Kovan is one of the easier neighbourhoods to explore for brunch in Singapore. The station drops you straight into a residential pocket along Upper Serangoon Road, where cafés sit beside HDB blocks, condos like Kovan Melody and Kovan Residences, and the steady rhythm of daily heartland life. I spent several mornings walking from the Kovan MRT station to test the area’s best breakfast and brunch spots firsthand.
This guide covers four cafés near Kovan MRT: Lola’s Café, Two Cranes, Alkove Bistro, and On Pause Café. Each one suits a different kind of morning. Below, I break down location, hours, pricing, signature dishes, and who each place serves best.
Getting Around this Food Centre: Kovan MRT Station and the Wider Food Area
Before the cafés, a quick note on the area. Kovan MRT station sits on the North East Line, and the platform level connects quickly to the street via lift and escalator. From the main exit, you reach Upper Serangoon Road within a minute, putting most of these cafés within walking distance.
The wider Kovan and Hougang food scene is worth understanding too. Just beside the station, the Kovan Market and food centre serves classic hawker dishes that residents have relied on for decades. You can find char siew noodles, yam mee, shredded chicken bowls, fish soup loaded with seafood and prawns, and traditional kueh like ku chye kueh and soon kueh. These hawker options are part of the broader Kovan context rather than part of this brunch review, but they show how much variety the area packs into a small footprint. This makes Kovan one of the notable MRT food spots in the region.
1. Lola’s Café: The All-Round Brunch Favourite Near Kovan Station
Lola’s Café is the strongest all-round brunch name near Kovan, and it was my first stop. It feels like a proper brunch destination rather than a quick coffee run.
Lola’s works because it commits to being a full sit-down brunch spot. The egg dishes were cooked well, the portions were generous, and the coffee held up against the food. This is the kind of place you settle into rather than rush through. The seating is indoor café-style, and the brunch crowd builds quickly on weekends. I’d treat it as a planned visit rather than a stop between errands.
Location: 5 Simon Road, Singapore 545893
Nearest MRT: Kovan MRT, within walking distance
Type: Neighbourhood café / brunch restaurant
Price range: Around $15–$35 per person
Operating hours: Mon–Fri 10am–10:30pm; Sat–Sun / PH 9am–10:30pm; closed every first Monday of the month
Food Selections
The menu is broad enough to cover breakfast, lunch, desserts, and café drinks, which makes it flexible for both a quick morning meal and a longer brunch session. Brunch highlights include:
Eggs-based brunch plates
Full breakfast-style dishes
Coffee and iced drinks
Cakes and desserts
Café mains for late breakfast or brunch
Best for: Weekend brunch, breakfast with friends, casual dates, and café-style meals near Kovan station.
2. Two Cranes: Korean-Inspired Brunch Near Kovan MRT
Two Cranes gave me a different angle. It blends a Korean-Western café identity that sets it apart from the more familiar brunch names in the area.
The Korean-Western crossover is the draw here. The bibimbap was a welcome change from standard brunch plates, and the scrambled eggs on sourdough were done with care. The matcha latte became a personal favourite during my visits. The space feels quieter, more compact, and more neighbourhood-oriented than the larger cafés nearby. Weekday mornings and early lunches are the best times for a calmer table.
Location: 211 Hougang Street 21, #01-291, Singapore 530211
Nearest MRT: Kovan MRT
Type: Korean-inspired café / brunch café
Price range: Around $10–$30 per person
Operating hours: Daily, 9am–10pm
Food Selections
Two Cranes mixes café food, Korean-inspired plates, coffee, matcha drinks, and pastries. It is not a traditional breakfast café, but it opens early and carries enough egg-based and toast-based dishes to fit a morning or brunch visit. Brunch highlights include:
Scrambled egg dishes
Sourdough-based brunch items
Korean-style bibimbap
Matcha latte
Croissants and pastries
Coffee and cold brew-style drinks
Best for: Slow breakfast, Korean-inspired brunch, coffee and pastries, small groups, and casual catch-ups.
3. Alkove Bistro: French-Style Brunch Beside Kovan MRT Station
Alkove Bistro brings a more polished, French-inspired brunch experience into the heartlands. Its biggest advantage is accessibility, since it sits directly beside the station area. Alkove feels a notch more structured than a small café.
The French toast and the eggs Benedict-style plates were the standouts, and the bakery section adds variety if you want something lighter. For families and larger groups, this is one of the easiest brunch spots to reach from the station, with no long walk required. The dining room handles longer brunch meals well. Weekend mornings are the best fit, since the café opens earlier then and the kitchen leans into its breakfast menu.
Location: 2 Kovan Road, #01-10 Simon Plaza, Singapore 548008
Nearest MRT: Kovan MRT, directly beside the station area
Type: French-inspired bistro / brunch café
Price range: Around $15–$30 per person
Operating hours: Weekdays 11:30am–10:30pm; weekends 9am–10:30pm; closed on Tuesday
Food Selections
The menu covers bakery items, brunch, pasta, mains, pizzas, kids’ meals, desserts, and drinks. Brunch highlights include:
Croque monsieur-style brunch
Eggs Benedict-style dishes
French toast
Breakfast platters
Pastries and bakery items
Coffee and drinks
Best for: Weekend brunch, family breakfast, café dining near the MRT, and slightly more polished morning meals.
4. On Pause Café: A Relaxed, Pet-Friendly Brunch Spot
On Pause Café is the most lifestyle-driven option among the four. It is pet-friendly, neighbourhood-based, and noticeably more relaxed than the busier Kovan brunch names. On Pause leans into a calm, slower morning pace.
Pets are allowed indoors in a fan-ventilated area, and water bowls are available on request, which makes it a clear choice for pet owners. The Prawn & Guac Tartine was the dish I’d return for, and the waffles paired well with a quiet coffee. Because the operating hours are short and the café closes by mid-afternoon, treat this as a morning-only or early brunch stop. Plan around the Tuesday and Sunday closures before you visit.
Location: 37 Lowland Road, Singapore 547440
Nearest MRT: Kovan MRT, about a 5-minute walk
Type: Pet-friendly café / brunch café
Price range: Around $10–$25 per person
Operating hours: Mon 9am–2:30pm, Tue closed, Wed–Sat 9am–2:30pm, Sun closed (brunch served 9am–2:30pm)
Food Selections
The café focuses on brunch, coffee, tea, acai, ice cream, and waffles. Brunch highlights include:
Portobello Pesto Sammie
Prawn & Guac Tartine
Scrambled egg and sandwich-style brunch items
Coffee and tea
Acai bowls
Waffles
Best for: Pet owners, light breakfast, relaxed brunch, coffee with a short sit-down, and quieter neighbourhood mornings.
How to Choose: A Quick Comparison
To make the decision easier, here is how I’d match each café to a specific morning:
Want a full, reliable brunch? Lola’s Café offers the widest menu and the longest hours.
Prefer something different? Two Cranes brings Korean-inspired plates and a quieter table.
Travelling with family or a group? Alkove Bistro is the most accessible and the most structured.
Bringing your dog or want a slow morning? On Pause Café is the relaxed, pet-friendly pick.
A few practical tips from my visits:
Check the closures. Lola’s shuts on the first Monday monthly, Alkove on Tuesdays, and On Pause on Tuesdays and Sundays.
Time your weekend visit. Cafés like Lola’s and Alkove open earlier on weekends, which suits a proper breakfast.
Use the right exit. From the Kovan MRT station, the main exit puts you on Upper Serangoon Road within reach of all four spots.
Savor the Morning: Final Thoughts on Kovan’s Brunch Gems
Kovan rewards anyone willing to explore beyond the obvious. Within a short walk of the station, you can move from a full Western brunch to a Korean-inspired plate, a French-style breakfast, or a quiet pet-friendly morning. The fact that these cafés sit so close together makes the area easy to navigate, even on a single visit.
If you are planning a trip, start with the café that matches your morning. Lola’s Café is the dependable all-rounder. Two Cranes offers variety. Alkove Bistro delivers polish and easy access. On Pause Café keeps things calm and unhurried. And if you ever want a change of pace, the nearby Kovan Market and food centre is always there for a hawker meal. For breakfast and brunch near Kovan MRT, these four are the ones worth your time.
For a broader culinary adventure beyond Kovan, check out our North East Line MRT Food Map: Hawker Centres Across Local Neighbourhoods to discover more great food spots along the line.
