House Downstairs Cafe下樓家 at Ulu Pandan CC

House Downstairs cafe at Ulu Pandan Community Club (opposite Ghim Moh Market) has been open for more than a year. But we have only noticed it recently and went to下樓家 for coffee.

New hip cafes pop up all the time in the east side of Singapore. You will have noticed that we have visited quite a few new Katong and Joo Chiat cafes recently. When a nice cafe opens up in the west, it is an occasion for celebration. Which was why we were happy to have discovered (in a belated way) the opening of this new House Downstairs cafe下樓家 at Ulu Pandan Community Club in Buona Vista. As you can see from this picture of the CC, the cafe is almost imperceptible to the casual passerby. If you look close enough there is a small sign on the left – second column on the ground floor of the building.

House Downstairs Cafe Ulu Pandan Community Club

On the left side after the main entrance, we found the new cafe. It sports a contemporary Japandi kind of decor that is popular with cafes and homeowners these days. White walls, plain floor and light wood furnishings all combine to give the cafe a clean and relaxing look. The House Downstairs Cafe is also blessed with big full height windows that fill the place with even natural light.

The Decor and the Best Seats

A variety of seating arrangements provide different seating options. Single users will like the window facing seats where there is less distraction from others and allow a view of the outside world. Many of the seats are stools which may get uncomfortable after the while. For us, the best seats are padded seats at the high tables. Here we can play with our laptops for hours.

Do not be fooled by the serenity of the cafe by these pictures. They were taken at a most quiet moment. There was a day when most of the seats were taken. It is such a nice place to escape from the hot afternoon or renovating neighbours, especially if you are a Ghim Moh resident.

House Downstairs Cafe Menu

Here are pictures of some sample portions from the House Downstairs menu. In addition to coffee and drinks, there is a fair selection of food available. Creatively referred to as “kiaps” and “dong xi”, light food such as sandwiches and food from the east (e.g. Korean riceballs) and west (e.g. potato rosti) are available.

What We Ate and Drank

We were there for coffee after a hearty meal of roast duck at Ghim Moh market. With not much space left we only tried some white coffee ($5 each) and a small snack. The coffee was nice and smooth although we would have preferred a stronger brew. The Danish was ok but not exceptional.

One highlight of our visit to House Downstairs was the serene atmosphere when the place was not crowded. There was another visit on a week day when the place was packed. It is hard to predict when is a good time to visit. Another highlight was the friendly staff in attendance. Service was top notch.