A Fine Sunday: What to Do in Holland Village
Let's get to being our Sunday Best
This nondescript neighbourhood on the weekday becomes a bustling enclave thronging with expats and the in-crowd. Unlike other neighbourhoods like Tiong Bahru, River Valley or Farrer Park, it even has its own nickname; most locals affectionately call it ‘Holland V’. Holland Village in Singapore takes up a small crescent on a gentle hill. It holds a special place in Singapore’s heart; it even has an eponymous TV drama revolving around a family selling nasi lemak in Holland Village. Today, it remains a popular weekend destination, and here’s what to do in Holland Village as you swing by.
Holland Village: Where East meets West
Its identity as an expat enclave began from the very beginning, even before its surrounding areas were taken over by upscale Singapore condo rentals. The namesake comes from Holland Road, which points to Hugh Holland, an early resident of Singapore. With the nearby Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Hokkien called Holland Road ‘hue hng au’, meaning “behind the flower garden”.
Local businesses began to sprout around the 1920s, serving the needs of British soldiers and their families in the military outposts in Pasir Panjang and Alexandra. Tanglin, which housed many of the European community, is also nearby and influenced its expatriate identity.
But there was a vibrant local community as well. If you consult maps from the 1940s and 1950s, you can see that land surrounding Holland Village was used to cultivate vegetables, rubber and coconut. There was a Chinese burial ground too, before the government exhumed it in the 1960s.
And it’s in the swinging 60s that we see the birth of modern Holland Village. Then, pubs, curio shops, and tailors began to build their businesses there. Chip Bee Gardens was completed around then too, which was additional military housing for the British. In the 1970s, the area thrived even as the British withdrew their armed forces as new residential estates were built nearby.
Expatriate professionals continued to move to the area as well. So much so that there was a new shopping centre—the Holland Road Shopping Centre. Completed in 1971, it housed Singapore’s first Western-style supermarket, Fitzpatricks (now Cold Storage), and the first Western coffee joint, Jumbo Coffeehouse.
By the late 1980s, the Holland Village food scene cemented its reputation as a gastronomic haven with its kaleidoscope of eateries. Bars, restaurants, and cafes throng with traditional coffee shops and local family-run eateries serving Asian cuisine. With that, it earned the nickname ‘mini Orchard Road’, attracting local teenagers, yuppies, families, and expats to this day.
What to do in Holland Village for a leisurely weekend:
1. Sweat it Out in the Morning
As the wellness craze takes over Singapore, Holland Village saw an influx of fitness and wellness studios. For the fervent yogis out there, there’s no shortage of yoga studios there like Lab Studios, Freedom Yoga, and Yoga Movement.
Hard hitters can head to gyms like F45 and Virgin Active. For those who want to train in their own privacy, check out The Gym Pod, where you can book a private pod to work out. Those who want to amp it up even more, learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu over at Field Assembly.
If you’re cycling from your serviced apartment in Jurong East, you can get onto the Ulu Pandan Park Connector and cycle along Sungei Ulu Pandan to get to Buona Vista. From there, you can easily find your way to Holland Village via Commonwealth Avenue and Holland Avenue.
2. The Brunch-y Bunch
This is probably the most popular reason to get to Holland Village. Our top recommendation is the Two Men Bagel House. Each of their branches has its own special bagelwiches. In Holland Village, you can find scrumptious specials like Berkeley Chix (chicken breast, smoked paprika and garlic butter, sweet pickle peppers, baby spinach, sunny egg, and almonds) and the Smashe-d Double TT (smashed beef patty, their in-house maple bacon, double cheddar, F U sauce, and charred onion).
If you’re looking for some dough, head to Chip Bee Gardens to find Tiong Bahru Bakery or Keong Saik Bakery for your fix. Or, indulge your sweet tooth with the ice creams and waffles at Sunday Folks.
Looking for some Eastern classic instead? There’s the ever-dependable Ya-Kun Kaya Toast. Or check out the Niu Dian Beef Noodles and their decadent beef broth. For some sweet Hong Kong delights, head over to Tai Cheong Bakery. First established in 1954, the bakery retains its refreshing flavours. You can dine in and try out their hearty Hong Kong dishes, or take away their delicious pastries like the Bolo Buns, Chicken Pies, and their famous Egg Tarts.
3. Get Inspired
You might be surprised to find a rich medley of artistic expression at Holland Village too. You can actually find a few hidden murals in the neighbourhood just off the main enclave. From Holland Village MRT station, you can head to Block 2 on Holland Avenue, which only takes a 5-minute walk. Underneath the towering HDB blocks in the area, you can find murals of a wide range of instantly recognisable styles like Keith Harring, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein. There’s even a cute little community library there.
If you want a piece of art to call your own you can head over to Taksu Art Gallery. Established back in 1989, their galleries in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have showcased local and international artists. Today, they have an inventory of over 2,000 artworks for you to enjoy and own.
4. Get Crafty
Holland Village’s restaurants along Lorong Mambong may be plentiful, but nothing feels better than beating the dinner crowd to properly wind down your weekend. Finding what to eat at Holland Village is never a problem with all the options there.
If you want a no-frills affair, there’s always the Holland Village Market and Food Centre with its earnest selections of local favourites. Of course, there are Italian restaurants too, like Madrinaa Italiano, La Nonna, or Da Paolo Gastronomia. If you’re looking for a Mexican restaurant, check out Cha Cha Cha or Chimichanga.
Want more Eastern inspirations? You can find Japanese restaurants as well, like Umi Nami, Sanpoutei Ramen, and Tonkotsu King. There’s even an izakaya restaurant too—Takeshi-San.
5. Early Dinner
You might be surprised to find a rich medley of artistic expression at Holland Village too. You can actually find a few hidden murals in the neighbourhood just off the main enclave. From Holland Village MRT station, you can head to Block 2 on Holland Avenue, which only takes a 5-minute walk. Underneath the towering HDB blocks in the area, you can find murals of a wide range of instantly recognisable styles like Keith Harring, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein. There’s even a cute little community library there.
If you want a piece of art to call your own you can head over to Taksu Art Gallery. Established back in 1989, their galleries in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have showcased local and international artists. Today, they have an inventory of over 2,000 artworks for you to enjoy and own.
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