At this new gelato cafe in Geylang, you can get a tattoo with dessert

Gelato till midnight isn’t a new concept. But gelato with a show and a freshly inked tattoo? That Scoop & Sketch — open till late daily — has an unusual theme is an understatement. The super brightly coloured two-storey cafe in Geylang Lor 23 is opened by tattoo artist Alan Q, 37, who owns Naked Skin Tattoo parlour upstairs, and his apprentice-turned-biz-partner Daryl Tham, 26.

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It opens till midnight on Mondays to Thursdays and 2am on Fridays to Sundays, so patrons can swing by for a late night gelato fix. The cafe is also pet-friendly. Alan tells 8days.sg that he “wanted to have a cafe that merges with tattooing”, adding that while “there are a lot of cafes in Singapore that are nice and aesthetic, it feels like every cafe looks similar atmosphere-wise”. He sure got what he wanted with the loud pops of neon and more in his cafe’s almost cartoonish decor. 

The tattoo studio is located on the second floor.

Cafe’s customers enjoy a discount if they get inked 

Interestingly, customers who dine on the second level of the cafe where there are some tables near the semi-open tattoo parlour can watch some live inking action. Definitely not for folks who are squeamish about needles. Moreover, we wonder if those getting inked mind being gawked at by some random person digging into dessert? Alan says he’ll offer tattoo discounts to diners who decide to get inked here, and food discounts to his tattoo clients.

The sprawling first floor offers mostly alfresco seating.

All of Naked Skin’s tattoo artists help out at the cafe, though they’ve also hired part-timers. 

With his artsy background, Alan was very involved in the interior design of the joint, saying he “DIY-ed everything and came up with the colour concept”, including drawing the cafe’s logo. 

The towkays chose to sell gelato, as “it’s something that a lot of people love to eat from young and it’s therapeutic”. 

Come March, the cafe will also have a temporary tattoo station that’ll operate on weekends. The tatts are drawn with ink made from the jagua fruit, and lasts up to two weeks only. Great for those who want the excitement of a tattoo but not the stomach for a permanent one.  Alan says the stations will be manned by jagua tattoo artists, and the prices of the tattoos will vary based on the complexity of the design. They start from $12. A permanent tattoo at the parlour upstairs starts from $150.

A corner of the cafe will also soon house a photo booth, plus a range of merchandise designed by the artists. Proceeds from merch sales will be donated to local orphanages, says Alan.

The menu

Scoop & Sketch’s menu is relatively basic, consisting of gelato, waffles, and beverages like craft beers, coffee and sodas. The gelato here is made in a central kitchen at Bedok by Alan and Daryl’s ex-tattoo client, who is a food supplier.

It’s sold in Single ($5), Double ($9) or Triple ($12) scoops, with premium flavours costing a dollar more. Some flavours currently offered include Black Sesame, Blue Pea Vanilla, Pistachio (premium), and Chrysanthemum Cacao Nibs (premium). Waffles cost an additional $7.

The selection of craft beers here include funky brands like Brothers Beer (from $17) from New Zealand and Lost Coast beers (from $16) from the US. Meanwhile, coffee starts at $4 for an Espresso.

Scoop & Sketch is at #01-01 Atrix, 82 Lor 23 Geylang, S388409. Open Mon - Thur 12pm - 12am; Fri - Sun 12pm - 2am. More info via Instagram. 

Photos: Scoop & Sketch

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