Grids & Circles is a new cafe in Chinatown that can well be a case study for cafe and food trends in Singapore. It is a multi-concept space; it is a restaurant-bar; the menu items include healthy rice bowls, quinoa salad and avocado toasts; it offers hot and cold brews; decor and lighting are designed to ensure photos of food looks great; and it embraces cashless payments. The cafe is a pleasant spot to eat, drink and chill.
Grids & Circles Lifestyle Cafe
Located in a three storey white shophouse along South Bridge Road, Grids & Circles is new a cafe and bar, a lifestyle retail outlet and an event venue space.
The decor of Grids & Circles cafe is in the Scandinavian style —an aesthetic marked by simplicity and functionality. The dining space on the ground floor is small. There are just a few small tables and counters against the walls. On the second level is a more spacious dining space. The second floor can be used for workshops or events.
Grids & Circles Menu
Grids & Circles has different menus for different times of the day. As it is still new, some menu items may not be available and additional items not in the menus are introduced from time to time. Check out the boards in the cafe or ask the staff about off menu items. Below are photos of a few sections of the various menus.
Lunch at Grids & Circles
We visited Grids & Circles for lunch. We ordered a Pork Rice Bowl ($14), Almond Bacon Carbonara ($16) and Tamago Sando Sandwich ($12). With each main course, we could pay an add-on of $6 to have a drink and either the soup of the day or dessert of the day. Service charge and GST would be added to the bill.
Service was friendly and water was offered as soon as we were seated. The wait for our food was not more than 15 minutes.
The soup of the day was corn soup, which was comfort food that we found quite enjoyable. The tagliatelle with bacon cream sauce came with bacon bits and onsen egg. It was a luscious pasta dish which was delicious.
The Pork Bowl looked great and was packed with a variety of ingredients. Healthy Japanese gourmet specialty brown rice was topped with sliced pork, an onsen egg, onion, corn, lady’s fingers and other greens. The thin slices of tender braised pork were lightly flavoured and quite tasty. I thought all those greens were a little overwhelming, considering that I ordered a pork bowl and not a salad bowl. Nevertheless, on the whole I quite enjoyed the pork bowl (though I must confess that I did not finish up those healthy greens).
The Tamago Sando Sandwich was the most enjoyable dish of the day. It was a simple egg sandwich served with some greens and chips. The Japanese omelette, made by rolling together several layers of cooked egg, had a light texture and combined well with the pear sauce.
The dessert of the day was a small piece of apple crumble. It looked quite sad but it was so easy to like the humble looking pie with flaky crust and cinnamon sugar topping.
Coffee and tea were served in trendy double walled glasses – much better presentation compared to how the apple crumble was served.
Nice Well-Rounded Cafe
Grids & Circles is a nice well-rounded cafe with a good atmosphere and friendly service. The new cafe and bar seems to have something for everyone. Whether you want healthy rice bowls and artisanal tea or sinful fluffy pancakes and craft beers, whether you want a quick lunch or a lazy afternoon tea, Grid & Circles in Chinatown can be a pleasant spot to eat, drink and chill. It may also be a place to do a study on the latest trends in the indie cafe scene of Singapore.
Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 4
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall: 4 TOPs 
Grid & Circles
200 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058749
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7 am – 6 pm
Sat-Sun: 8 am – 6 pm
Nearby MRT Station: Chinatown
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog
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