Why You Should Visit This Mysterious 19th-Century Colonial Bungalow in Singapore

The Alkaff Mansion is a 19th-century colonial bungalow built by someone of the Alkaff family. This prominent Arab family arrived in Singapore in 1852 and ran several businesses in the region. Originally a weekend house which hosted high society parties in the ‘30s, it now houses an Italian restaurant and is a popular venue for weddings and corporate events. The Mansion sits on Telok Blangah hill — an important battle site during WW2. As to why this place was abandoned after the war, it remains a mystery.

Greeting you first is a waterfall which has a black stone wall and next to it are broad, off-white stairways inspired by English architecture. Midway up the stairs, there stands a quaint English lamp post. When you have made it to the top, before you will be an open area, a blend of grass and concrete. An ornate fountain is erected on the grass patch (why, I see cherubs flying around!).

Sunlight seeps through the foliage, making whatever capture you may have Instagrammable. Antiques like a burnt-umber rocking chair and evenly-smoothed wooden bookcases bring out a sense of nostalgia. You will definitely not miss the gazebo, exquisitely designed with lace-like motifs hanging from the top and a Roman-inspired pillar.

A fine-dining Italian restaurant has opened, bringing life to the place. Perfect for lovebirds.

The light thrown off the swaying leaves create moving shadows that are so poetic. Everything comes together so seamlessly, making the place all too elegant. I can already imagine a bride, arm locked with that of her father, descending the stairwell to be handed over to the man she had long been waiting for. Romantic.

How to get there:

The Alkaff Mansion

Address: 10 Telok Blangah Green

Nearest MRT: Telok Blangah MRT

Take 120, 124. Expect a 5-min ride.