This is the only S’pore cafe to make the list of the 100 best coffee shops in the world
Apartment Coffee ranked sixth on the list and was awarded as the best coffee shop in Asia
On Monday (Feb 16), the second edition of the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops ranking was unveiled at CoffeeFest Madrid 2026.
And one cafe in Singapore has reached a surprisingly high level.
Apartment Coffee retains its sixth place on the 2026 list, the only cafe from Singapore to escape the list this year.
It holds the same position it got in 2025, and has been awarded as the best coffee shop in Asia for the second year in a row. So, who is behind the cafe, and how did it manage to receive such a prestigious award not once, but twice in a row?
Apartment Coffee was founded in 2018
Apartment Coffee was first established along Lavender Street eight years ago, by 2018 Singapore Brewers Cup Champion, Yeo Qing He, before moving to its current premises in Selegie in 2022. It has recently expanded to Serangoon, with an Apartment Roastery opening in June 2025.
The cafe is well known for its small, peaceful interior of white walls and natural accents, offering an escape from the constant hustle and bustle of the city. It has a short, curated menu that highlights the art behind each pour-over cup of coffee, from careful bean selection to precision roasting and brewing.
In fact, their beans are handpicked with care while the team travels to famous coffee destinations like Colombia, Costa Rica, Rwanda and Kenya.
Yeo said in an interview no The Straits Times that “focus on experience” sets Apartment Coffee apart from other local coffee shops. “That’s also why we don’t make toys in our coffee studio,” he added.
Over the years, the cafe has garnered many accolades, including second place at the Singapore Brewers Cup 2022 and first place at the Singapore Roaster Forum 2019. Its sixth place finish in the 2026 World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops ranking is the latest addition to its growing list of achievements.
Some notable mentions
The World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list is an annual event that ranks coffee shops around the world on nine criteria, including coffee quality, barista expertise, sustainable practices, consistency and innovation.
It quickly gained fame as the world’s coffee equivalent of the Michelin Guide. The reliability of the event from the transparent voting system that combines the opinions of experts (70%) and the opinions of the public (30%), is consistent with the nomination and final selection process.
Given how popular Apartment Coffee is, it wouldn’t be surprising if the cafe makes the list for the third time next year.
Apart from Apartment Coffee, there are other notable mentions, including 14 cafes from Asia that made the list of 100 best coffee shops in the world for 2026.
Among the top Asian entries is Malaysia’s Ono’s Story in Petaling Jaya, which rose one place to eighth this year.
South Korea’s Momos Coffee Flagship Store is ranked 22nd, while Japan’s Ult Coffee comes in at 24th. Last year also saw the return of honorees including Koffee Mameya Kakeru from Japan (28), Espresso Alchemy from China (31) and Yardstick from the Philippines (34).
Taiwan maintains a strong presence with four arrivals: Coffee Sind (36th), Keep Coffee Roastery (46th), Tomorrow Coffee Roasters (57th), and Coffee Stopover Black (78th).
Other first-time entrants include South Korea’s Ruli Coffee (51), Fika & Co. Thailand’s Cafe (61st), and Malaysia’s Coffee Stain in Kuala Lumpur (84).
- Read more about Apartment Coffee here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Singapore businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: Apartment Coffee/ Daryl “Dino” via Google Updates
