Afternoon Tea at The Providore Cafe @ Mandarin Gallery

333A Orchard Rd, #02-05 Mandarin Gallery, Singapore 238897

Tel: 6732 1565

Website: http://www.theprovidore.com 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheProvidore 

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon before our Makeup Lesson at Make Up Store, so *Charmaine and I met up for catching up at The Providore. The other cafes were all crowded, and I have been to most of them anyway.

The Providore is a café, a grocer and a bistro all at once, reminding me greatly of similar concepts such as Dean & Deluca and Jones the Grocer – where cheese, dairy products, and spirits etc are retailed and we could have the option of dining in. 

Ambience was casual and relaxing, with a choice of indoor and outdoor seating. Service was surprisingly good – it had been painfully slow and inefficient when I visited around a year ago. Orders were taken promptly and the crew was very polite. The Providore brand does not just serve food, but also adore food; bringing some of the best locally-produced and globally-sourced products to us in Singapore where they choose to build their brand.

Anyway, *Charmaine and I shared some Cheese and Ham Croquettes, deep fried. The exterior was a crumbly coat opening up to reveal bits of ham and melted cheese. This simple but palatable snack was perfect for munching during tea-time, over coffee or tea.  And I really liked how it had the right texture - not too dry, not greasy, but the right level of softness.

The Chai Latte (SGD$6.50) was presented prettily with a cinnamon stick. The beverage was made up of Providore 7 spice Chai powder and steamed milk, giving it a smooth, creamy texture and piquant aroma of Chai. I loved the tinge of spiciness amongst the bittersweetness of the drink.

*Charmaine had the Flat White (SGD$6.00), also served with pretty latte art. She mentioned the coffee was silky in texture and tasted good. 

Rose Earl Grey (SGD$7.50) was served in a pot, infused with the fragrant sweetness of roses amongst the darker, smokier, natural taste of the tea itself.

Overall, The Providore was a pretty neat place to hang out at. I would like to be back for one of the wines or ciders, over a proper meal or slice of cake another time.