Five cappuccinos that'll put you in coffee heaven

50 tastiest treats: Starters | Mains | Desserts | Drinks

Others: Five cappuccinos that’ll put you in coffee heaven | The best wines of 2009 | The last supper of Singapore’s foodies

Think you can only get decent frothy goodness in Europe? Wake up and smell the coffee: it’s right here under our noses, if you know where to look. Since any more than two kopis a day equates to pretty much guaranteed insomnia, not to mention probable diabetes and, ahem, internal blockages, a creamy cappuccino seems the only sensible solution. But where to savour the classic milky brew as its Italian pioneers intended?

We skimmed off the foam favourites from the has-beans.

#1: Robert’s Coffee

It’s not the Italians who top our list, but a little-known company from the chilly city of Helsinki. Robert Paulig’s outlet at Singapore Flyer caught me totally off guard. Tourist attractions aren’t normally synonymous with catering perfection, but here, incongruously seated among the chicken wings, Coke cups and screaming kids, I sailed up to caffeine heaven with the flat-out finest coffee in the Far East, served tantalisingly in beautiful porcelain – a heady hit that Vienna’s classiest Kaffeehaus would kill to emulate. They’ve really got a good Finn going here.

Where: Robert's Coffee (#01-13 Singapore Flyer, 36 Raffles Avenue; Tel: 6338 8300, www.robertscoffee.com)

Costs: $4.80 (regular), $5.30 (large)

#2: McCafé

People may assume I’ve lost my marbles when they see I’ve picked this McDonald’s offshoot as second best, but for sheer VFM deliciousness this is the most giving cappu in town. For a $3.60 ‘medium’ serving you’ll get a gargantuan cup of creamy, flavour-packed joy, all topped off with a heart shape or a four-leaf clover, depending on whether your McBarista fancies you, or just feels sorry for you. It will come as no surprise to those who know me that I normally get the clover.

Where: McCafé (#01-01/06, 177 River Valley Road; www.mcdonalds.com.sg)

Costs: $3.60 (regular)

#3: Dôme

For a chain café this is a surprisingly rich Arabica blend whose most endearing feature is a static meniscus of chocolate-y loveliness, making it a treat to behold before you’ve even sampled its abundant taste. Sunday morning hangover cures don’t come any more effective (or any cheaper) than a Bacon & Egg on Toast coupled with one of these beauties, a sumptuous breakfast that comes in at well under $15.

Where: Dôme (#01-18, Blk 11 Dempsey Road; www.olio.sg)

Costs: $5.15 (takeaway); $5.65 (having here)

#4: Illy at Donna Carmela

Fancy a Brazilian? Any self-respecting coffee connoisseur idolises Illy, a blend of South American ingredients that’s become a byword for excellence and takes its art so seriously, it set up its own ‘Coffee University’ in Naples. The company claims its product ‘caresses the senses, awakens the spirit and opens the mind’. You’d normally laugh at gushing ad-speak like this, but they’re not kidding: it does all three with style to spare. I’d pay good money for one of these, but Mauro, the owner of this impeccable Italian eatery, may even give it to you on the house.

Where: Donna Carmela (2 Greenwood Avenue; Tel: 6463 4206)

Costs: $3.50; complimentary

#5: Grinders Coffee at The Bratwurst Shop

Not quite so glamorous, but no less worthy of entry in our Top 5 is Australia’s Grinders. Slightly less rich in constitution, but carrying just the right mix of espresso and milk, you only need to look at this blend to know it’s the work of seasoned professionals. As your golden sugar crystals slowly get swallowed up like a stone sinking in quicksand, its delightful surface of chocolateflecked beige remains virtually unbroken: sheer coffee porn. By the time you’ve had your final sip there’s a thick film of foam lining your cup, and like the insatiable addict you are, you can’t help digging in your spoon and scooping out the leftovers.

Where: The Bratwurst Shop (Plaza Singapura #B2-39C, The Bratwurst Shop, 68 Orchard Road; Tel: 6884 4093)

Costs: $3 (regular); $3.20 (large)

50 tastiest treats: Starters | Mains | Desserts | Drinks

Others: Five cappuccinos that’ll put you in coffee heaven | The best wines of 2009 | The last supper of Singapore’s foodies

Appeared as ‘Brewed awakening’ (Time Out Singapore Jul 2009)