Opened to much fanfare during the previous weekend would be cloud; a new cafe which has recently taken over the former premises that MAVRX Coffee Bar used to be housed in at Duxton Hill prior to its move to Great World City. Whilst the facade of cloud is instantly recognisable considering how they have retained the windows and the doors of the shophouse unit, cloud has transformed the interior of the space entirely — this also means more room for a larger dine-in space as opposed to what was available at MAVRX Coffee Bar previously. The espresso bar now sits facing the window right at the entrance of the shophouse; the spacious counter is also where the order and cashiering counter is right on the other end from the espresso machine — faux cloud decor could be found above the espresso bar, giving the establishment a dreamy vibe. The dine-in space is largely dimly-lit in the middle; the use of cushioned seats giving a cosy feel to the otherwise raw interior that comes with an industrial look — the middle featuring communal seating while the more brightly-lit area illuminated with a skylight at the end of the shophouse comes with tables good for small groups of two to four pax. Visiting cloud during their soft launch phase, cloud was serving up a variety of bakes (think cakes, cookies etc.) alongside a list of espresso-based coffee beverages — there are also equipment spotted for filter coffee at the counter; perhaps something which they intend to serve up when they go into official launch.
Skimming through the various bakes that the have to offer displayed prominently at the counter as one walks into the cafe, cloud was serving up a good variety of cakes on the day of our visit with a few options when it came to slices of loaf cakes, as well as a chocolate chip cookie that would go well for those looking for a light bite. We went for the Apple Crumble Cake — something which we found to be rather intriguing considering how it seems to be baked as an individually-sized loaf cake rather than as a sliced loaf cake. The Apple Crumble Cake is what one would have expected — an item which is inspired by the Apple Crumble Pie but served in the form of a cake. Digging into the cake, we found chunks of soft, poached apples within the cake — these were caramalised just about right to a comfortable level of sweetness, while the cake also did come with some crumbly bits that provide a crunch just like what one would expect in an Apple Crumble Pie. The cake itself felt like a standard butter cake; not too dense but was held up well to the slicing of it with a fork without becoming too crumbly — the cake itself also coming with a note of sweetness though compliments that of the caramalised apples within. A rather decent accompaniment to a Black on the side.
Given the lack of a full food menu at this current juncture (we are unsure if they would be doing so as they go into their official launch), cloud’s business model does follow the same of other coffee bars that had been sprouting up around the island in the past two years — think the likes of abseil, Pinhole Coffee Bar and Grey Area Coffee Roasters, just to name a few. The bakes made available during our visit to cloud does seem more like something that they serve up to compliment their coffee menu; the specialty coffee being the highlight at cloud. Our White was actually quite well-pulled; the cuppa being all smooth and creamy whilst carrying a medium body with a fruity flavour profile — a cuppa that we thought to have carried quite a punch and would work well as a morning perk-me-up. With their emphasis on their coffee rather than their food offerings at this stage, cloud is undeniably a spot meant for the serious coffee drinker — a spot to enjoy some well-pulled cuppa whilst having a catch up with friends or for a quiet read around the more well-lit corners of the cafe. That being said, those who are in for the ‘gram would likely be attracted to cloud’s interior — one that gives of those aesthetic vibes that would work great for OOTDs and other shots just to add to the feed. Whatever the case it may be however, cloud is a spot that we would be expecting to see more of on social media in the coming days — a spot to visit before the queue starts to form.