There are cafes in Singapore for bikers, cafes for pet lovers, cafes for wannabe artists…and the list goes on. Are there cafes for ordinary people? Now there is one in Hamilton Road. And the name of the new cafe? For The People.
11 Hamilton Road
Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a cafe-cum-bar-cum-event space at 11 Hamilton Road with the rather unimaginative name of “11 Hamilton”. 11 Hamilton, the cafe bar, is no more. The ground-level space of No. 11 Hamilton Road is now home to a new cafe with the name For The People (FTP).
Hamilton Road is becoming an interesting precinct. There are still a few old businesses like hardware stalls and construction material shops there. However, many of the shop houses there have been converted to cafes, boutique hotels and backpackers hostels. No. 11 Hamilton Road stands out because of its dazzling white facade with blue accents.
For The People Cafe
For The People at No. 11 Hamilton Road has an all glass frontage giving passers-by a glimpse of its attractive interior as well as, sometimes, beautiful people sitting at the counters facing out.
The new cafe has a clean, fresh and welcoming look. The white with blue colour palette of the external facade of the building is incorporated in the interior design of the cafe. The colour scheme, light wood furniture, beautiful accent pieces as well as green plants and flowers all add to the pleasing aesthetics of the FTP space.
For The People Menu
FTP cafe offers what you typically find in cafes – coffee and pastries and all day breakfast food with a few mains and sides. There are also cold pressed juices and wines and beers.
For The People has a digital menu that you access by scanning a QR Code with your smartphone. Below are a few sections of the digital menu.
Coffee Break at Cafe For the People
We chanced upon the newly opened Cafe For The People (still in its soft launch stage) after we had lunch. So we decided to have coffee and desserts there. We ended up ordering French Toast ($16), Ondeh Ondeh Cake ($6.50), Flat White ($6.50) and Energiser Cold Pressed Fruit Juice ($8).
The French Toast looked pretty. Topped with peaches, strawberries and yoghurt, the bread could hardly be seen. We liked the cookie crumbles used to decorate the plate. They were quite delectable and added contrasting texture. The FTP French Toast was quite a luxury for ordinary people more used to French Toast at Ya Kun. It was an enjoyable dish.
The slice of Ondeh Ondeh Cake was quite large. The cake and the cold pressed juice were about what you would expect. Nice, but nothing exceptional.
The coffee at FTP was very good – rich and smooth, slightly chocolatey and without bitterness or acidic aftertaste.
Nice New Cafe
For The People is a nice and unpretentious cafe. We like the aesthetically-pleasing space, which young entrepreneur owner Germaine Chow describes as “inspired by a modern minimalist mood to create a warm and inviting feel”. The staff are friendly and helpful. The food is not bad and the coffee is very good. The prices, while not exactly cheap for most common people, are reasonable. There are many good and interesting cafes in the Lavender-Jalan Besar area but the new Cafe For The People is one we are likely to visit again when we are in that part of town.
Ratings:
Food: 3
Service: 4
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 4
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs 
For The People
11 Hamilton Road #01-01
Singapore 209182
Tel: +65 8133 4819
Opening Hours:
Tue to Sun: 9.30 am to 10.00 pm
Closed on Monday
Nearby MRT Stations: Bendemeer, Lavender
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog
