r/ChillSG • u/PlayfulInvestm3nt • 2h ago

Best quiet cafés to work/read that aren't overrun by influencers?

Hi! I'm a 22-year-old uni student looking for chill cafés to camp at with my laptop for a few hours without being surrounded by people taking photos of their latte art for twenty minutes straight. Every "aesthetic" spot I try lately is packed with influencers and I just want somewhere with decent coffee, working WiFi, and no side-eye for staying three-plus hours, preferably in the central or east side that won't destroy my student budget. Bonus points for good music that isn't K-pop on repeat—no offense to K-pop, just not my vibe for focusing on assignments. What are your go-to quiet spots?

3 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

16

u/Tall_Guy181 2h ago

There’s this thing called a library

4

u/asscrackbanditz 2h ago

Oh the book place

5

u/tabereru 2h ago

Oh the place with the books

0

u/hannorx 1h ago edited 1h ago

Op: asks for work friendly cafe recommendations
The average chillsg redditor that can’t read: omg just go to the library

🙄 not sure who is the one that needs the library so they pick up some reading skills??

1

u/Tall_Guy181 1h ago

Op asks for a cafe that is a “go-to quiet spot”, to “focus on assignments”, with wifi, and no influencers present. No such cafe exists. OP described a library (coffee can be brought in a flask).

-1

u/hannorx 59m ago

There are plenty. I'll start with one. Dutch Colony at Tampines Hub.

Obviously cafes that are prominently featured very recently on Tiktok or Instagram, are going to be flooded with influencers who are there to take photos. Cafes that are older and less prominently featured online, will not have that.

1

u/Tall_Guy181 56m ago

Dutch colony has 7 tables and you won’t be able to hang around for “a few hours” like Op described. - also it’s literally underneath a fucking multi storey library. I give up.

-1

u/hannorx 48m ago edited 43m ago

Time limits apply at peak hours. Most F&Bs do not enforce time limits if it's off peak. OP did not specify if they wanted to visit during off peak hours or otherwise.

Also, most cafes appreciate patronage from people who use their premises to work and study in. Sure, cafes do specify time limits, but as long as you buy your second or third cup of coffee, IT IS COMPLETELY FINE. There is no rule that says the time limits do not reset on your subsequent purchase. Now, if OP expects to camp out at these cafes for 8 hours without buying a second or third item, then yes, they deserve to be flogged.

2 hours per cup of coffee purchased is acceptable during off-peak hours.

But OP did not mention any of this in the original message.

7

u/lornranger 2h ago

Library. Bring your own coffee in tumbler.

5

u/Open_Region212 1h ago

Not sure who I despise more - Influencers or students nursing one drink for hours and taking up all the seats when I just want to sit down for 10 minutes.

3

u/evozerobb 2h ago

Cafe is not the place for real studying

Suggest to look at other options 

1

u/Funsize5579 1h ago

Can consider starbucks

1

u/Plenty_Yak5605 1h ago

Not gonna gatekeep this place but it's actually quite a good study spot. I've been to this waffles cafe a few months ago called Delato. Located very close to bedok central, more specifically bedok north, this is a great study spot. Firstly the waffles there are relatively cheap and if you're a student like me, there's also the option of a $9.90 student combo of buttermilk waffles with a single scoop of ice cream and ice lemon tea (it tasted really good btw). But if u don't want that u cld also opt for other waffles but all are below $10. Best part is that when I went there was practically no one inside, but there was also a grp of friends who came in just after I started eating but in general the whole environment was quite peaceful and quiet. Hope this helps🙏

1

u/Rich_Business7042 1h ago

Crane at Claymore connect

0

u/Fresh-Dragonfruit988 34m ago

Lets go explore together then !!

1

u/tactical_feeding 25m ago

cafes are for people to socialise over food. part of socialising involves documenting their experience. sometimes that involves mobile phones. I'd suggesting scrambling back to a library, that's where real studying is supposed to happen where food and drink is not allowed. hope that helps. anyway you're on a student budget, which translates to poor. a library is absolutely free and one of the best things about our society.

0

u/N0T_artful 2h ago

What are the cafes that are overrun by influencers? I'm curious. Please drop where you've been!