Episode 17 of the World’s Best Kopi search brings Geowin to Sonder Cafe & Bakery, a cosy neighbourhood cafe at 566 Crawford Lane.

Unlike some of the more theatrical stops in the series, Sonder does not rely on spectacle. There is no mysterious hole in a wall, no elaborate ordering gimmick and no giant hand waiting to frighten Geowin. Instead, Sonder presents itself as a comfortable cafe and bakery where the details are relatively understated.

One detail did stand out to The Drink Journal, though: the staff.

They were noticeably attentive throughout the ordering process, asking questions and confirming Geowin’s choices before putting the order through. It is a small touch, but exactly the sort of hospitality detail that can make an otherwise straightforward cafe visit feel considerably more polished.

Then came the coffee.

And unfortunately, the first impression was not quite as strong.

An Iced Latte for S$6.50

Geowin ordered the iced latte for S$6.50.

The cafe itself appeared calm and warmly presented, with staff working behind a compact counter and an espresso machine clearly visible in the background. Everything about the setting suggested a considered little cafe rather than a high-volume takeaway operation.

The service reinforced that impression.

Instead of simply taking the order and moving on, the staff made an effort to verify what Geowin wanted. From The Drink Journal’s perspective, this sort of attentiveness deserves some recognition. Good coffee matters, but the overall cafe experience is also influenced by the people preparing and serving it.

Once the drink arrived, however, Geowin’s reaction became considerably more restrained.

Her assessment was straightforward:

“Very average, just like how a regular latte would taste.”

She initially gave the Sonder iced latte 6 out of 10.

That score placed it in an awkward position. It was certainly drinkable, but it did not have enough personality to distinguish itself from the countless other iced lattes available across Singapore.

Geowin summed up the situation with two words:

“Can do better.”

For more stories exploring Singapore’s coffee culture beyond individual rankings, The Drink Journal follows the people, drinks and places shaping the wider beverage scene.

Average Does Not Mean Bad

There is an important distinction between an unpleasant latte and an average one.

Geowin did not appear to dislike the drink. There were no dramatic expressions, immediate rejection or complaints about an obvious flaw. Instead, the coffee simply seemed too ordinary.

That can be an especially difficult position for an independent cafe.

When customers visit a smaller cafe or bakery, there is often an expectation that its coffee will have some identifiable character—whether that comes from the beans, roast, milk balance, extraction or simply the house style.

At Sonder, Geowin did not immediately find that distinction.

Her 6/10 reflected something perfectly acceptable, but not particularly memorable.

Then the white bottle appeared.

The Kopi-O Experiment Returns

Geowin added a small amount of Kopi-O to the iced latte and tried the drink again.

This time, the response changed.

Readers following the series will recognise the recurring experiment: seeing whether Singapore’s coffee liqueur can alter, improve or occasionally overwhelm the original cup. The Drink Journal has previously explored what sets Kopi-O apart from other coffee liqueurs, and Sonder provided another useful example of how dramatically the result can depend on the coffee underneath it.

“I Like It Better After”

After tasting the modified latte, Geowin immediately preferred it.

“I like it better after,” she said.

More importantly, she identified what had changed.

The Kopi-O gave the drink “a little bit more flavour.”

That comment addressed almost exactly what appeared to be missing from the original latte. Sonder’s coffee was not fundamentally unpleasant; it simply needed something more distinctive. The addition supplied enough extra character to move the drink beyond the very average experience she described initially.

The difference was significant enough to lift the score from 6 to 7 out of 10.

It was not an enormous transformation, but in the World’s Best Kopi Tier List, that single point mattered considerably.

Those interested in the wider story behind the bottle can also read why Kopi-O is emerging as Singapore’s defining coffee liqueur.

Sonder Cafe & Bakery Reaches the A-Tier

With a final score of 7 out of 10, Sonder Cafe & Bakery managed to slide into the A-tier.

Barely.

But an A-tier kopi is still an A-tier kopi.

The result is particularly interesting because Sonder did not begin the episode as an obvious A-tier contender. The original iced latte earned only a 6, with Geowin describing it as extremely average. What ultimately pushed it across the line was the additional flavour introduced during the Kopi-O experiment.

There were also other positives surrounding the drink.

The cafe itself felt pleasant and approachable, and the attentiveness of the staff deserves credit. Those small hospitality details may not directly change the flavour of an iced latte, but they absolutely influence whether someone remembers a cafe positively.

Sonder therefore leaves Episode 17 in an unusual position: a cafe with good service, a pleasant environment and an iced latte that needed a little help before becoming genuinely interesting.