Vernacular Coffee: Badass bakes & brews at the former Singapore Badminton Hall

If you take a windy path through a stretch of HDB blocks, it will lead you one of two ways: completely lost or finding yourself at the ground level of the former Singapore Badminton Hall at the coffee nook that's Vernacular Coffee.

Once the stage for badminton glory, hosting the 1952 Thomas Cup and homegrown legend Wong Peng Soon’s historic win, the former Singapore Badminton Hall has since traded shuttlecocks for coffee cups. Today, it lives on as the KFF Badminton Arena, where you can still book a court for a game… right after fuelling up with drinks and bakes at Vernacular Coffee. >.<

We resonate completely with the mantra of 'Coffee is always a good idea'

Inside, the high ceilings (a leftover from its badminton days) meet moody walls and giant sunlit windows. Vibey lighting, the aroma of coffee and baked pastries, what more could a girl ask for?

“Vernacular” in Vernacular Coffee here isn’t just a name, it’s a philosophy. The café champions the unique dialects and flavours of Southeast Asian beans, with single-origin picks from Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia, each presented with tasting notes and backstory.

Settling into my seat near the giant window, I scanned the menu and peered at the other tables to get some help deciding on my order. I settled on something local and something international. For drinks, their newly launched Pandan Einspänner ($8) caught my eye.

The Pandan cream had an air of lightness, of the slightly salted cream paired with the sweetness of the coconut. Mixed together with the acidic espresso, the sweet, the salty, and the acidic meet in a marriage of flavours to deliver a divine medley of East meets West.

For my pastry, I settled on what I found the most mouth-watering and that was the Pulled Pork and Pickle Danish ($12). Tucked into this flaky, buttery crevice was a pool of tender pulled pork marinated in a tangy barbecue sauce.

Flaky, buttery, yums!

Plopped atop the mountain of pork was a dollop of mustard and the second P, the pickle.

The completed spread

While I had to sadly deconstruct the picturesque Danish, I needed to get the perfect bite. As someone who always pulls a pickle out of my burgers, I was amazed at how well the juicy pickle cuts through the rich flavours of the mustard and pulled pork.

Not only do they serve up bakes and drinks, they also have a brunch menu featuring common staples like Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and Full Breakfast.

Whether you wander in post-badminton game or simply stumble upon this historic hall, Vernacular Coffee proves itself more than just another café. It’s a one-of-a-kind blend of heritage, flavour, and damn good bakes.

📍Location: Vernacular Coffee, 100 Guillemard Rd, #01-02, Singapore 399718