The Hour I Didn’t Plan to Spend at Hvala Singapore
I didn't plan to stay long.
I'd just come off the train at Somerset, tired from the crowds along Orchard, looking for somewhere to sit for ten minutes. This Hvala Singapore cafe outlet was tucked into the ground floor of 111 Somerset, and I ducked in mostly for the air-con. It's the kind of Singapore cafe that doesn't announce itself, quiet about what it is, and confident enough not to need to.
I ended up staying an hour.
Stepping Into Hvala Singapore's Slower Room
The first thing I noticed was the quiet.
It was a Wednesday, a little after 3pm, and the room felt like someone had turned the volume down on the whole city. The interior was all pale wood and soft light, with stone textures on the walls that kept everything grounded and calm. Nothing was shouting for attention. Someone once told me this café feels like a small corner of Kyoto, and I get why. It's calm without trying too hard. The kind of place where you lower your voice without realizing it.
You order by QR code at your table, which I usually find cold and impersonal. But here it suited the mood. No fuss. You scan, you choose, you wait.
Worth noting: check the opening hours before you head down, as they can vary by day and the website is the most reliable place to confirm, especially on weekends.
What Hvala Singapore Gets Right About Matcha
Hvala, a Croatian word meaning "thank you," treats tea as its reason for being, and you feel that the moment you start browsing the menu. Every item on it reflects a clear point of view, this isn't a café that stumbled into matcha.
I started with the Sei Matcha Latte. If you're used to sweet, milky matcha drinks, this cup might surprise you. It's vegetal, a little bitter, smooth in a way that doesn't rely on sugar to carry it. You actually taste the tea, the real thing, not a flavoured approximation. That bitterness lingers, and I liked that it wasn't hidden. Hvala uses ceremonial grade matcha sourced from Japan, and the difference shows in every sip. There's a depth to each cup that cheaper blends just can't replicate.
The drinks selection goes well beyond matcha. There's hojicha on the menu too, that warm, roasted tea with a nutty softness and a gentler finish on the palate. If matcha's bitterness isn't your thing, hojicha is a good place to start, and the selection of teas here gives you plenty of room to find your cup.
Hvala Singapore's Matcha Parfait and Other Desserts Worth Your Time
Then came the Matcha Mochi Harmony, Hvala's signature matcha parfait layered with soft mochi and cold gelato, and this is the one I'd tell you to order first.
Warm mochi, soft and chewy, sitting under a scoop of cold matcha gelato. The temperature contrast is the whole point. Cool and warm in the same spoonful. There's kuromitsu drizzled over it, that dark Japanese black sugar syrup, and a soft hint of osmanthus that comes through quietly at the end. You can taste the craft in every layer: the matcha is present and grounded, the mochi yields without falling apart, and nothing feels like an afterthought.
I'll be honest, the gelato leaned a touch sweeter than I expected. It softened the matcha's edge a little. But the textures made up for it. The chewy mochi, the melting gelato, the sticky syrup kept me interested right down to the last bite.
The rest of the desserts menu is worth taking time to enjoy. The Goma Black Sesame Cake was the surprise of the afternoon. You smell the roasted sesame before you taste it, deep and nutty, and the cake itself is creamy, dense, and rich in a way that fills your mouth completely. It's bold, maybe too bold on its own. I'd say share it, or pair it with tea to cut through the richness. Halfway through, I reached for my latte just to reset my palate. Among all the cakes and desserts on offer, this one lingered the longest.
They also do cakes, including a Shirocha Basque Cheesecake at around S$14.90. The menu leans toward refined Japanese-style desserts, and while you won't find waffles or heavier café fare here, the selection is considered and complete enough that nothing feels missing. I've filed the cheesecake away for the next visit.
Small Details, Handled Well
The service was easy.
My order arrived maybe five minutes after I tapped it in. The staff knew their tea well, and you could sense the craft behind it. When I asked about the matcha, one of them walked me through how they source and prepare each cup, explaining the care that goes into selecting ceremonial grade leaves and how that shapes what ends up in your drink, without making me feel like I'd asked a silly question.
That kind of quiet knowledge matters to me. It tells you the people behind the counter actually care about what they're serving. This is a café in Singapore that treats its ingredients with real respect, and you taste that in every sip.
Before You Go
A few honest notes before you go.
- The outlet at 111 Somerset is a short walk from Somerset MRT, so you don't need to think about parking. It's walk-in only, no reservations, and that's worth knowing on weekends. Always check the opening hours on their website before heading down, as they can vary by day across each Hvala outlet.
- Come on a weekday afternoon if you can. Saturdays get busy, seats fill up, and the calm I loved gets a little harder to find.
- Budget around S$20 to S$30 per person for a drink and a dessert. The portions are café-sized, not generous. Most people order one drink, one dessert, and take their time. This isn't a place you go to fill up.
Who It's For
Hvala isn't a full meal. It never pretends to be.
If you love matcha, real matcha, the slightly bitter kind that tastes like tea and not candy, you'll feel at home at this cafe. The desserts here lean refined over sugary, and the selection is focused without feeling sparse. That's a deliberate choice, and it reflects everything Hvala Singapore stands for.
If you're after something sweet and easy, or a big plate to share, you might leave a little underwhelmed.
Me? I came in for the air-con and left thinking about that matcha parfait.
I'll be back on a quiet afternoon, no rush, just tea and something warm. Some places are worth slowing down for. And if you're still exploring the neighbourhood after, this guide to the best food places to eat in Somerset Singapore is worth a look before you wander.