Guide To New Bahru: Things To Do, What To Eat & More

From trendy food and cafes to shopping for local brands, pickleball and an indoor playground, here’s everything you need to know when visiting New Bahru, Singapore’s most unique lifestyle cluster in a repurposed school building.

If you haven’t yet heard of New Bahru, AKA one of Singapore’s trendiest creative clusters, you might just have been living under a rock! This buzzing spot sits on Kim Yam Road in River Valley, on the former site of Nan Chiau High School. Here, you’ll find a mix of restaurants, cafes, some of the best local retail brands, family-friendly experiences and even a pickleball court. And with the recent expansion of the new Factory Block, there are now even more F&B options to check out. Here’s everything you need to know about New Bahru before you go, including where to park!

Jump to:
– What is New Bahru?
– Restaurants & Cafes at New Bahru
– Things to do at New Bahru
– Where to shop at New Bahru
– How to get to New Bahru: Shuttle bus, parking & more

What is New Bahru?

This popular lifestyle destination has quite the history! Housed in the former Nan Chiau High School, the site dates back to the 1940s, with the school eventually moving to Sengkang in 2001. Since then, the site was largely unused until it got a new lease of life and was converted to what it is now, with New Bahru officially opening in May 2024.

Today, it houses homegrown restaurants, cafes, local retail brands, Pilates studios, enrichment centres, an indoor playground, outdoor playspaces and even a spot to play pickleball. The space also retains much of its original facade and architecture, with touches of its schoolhouse past still visible throughout, including the school hall, restrooms, staircases and more, giving the mall its unique charm and setting it apart from your typical mall. It recently expanded with the Factory Block, adding more F&B and retail options to the lineup.

Best restaurants & cafes at New Bahru

There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in New Bahru, including crowd-favourite local cuisine. These F&B options are spread out across the two blocks: Factory Block and School Block.

F&B options at Factory Block

The opening of the Factory Block also welcomed several popular F&B names to New Bahru for the first time. These include Dumpling Darlings (#01-07), known for its handmade dumplings and noodles; Parlour Gelato (#01-01), where you can cool down with creamy gelato in a range of flavours; Kulon (#02-06), a popular spot for comforting bowls of Bakmi; Kios Minang (#02-05), where you’ll find hearty Nasi Padang; SUSHIRO (#02-01), for good-quality sushi, and Orh Gao Peh Gao (#02-02), serving up nostalgic local-style drinks and bites.

F&B options at School Block

There are plenty more restaurants and cafes to check out at New Bahru’s School Block, including Artichoke Pizza Parlor (#01-02), for good ol’ pizzas; Huevos River Valley (#01-16), for Mexican food; One Fattened Calf Burgers (#01-11), known for its 150g grass-fed beef gourmet burgers; PPP Coffee (#01-06), a specialty coffee spot; The Coconut Club (#01-14), where you’ll find its signature Nasi Lemak; and Somma Restaurant (#04-02), a fine-dining spot by Puglian chef Mirko Febbrile serving modern Italian cuisine.

For the full list of restaurants and cafes at New Bahru, click here.

Things to do at New Bahru

Beyond its food and retail offerings, New Bahru is also a lifestyle destination with a range of experiences for all ages. Get your workout in with indoor rhythm cycling at CRNK (#05-03), Pilates at Off Duty Pilates (#04-18) or CrossFit- and HYROX-affiliated training at Mobilus New Bahru (#05-06). For a more wellness-focused experience, head to studios such as Future Resonance (#04-03) and Hideaway (#05-07). If you’re up for a pickleball session, New Bahru houses pickleball courts that operate 24 hours on most days!

Families with little ones will love that New Bahru houses an indoor playground, Kiztopia Prestige (#04-01), as well as an adorable outdoor playground with swings and slides. There are also a few enrichment centres, a Chinese tuition centre, a student care centre, as well as a pottery studio!

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Where to shop at New Bahru

When it comes to retail, New Bahru features a mix of homegrown labels, lifestyle stores and a few popular international names. From fashion and accessories to homeware, books, plants and even pet products, there’s plenty to browse while you’re exploring the two blocks.

Shopping at Factory Block

The Factory Block is home to BEAMS (#01-03), the Japanese lifestyle and fashion label; Stacked Store (#01-06), a popular multi-label retailer; and pop-ups from international brands including VEJA (#01-02) and YETI (#01-05).

Shopping at School Block

Over at the School Block, you’ll find a wider mix of local brands and speciality stores. There is the popular Beyond The Vines Design House (#01-07); Crafune (#02-11) has craft and DIY experiences; and Good Addition (#02-03) and MAKE by GINLEE (#02-10) offer more fashion and lifestyle finds. There are also plenty of homeware spots, including SOJAO Home Goods Store (#03-05), soilboy (#02-07) for plant lovers and The Sea Apple Create Store (#02-09), while bookworms can browse Woods in the Books (#03-06).

For the full list of retail stores at New Bahru, click here.

How to get to New Bahru

New Bahru is located at 46 & 58 Kim Yam Road, Singapore 239351, and there are several ways you can get there. There is a free daily shuttle bus between Somerset and New Bahru, with buses departing every 30 minutes.

If you’re taking the MRT, the nearest station is Fort Canning MRT, which is around a 10- to 15-minute walk from New Bahru. You can also take buses 32, 54, 139, 195 or 195A and alight before Kim Yam Road. Alternatively, take 64, 123 or 143 and alight at UE Square.

If you’re travelling by car, there is limited on-site parking at New Bahru, with additional alternative parking options within a five-minute walk at:

• Along Kim Yam Road
• Along Martin Place
• Along Mohamed Sultan Road
• Along Unity Street
• The Singapore Buddhist Lodge
• The Pier at Robertson
• Sultan Link
• Lam Ann Building
• UE Square
• 22 Martin Road

New Bahru, 46 & 58 Kim Yam Road, Singapore 239351, www.newbahru.com

Are you ready to explore Singapore’s trendiest creative cluster? Head to New Bahru today!

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