New cafes to check out in JB for 2025
It’s no secret that Singaporeans love to go to Johor Bahru (JB). Alongside eating, quick trips to JB to shop, stock up on essentials, and eat—naturally—are practically a national pastime. While dining at hawkers and restaurants in JB remain popular ventures, the Malaysian city has also become a hotbed for cafe hoppers, thanks to the ever-growing selection of cafes with affordable fare and photo-worthy interiors.
If you’re planning your next getaway there, we’ve rounded up eight new JB cafes worth checking out in 2025. From an alpaca-themed café to wallet-friendly matcha lattes, bookmark these spots for the next time you plan to cross the Causeway for brunch.
P.S. For frequent JB visitors, make the most of your cross-border transactions with the new DCS DCS V2 Card. Earn 5% cashback on all your dining, except fast food, petrol, and EV charging spends when in Malaysia. For all other MYR spend, enjoy 2% cashback!
Read on to discover our new cafe recommendations in JB, and learn more about the perks of the DCS V2 Card.
The current exchange rate is RM1 = ~S$0.30 as of 17 April 2025.
1. Slow Day
Matcha lovers should add Slow Day Cafe to their JB itinerary. This cosy café in Mount Austin specialises in tea-based drinks and desserts, offering flavours like matcha, hojicha, and genmaicha.
Their Strawberry Matcha (RM17.90) features a balanced mix of sweet strawberry compote, milk, and matcha, while the Matcha Espresso (RM17.90) is perfect for those who enjoy a stronger, earthy brew. Don’t miss their Genmaicha Cake (RM28), a rich, nutty dessert with roasted brown rice undertones.
Beyond food, the café also doubles as an art jamming studio, where visitors can take part in creative workshops. Slow Day Cafe is an ideal late-night hangout spot, with its late closing hours on selected days.
Read our Slow Day Cafe feature.
Address: No. 2-01, Jalan Austin Heights 7/8, Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 12pm to 8pm, Fri-Sun 12pm to 12am
Website
Slow Day Cafe is not a halal-certified eatery.
Slow Day Cafe: Popular Matcha Cafe In JB With Genmaicha Cake And Strawberry Matcha
2. OFFFFive Coffee (Lavida Coffee)
Get the best of both worlds at this JB cafe, which combines the renowned matcha joint OFFFFive Coffee from China with homegrown brunch spot Lavida Coffee. Located at Eco Botanic, the OFFFFive x Lavida Coffee unit is eye-catching in its spare minimalism, reminding us of edgy cafes in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong.
Opt for a caffeinated pick-me-up with OFFFFive’s impressive range of matcha drinks, including the classic Matcha Latte (RM13.80), or dig into a full meal by ordering off Lavida Coffee’s menu, with its streamlined selection of fusion pasta and pizzas. Come by at lunch on weekdays to bag their RM19.90 set meal offer, where you get a pasta dish of your choice, and an iced drink to go with. FYI: That’s just S$6!
Address: 122a Jalan Gaya 1, Taman Gaya, 81100 Johor Bahru
Opening hours: Tue-Sun, 1pm to 10pm
Website
OFFFFive x Lavida Coffee is not a halal-certified eatery.
4. Haha Cafe & Gelato
Image credit: @hahacafegelato
One of our favourite new cafes in JB this year also happens to be just 10 minutes from the Causeway. Haha Cafe & Gelato is where it’s at for a scoop—or three—of house-made gelato and quality coffee, all served in a too-cool industrial space with raw concrete accents.
Image credit: @hahacafegelato
Each scoop will set you back RM11. Choose from a seasonal selection of flavours, both with and without dairy. You can’t go wrong with a serving of their Salted Pistachio or Coffee Tiramisu, but if you can’t take dairy milk, their Watermelon Lychee and Lemon Lime Basil options are equally good.
Address: 49 Jalan Sultanah Aminah, Taman Iskandar, 80050 Johor Bahru
Opening hours: Mon 12pm to 8pm, Tues-Wed, Fri-Sat 12pm to 9pm
Website
Haha Cafe & Gelato is not a halal-certified eatery, but they use halal ingredients.
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5. Alley & Daisy
Image credit: @alleyanddaisy
Alley & Daisy is a gorgeous two-story cafe replete with whimsical vintage decor. While it’s a great place for a quick coffee, this spot should also be at the top of your list if you’re thinking of brunch.
Image credit: @alleyanddaisy
For sweets, choose from three types of Dutch Baby Pancakes (from RM15), served piping hot in a cast-iron griddle. Their savoury menu is much more intensive, with all-day brunch dishes from RM22, as well as grilled meats and pasta dishes that’ll set you back upwards of RM26. Don’t leave without ordering their Tiramisu (RM19), which is as photogenic as it is delicious.
Address: 128 Jalan Trus, Johor Bahru Town, 80000 Johor Bahru
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am to 5:30pm
Website
Alley & Daisy is not a halal-certified eatery but they do not use pork or lard.
6. As Cloud Cafe
Image credit: @ascloudscafe
Move over cat and dog cafes, As Cloud Cafe is an alpaca cafe just 30 minutes from the Causeway. Home to a pair of adorable, free-roaming alpacas, dining at the cafe allows you to interact with these furry legends, and feed them with the complimentary carrots you get with every order. Note: there’s no entry fee or reservation required, but as the alpacas take turns making appearances, you might only see one at a time.
Image credit: @reginasalim_
On the food front: the cafe serves a pork- and lard-free menu featuring brunch favourites like Scrambled Eggs Croissant with Bacon (RM18.90) and hearty options like Smoked Duck Pizza (RM23). Also look forward to servings of the wobbly Japanese puddings that have taken over TikTok.
Its industrial-chic interior, complete with floating cloud lights and boucle armchairs, makes for an IG-worthy experience. While the cafe is said to be odour-free, expect long queues, especially on weekends.
Address: 32 Jalan Nakhoda 2, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, 81300 Skudai, Johor
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 9:30pm
Tel: +60 11-2669 8262
Website
As Clouds Cafe is not a halal-certified eatery but they do not use pork or lard.
7. Cool Coffee Project
Image credit: @coolcoffeeproject
Cool Coffee Project is a coffee lover’s haven just 10 minutes away from Mount Austin. Tucked away in a car workshop, this moody cafe and micro-roastery is all dark tones and industrial elements, setting the mood for their equally serious, comprehensive menu of coffees.
Image credit: @coolcoffeeproject
While you can just grab a latte to go, we recommend sitting down, choosing from their selection of pour-over coffees, and digging into one of their three house desserts—Canele (RM9), Pudding (RM12), and Japanese Cheesecake (RM19). Like a Japanese sake bar, you get to enjoy your brew in ceramic cups of your choosing. Fun fact, the cups are all handmade by the owner!
Address: PTD52709 B, Jalan Ros Merah 2/2, Taman Johor Jaya, 81100
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 10am to 7pm
Tel: +60 17-794 0839
Website
Cool Coffee Project is not a halal-certified eatery.
8. The Bagel Factory
Image credit: @unclejeffdrinks
Just six minutes from City Square is the new kid on the block, The Bagel Factory. While the menu here has all the trimmings you’d expect from a bagelry—think loaded savoury bagels and inventive drinks—they’ve garnered a ton of buzz for what’s on their sweets menu.
Image credit: @thatfoodadv
There’s their Taro Gao Sweet Bagel (RM25), an open-faced situation where house-made taro cream is crowned with a slab of ooey-gooey nian gao, and their Black Sesame Mochi Bagel (RM25), layered with a mochi cloud and a luscious goma Basque cheesecake. Just recently, the cafe announced a Pistachio Cheesecake (RM25) combination too, chock-full of cream cheese rolled in toasted pistachio crumble.
Address: 28 Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 9am to 6pm
Tel: +60 11-2358 1228
Website
The Bagel Factory is not a halal-certified eatery.
Save when you dine at these new JB cafes with the DCS V2 Visa Card
To make your JB visits even more rewarding, sign up for the DCS V2 Card, a co-brand card with Vicom that offers perks for both drivers and commuters alike. Remember: you get 2% cashback on all MYR spend, and 5% cashback on petrol and EV charging in Singapore and Malaysia.
You also get a handful of benefits on home turf, too. When it comes to transport, enjoy 5% cashback on MRT and bus rides, as well as the same cashback for all your taxi and popular ride-hailing trips.
Even better, foodies can earn 5% cashback on dining, excluding fast food, so you can indulge in all your dine-out indulgences while saving at the same time. Terms and conditions apply.
If you’re new to DCS Credit Cards, here’s a perk: sign up for two cards, spend a cumulative $350 for two consecutive months, and redeem a free Caterpillar Industrial Plate Trunk Luggage worth $320. Terms and conditions apply.
Find out more about the DCS V2 Visa Card!
Photos taken by Jaslyn Tan and the Eatbook team.
This post is brought to you by DCS.
Featured image adapted from @ascloudscafe and @unclejeffdrinks.
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