TAG Espresso at Takashimaya is a small cafe at Ngee Ann City that we have not seen before this visit, even though we have often been to the popular Orchard Road shopping mall. This hidden cafe serves light food and good coffee. But its best attribute is its remote location. This is a place to hide from the crowds.
Hidden Cafe at Takashimaya S.C.
Takashimaya Shopping Centre is a very popular place. There are many cafes there, but finding a table can be challenging at times. Even at an off peak hour on a weekday, many of the cafes were full. There were even queues to popular cafes such as Hvala at basement 2.
Searching through the Takashimaya stores directory on its website, we found TAG Espresso Takashimaya, listed on level 2. The store description is : “A deluxe coffee concept that incorporates the spirit of expressiveness and high-quality coffee …TAG Espresso stands by standards for quality craftsmanship, lush spaces inspired to make customers feel exceptional, simply through a cup of coffee. Come taste the coffee that you truly deserve. “ This was enough to make us search for it.
We found it just outside of the level 2 lift lobby of office tower B. It is near the driveway that serves the office tower, outside the usual air-conditioned corridors of Ngee Ann city which is why we have not seen it before. Arriving at the cafe, we realised it was where Grand Jeté Cafe & Bar used to be.
The new occupant is quite different – a modern coffee bar with big shining espresso machines and coffee grinders. The decor is simple and elegant. Compared to the other Takashimaya cafes we had in mind, this was a place of calmness.
TAG Espresso Takashimaya Menu
Here are screenshots of the TAG Espresso Takashimaya online menu. The food menu includes typical cafe food such as all day brunch and pasta. We did not eat any substantial food that day but observed that our neighbours had rice bowls that looked rather attractive. We only tried the coffee and a couple of desserts on this visit.
Coffee and Dessert at Takashimaya SC
The desserts we tried that day were coffee tiramisu ($8.70) and key lime tart ($8.70). They both had a “Kura” branding. Our guess is that they were from Kura Patisserie. The tart was very well made with a light crust and a mild sourish centre. It looked very attractive as well.
The tiramisu was a different beast. With no looks to speak of it looks like a cup of chocolate powder. But it warmed our cockles with its nice blend of coffee, chocolate and creamy flavours as well as a strong dose of alcohol. It turned out to be a good combination of desserts as they were so different but very enjoyable in their own way.
Flat White was our choice of coffee which we thought was very good. Not very strong but smooth and fragrant and not sourish, this is the kind of coffee we like. Together with the nice, courteous service, we had a good coffee stop at TAG Espresso Takashimaya
TAG Espresso Takashimaya
Ngee Ann City (Tower B)
Orchard Road, #02-11
Singapore 238872
Opening Hours:
8am -9pm (Monday – Friday)
10am -9pm (Saturday, Sunday & PH)
Last kitchen order is at 7.30pm daily
Nearby MRT Stations: Orchard (NS22), Somerset (NS23)
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