The Holland Village neighborhood nestled in the southwestern side of Singapore is commonly known amongst the local youth as the spot for hip cafes and trendy dessert places like Sunday Folks and The Daily Scoop. Expatriates most notably find the spot a good mix of the local ambience and a good variety of food options, especially with the popularity of alfresco dining and bar options available. With the long-standing popularity of the area, it is no doubt that with every change in eateries and bars coming and going, there always seems to be something new to discover tucked away in the corners of the winding streets.
You can imagine the amount of fanfare when Far East Malls announced that come end 2023 and into 2024, a brand-new integrated development with a mall would be opening in the area. As someone who frequents the Holland Village area, I have to say that this didn’t sound promising when I first read the announcement on a flyer that was given out to nearby residents. However, seeing as I stay close by, I decided to check it out and I’m so glad that I did.
Perhaps most of you will be more familiar with the name One Holland Village as an integrated development that has been heavily advertised for the last few years since launching pre-pandemic. The development is marketed as the first low-rise urban lifestyle hub in Singapore with two residential and serviced apartment towers above 30 Storeys, as well as a third low rise residential project.
The mall itself is a breath of fresh air and has seen major success a month after launching with around 500 lots in the malls often full during peak mealtimes, particularly during the weekends. The mall itself only has 3 floors, but it feels spacious and is a great place for a stroll whilst window shopping.
What’s the best thing about the mall?
Outdoor Concept Mall
For those who don’t enjoy being blasted by the colder aircon temperatures of newer malls at full fan speed, this mall is fully outdoors always allowing a breath of fresh air. This means that some areas of the mall on the upper levels will be exposed to the elements of Mother Nature. However, the developers have cleverly considered this and planned for it by making most areas of the mall covered. That leads me on to the next best thing of One Holland Village. The open-air concept allows the mall to be a pet-friendly mall, a rare find these days!
Pet-Friendly
All patrons can bring their pets to the mall! The whole mall is pet-friendly where your furry friends can take the elevator with you and there are even dedicated zones to park your pets outside the shops while you go into the shops. Is your dog thirsty? The mall even has water coolers for your dogs to quench their thirst while out exploring. This seems like the perfect place to bring your fur kids for a night out!
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New Chic and Premium Cafes & Restaurants
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With the new mall, there’s a diverse range of new food offerings to the area. This mall is offering new cafes and restaurants, some of which are new brands to the neighborhood which are:
- Fireplace by Bedrock
- Ginkyo by Kinki
- Cakebar
- Fong Sheng Hao
- Lau Wang Claypot Legacy
- Tsujiri Premium
- Plain Meredith
And some familiar and popular brands making a return are:
- Sushi Tei
- Awfully Chocolate
- Lady M
- Paradise Classic
- Toast Box
- Ippudo
Ground Floor Central Plaza
The mall also has an open plaza on the ground floor allowing for festivities and themed set ups to occupy the space making the area a fun-filled and unique experience with each display. This is an example of the Christmas village during the Christmas period in 2023.
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It will be intriguing to see what decorations and themed spaces they have planned for the Chinese New Year this year, the year of the Dragon. And if it’s anything to go by from the Christmas Market, we might even see a similar Chinese New Year Market of sorts in the plaza.
Modern, Convenient and Artsy
One Holland Village also tries to incorporate modern contemporary art into the design of the mall with the large glass colored installation above the plaza which acts as a roof. There are several spots around the place that might be considered trendy for influencers who love finding unique back drops to pose at. There is also an art exhibition that people can visit inside the mall if you’re feeling more inquisitive and reflective.
The mall is also well laid out as the escalators to the carparks are at both ends of the mall, with access to both levels of carparks. One Holland Village is also easily accessible with the Holland Village MRT station located closer towards the road.
Address: 1 Holland Village Way, Singapore
If you’re looking for a new place to visit on your weekly Saturday roster for brunch, lunch, or dinner, this might just hit the spot!
