Common Man Coffee Roasters at Martin Road, Singapore

I know Singapore is a small country with a total land area of a little more than 700km²  which makes it just a bit bigger than Metro Manila's 600km². Add to the fact that commuting around is so easy and convenient yet I haven't really been around that much. Oh, what have I been doing this past year and a half?

Take for example Robertson Quay. It's one of those must-visit places as it's filled with 3rd wave coffee shops and it's said to also be a great place to hang out in or to jog around too. I've been meaning to visit this place but laziness normally strikes the moment the weekend rolls in. I'm glad my good friend Gelats was in town and despite our crazy schedules, we agreed to meet up for a quick coffee chat. She asked me to choose the place and I went for Common Man Coffee Roasters which has been one of the top coffee places to go to this year.

Finding it was quite easy with the help of our GPS, I enjoyed walking across the colorful graffiti covered Alkaff Bridge which was painted by Filipino artist Pacita Abad. Common Man Coffee Roasters is about 3 blocks past the bridge. Just walk down Martin Road and you'll surely find the busy coffee shop.



Inside, you'll get a coffee-shop-meets-bar vibe. The dark wooden interiors, the bright yellow lights, black decors and backdrops. It's definitely very different from the usual shabby chic coffee shop look.

Okay, enough with the interior and decor talk as we went there for one thing -- the COFFEE. As soon as Gelats arrived, we quickly peruse the menu and got our drinks. I went for my staple Flat White (S$5) while Paul went for the Hot Chocolate (S$6). I know, we're such corny folks who do not know how to change our orders! Haha

No matter how many times I'd tell myself to be more creative and to try something new, I always end up getting the Flat White as I just love the perfect blend of coffee and milk with no added frills. It's a straight-forward drink that I believe leaves a small room for errors. Which was also why I was surprised to get a very odd acidic after taste while drinking my coffee. I do know that some blends have higher acidity level but this one was unpleasantly sour. For a while there, I wondered if my coffee was spoiled. Sadly, it was too sour to be enjoyed and I don't think I'll order this ever again next time. That is unless they change their coffee blend then I'll probably reconsider.

On the other hand, Paul enjoyed his Hot Chocolate. What a lucky guy!

Gelats tried the Cold Brew (S$6) which I think was pretty okay as she seemed to like it too. Guess, it wasn't just my lucky coffee day.

To go with our drinks, we shared a slice of Citrus Love (S$7). Now, it's funny that we're having this cake with a well-balanced sour and sweet flavor. In fact, the cake's sour level was pleasant and yummy as opposed to my cup of coffee. We enjoyed the velvety smooth cheesecake that sits on top of a thick nutty crust and sprinkled with chopped pistachio. I highly recommend this and would love to go back to try their brunch menu as well as to have more of this cake. I heard Common Man Coffee Roasters makes really good Eggs Benedicts too. That I got to try!

Common Man Coffee Roasters is located at 22 Martin Road, Singapore. Call them at 6836-4695.