Food Sengkang
Cafes in Sengkang: Park Views, Late-Night Desserts & Jalan Kayu Brunch
Sengkang’s cafés are spread out: a shophouse brunch spot on Jalan Kayu, a café in Sengkang Riverside Park and dessert shops that stay open late. Five names and where to find more.
Unlike Kovan or Serangoon Gardens, Sengkang has no café street. Its cafes are spread across the town: a bright shophouse café on Jalan Kayu, a café-restaurant inside Sengkang Riverside Park, and small dessert shops in the neighbourhood centres of Fernvale, Rivervale and Anchorvale. The malls fill in the gaps with chains. This guide names five places that we confirmed operating in 2025–2026 sources, grouped so you can plan a trip around one part of town.
Independent cafés open, move and close often. Everything below was checked in September 2026, but confirm opening hours on the café’s own page before a special trip.
1. Jalan Kayu: brunch in a shophouse
Jalan Kayu, on Sengkang’s western edge near Fernvale, is best known for its late-night prata shops (see our prata and nasi lemak guide). A few doors along the same low-rise row, a modern café has become a brunch stop for people across the North-East.
The Apricus Coffee & Food Co.
Opened in 2022 by one of the team behind The Populus in Tanjong Pagar, Apricus fills a long, narrow shophouse lit by a skylight at the back. The all-day menu leans towards hearty brunch plates with Mediterranean touches, alongside French toast, pasta and a good range of vegetarian dishes. Its owners say the meat comes from halal-certified suppliers, but check its current status if you need MUIS certification. It gets loud and busy at weekend lunchtime.
2. Sengkang Riverside Park: a café with a view
Sengkang Riverside Park, along Sungei Punggol, is one of the town’s best places to spend a morning, and it has its own café-restaurant.
Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop
A tuckshop-style concept from the Tenderfresh group, open in the park since 2023. The menu runs from nasi lemak and fried chicken to pasta, pizza and salads, with desserts and drinks. It has an air-conditioned dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows onto the park and a sheltered outdoor area, and it does not take reservations. Halal directories list this outlet as halal-certified. Kupang and Farmway LRT stations are the closest.
Walk or cycle the park loop and the Anchorvale end of the river first, then eat at the park café. Mornings are cooler and the park is quieter before 10am.
3. Dessert shops in the neighbourhoods
Sengkang’s most distinctive cafés are small dessert shops in the neighbourhood centres. Several stay open late, which suits a town with many young families and shift workers.
Cold Flings
A small ice cream and açaí café on the ground floor of a Fernvale condominium, open since 2022. It is known for its gelato in local and fruity flavours, waffles and açaí bowls, and for trading into the early hours. Seating is limited, with a few tables outside. Thanggam LRT is about two minutes’ walk away.
Sweet Reservations
A small Korean-style dessert kiosk in Rivervale Plaza, known locally for bingsu (shaved milk ice with toppings), waffles and ice cream. It is an easy after-dinner stop if you live in Rivervale or Compassvale. The mall has promoted its own dessert crawl, so there are other sweet options in the same building.
Meow Dessert
A cat-themed dessert shop in Anchorvale Village, with a long menu of local-style desserts and a particular following for its durian desserts, including Mao Shan Wang durian mousse. It is a good choice for groups who want to share several bowls. Anchorvale Village has promoted it as one of its local favourites.
4. Mall cafés and chains
For air-conditioning, long hours and no surprises, the malls have chain cafés, bakeries and bubble tea:
- Compass One, above Sengkang MRT and bus interchange, has the widest choice.
- Sengkang Grand Mall, near Buangkok MRT, includes a matcha café and several bakeries.
- The Seletar Mall in Fernvale and Rivervale Mall both have cafés and dessert counters.
Coffee shops remain the daily default in Sengkang. Newer ones are getting closer to cafés: one on Sengkang East Drive, which opened in January 2026, has air-conditioning, alfresco seating and its own bakery. See our Sengkang food guide for hawker centres and coffee shops.
Planning a café afternoon
Because the cafés are far apart, it helps to pick one side of town. On the west, combine brunch on Jalan Kayu with a stroll around Fernvale and an evening gelato at Cold Flings. On the east, start at Sengkang Riverside Park, then head to Anchorvale Village for durian desserts, or head to Rivervale Plaza for bingsu. A car or bike makes the western loop easier, as Jalan Kayu has no train station.
Getting to Sengkang’s cafés
| Café area | Nearest station |
|---|---|
| Jalan Kayu | No station at the door; bus from Sengkang MRT or Fernvale |
| Sengkang Riverside Park | Kupang or Farmway LRT (West Loop) |
| Fernvale (Cold Flings) | Thanggam LRT (West Loop) |
| Rivervale Plaza | Sengkang LRT East Loop; use a journey planner |
| Anchorvale Village | Sengkang LRT; use a journey planner |
| Compass One | Sengkang MRT (NE16) |
Sengkang’s LRT loops cover most estates, but a café on the other side of town can take a while. Use a journey planner such as MyTransport.SG or Google Maps from your block. The LTA rail network page shows the LRT loops.
How to check a café is still open
- Check the café’s own Instagram or Facebook for recent posts and closure notices.
- Read the dates on recent reviews in map apps.
- Check late-night hours on the day. Dessert shops often shorten hours on weekdays.
- For halal needs, search the outlet on the MUIS halal directory, or read our halal food guide to Punggol and Sengkang.
Next door, our guides to cafés in Punggol and cafés in Hougang cover the neighbouring towns.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the cafés in Sengkang?
Sengkang has no single café street. Cafés are spread across the neighbourhood centres and malls, with a shophouse café on Jalan Kayu, a restaurant-café in Sengkang Riverside Park and dessert shops in Fernvale, Rivervale and Anchorvale.
Is there a late-night dessert café in Sengkang?
Yes. Cold Flings at High Park Residences in Fernvale is known for gelato and açaí served late into the night. Hours vary by day, so check before you go.
Is there a café in Sengkang Riverside Park?
Yes. Tenderbest Makcik Tuckshop runs a restaurant-café at 50 Anchorvale Street inside the park, with indoor and outdoor seating. It is walk-in only.
Are Sengkang cafés open on Mondays?
Many are, but some independent cafés take a weekly rest day. Check the café’s own social media before making a trip.
Details checked September 2026 against the operators’ own websites. Opening hours and services change, so please confirm before you go. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.