Tiong Bahru

Just southwest of Chinatown, Tiong Bahru is one of Singapore's oldest housing estates and arguably its most charming — a low-rise enclave of curved, streamline-moderne Art Deco walk-ups built in the 1930s, now a magnet for indie cafés, bakeries, design shops and a much-loved bookstore. The pace is slow and the lanes are quiet, made for aimless wandering between flat-white pit stops. At its heart, the Tiong Bahru Market & Food Centre serves some of the city's best traditional breakfasts — chwee kueh, lor mee and old-school kaya toast — beneath the same roof as a wet market. There's even a small heritage trail and a hidden air-raid shelter. Come mid-morning, hungry and unhurried.