Refuel Bukit Merah — known to regulars as Refuel II — is the Jalan Bukit Merah outpost of a friendly neighbourhood cafe family that first opened its doors at Bedok Reservoir in September 2014. True to the motto 'Life Begins After Coffee', the cafe pours espresso classics, a Dirty espresso-over-milk series, cold brews and ceremonial-grade matcha alongside an all-day brunch menu of pancakes, waffles, croffles, benedicts and toasties served with tomato soup.
Beyond breakfast, the kitchen turns out comforting pastas like Creamy Shrimps and Miso Carbonara, burgers built on double smashed angus patties, Japanese-style rice dons, honey BBQ ribs, crispy wings and desserts from salted caramel waffles to the deeply chocolatey Chocolate Therapy cake. Vegetarian dishes sit alongside the mains, and DIY breakfast plates can be customised with add-ons, making it an easy choice for mixed groups and different diets.
You'll find the cafe on the ground floor at 28 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-4468. It opens at 10am on weekdays and from 9am on weekends and public holidays, closing at 9pm daily. Favourites can also be delivered through Foodpanda, GrabFood and Deliveroo, and the branch can be reached on +65 62657368 or via WhatsApp at +65 86584733.
Refuel Bukit Merah — familiarly known as Refuel II — belongs to a small Singapore cafe family built on a straightforward promise: good coffee and good food, served the friendly neighbourhood way. The first Refuel opened at Bedok Reservoir in September 2014, founded on a passion for coffee and comfort food, and the idea caught on. Today the name covers several outlets across the island, and the Bukit Merah branch carries the same easy-going spirit to its own corner at 28 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-4468.
The team's motto says a lot about the place: "Life Begins After Coffee." Whether you're looking for a cup of coffee or some comfort food, the promise is the same — they're always ready to fuel you up.
Breakfast is served whenever the craving hits, not just before a morning cut-off. The menu leans into plates made for lingering: the Full Tank piles scrambled eggs, salad, tater tots, chicken sausage, bacon, mushrooms, maple baked beans, tomato and toast onto one board, while the Fuel Me Up bakes pork meatballs, bacon and cheese into eggs served with sourdough. Pancakes and waffles come sweet and savoury — from maple bacon with fluffy pancakes to a pulled pork waffle with fried egg and pickled onions, or a mentaiko waffle crowned with chicken karaage, bonito flakes and tobiko.
Benedict lovers get choices too, including a pulled pork benedict with miso hollandaise and chilli oil, and a salmon version with romesco sauce. Toasties — bacon and cheese, or chicken kimchi — arrive with a cup of creamy tomato soup, and wraps, proper salads and a DIY "Eggs Your Way" plate (customisable with bacon, avocado, smoked salmon and more) round out a brunch that lasts all day.
Come lunch or dinner, the kitchen shifts to heartier territory. Pastas run from a miso carbonara with poached egg and nori to the all-time-favourite Creamy Shrimps, a Thai-inspired spicy cream pasta, plus gochujang meatballs, double chilli crab and baked mac and cheese in three cheeses. Mains cover honey BBQ ribs, miso baked salmon, classic fish and chips and Japanese-style rice dons, while burgers are built on double smashed angus patties or fried chicken thigh with Korean-leaning toppings — all served with fries.
Desserts close things out: salted caramel waffles, Biscoff croffles, brownies, apple crumble and a daily cake lineup that includes the rich, moist Chocolate Therapy. One note from the menu itself — baked dishes like the mac and cheese take a little longer, so allow the kitchen the extra time.
Coffee is where Refuel started, and the drinks list shows it. Alongside espresso classics there's a "Dirty" series — espresso poured over chilled milk, best drunk unstirred or stirred gently — plus smooth cold brews, specialty iced drinks like the Iced Earl Grey Brulee and Watermelon Lychee Freeze, and ceremonial-grade matcha used across every matcha drink. Sodas, iced teas, Thai milk tea and cold-pressed juices fill out the non-coffee side.
Devotees can even take a piece of the cafe home: the house Brazil + Ethiopia blend is sold in-store, so you can brew the same smooth, aromatic cup in your own kitchen.
Refuel Bukit Merah is a ground-floor neighbourhood spot: relaxed enough for a solo coffee and a pause, easy for family brunches, and casual enough for a long lunch. It opens at 10am from Monday to Friday and from 9am on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, closing at 9pm daily. Cake availability changes day to day — scan the in-store QR menu or simply ask the team.
If you can't get out of your seat on a busy day, Refuel delivers its favourites through Foodpanda, GrabFood and Deliveroo. For everything else — questions, feedback or a table — the branch can be reached on +65 62657368 or WhatsApp +65 86584733. Menu prices are GST-inclusive, so what you see is what you pay.