For what the West lack in food, it makes up for it by having all sorts of unique secrets, many of which seems impossibly hidden amidst the housing estates and expressways. There are places where one does not equate Singapore with: vast open fields, colonial bungalows, rural streets, no pavements.... The newly launched Wessex Square is one of them.
Located along Portsdown Road, it's actually quite simple to find, just exit from AYE directly and pass by the army camps and Temasek Club. You can't miss the bright pink sign above. Actually I've been here many many times before it became the latest hotspot when all it had was the remarkably preserved and quaint Colbar. (I'll feature it separately) In the past, the area was filled with crumbling houses and bungalows and empty lands. Now, its a thriving mini Dempsey with a whole new sense of vibrancy.. well, almost.
The Village is centred upon this restored single story building that I suspect used to be the Camp Commandant office when this entire area belonged to the military (British then SAF) Currently, the square comprises of an Italian restaurant, Pietrasanta - The Italian Restaurant Laurent's Chocolate Bar and a small studio. There is a bar on top of a small hill behind. Trust me, the restaurant is good. I've tried it and its pretty good and value for money. The owner, Jasmine is really friendly and she will make you feel at home. But when the place gets crowded in the evening... the service staff gets overwhelmed. (I'm not really a good food critic so will leave food reviews to other sites)
Right beside it is the chocolate bar. Their forte is about making chocolates pralines, pieces etc. and one can find some good gift ideas ala Royce or Sins. However for a cafe, its pretty pricey! Their cakes and dessert didn't really impress me too. Honestly, if you wanna have dessert and coffee.. go for the Italian restaurant. I feel their coffee and dessert are so much better and value! And yes, this is the bus stop as well!
The Artist studio beside it. They offer some workshops too.. didn't enquire though. Wondering what's behind the building?
This is the nicely done-up courtyard just behind the building and is the al fresco dining area for the restaurant and cafe. And yes, the toilet is on the right!
Here's something interesting! On the outer walls of the toilet, you can read about the history of the Wessex estate and its surroundings. This is something I really like for it's important for people to understand the historical background of the area and not assume its some brand new concept or development out of this century.
View from the courtyard: Several artists have lend their nice touches to the surrounding walls. Wonder what's the building on the top?
A bar!
This is actually taken from its front. Klee is a pretty small set-up but very classy. It has ground to ceiling glass doors and at night, the bar has a nice glow to it. If you notice closely, you can see a baby grand piano near the door. Oh, I really dunno who's the bare chested guy is. He seemed to know a fair bit but don think he works there...
For now, parking is free for all... Just park anywhere you feel confident your car won't get scratched. Along the road, grass wadever. The area above is a small parking space that get rapidly filled up at night.. sooner or later this place is gonna get overwhelmed.
