, it provides the tartelette with a chew, whilst also adding a zippy note that cuts through the subtly sweet and nutty base beneath.

With such credentials, I guess expectations are naturally set a little high for Haven Coffee — was a little disappointed with how the Dirty Matcha felt a little too powdery from the Matcha powder, while the Piccolo felt a little burnt and served at a temperature that was a tad high than usual. Hopefully these are all just teething issues with their initial launch — would also hope they could also serve up a few unique offerings be it in terms of food or beverages that would set them apart from the already crowded cafe scene in Singapore.