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, who owns Naked Skin Tattoo parlour upstairs, and his apprentice-turned-biz-partner Daryl Tham.
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 stated 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.
Head inside to get some desserts on the first floor; there’s a full line-up of gelato flavours to choose from, with popular options including Grape Yakult, Blue Pea Vanilla, Chrysanthemum Cacao Nibs, Pistachio, and Salted Butterscotch.
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.