This is your 2023 edit to the best new bars and bar menus in Singapore.
For May, there is a new live music venue in The Blackbird, which brings together local bands and a menu filled with homey Western favourites and reliable Big Beer. At Club Street, Low Tide introduces new food and drinks menus that capture the region’s rich cultures, and Ghostwriter plays host to a new concept involving a MasterChef Singapore finalist and a whisky ambassador. Elixir Coffee Roaster has been reborn as Elixir, a brunch spot that transforms into a pizza place with wine, while Humpback comes up for air after a renovation as a swanky seafood restaurant with a Spotify wine playlist.
(Hero and feature images credit: Elixir)
Bukit Timah Cafe Elixir Coffee Roasters has reincarnated itself as Elixir, a restaurant and bar at Holland Grove. During the morning, they serve brunch items like brûléed French toast and Ozzies – avocado, pickled tomato, and dukkah, while the afternoon offers a shaved cheese called tête de Moine with poached apricot and fried walnut, and baby octopus fritters with black aioli. Sourdough pizzas are also a highlight, including the signature Not-carbonara, and Hot Mama with spicy Calabrese salami and house-made chilli crisp. To drink, the tight wine list has eclectic bottles from Chandon Garden Spritz, a sparkling wine with flavoured with oranges, to a crunchy cabernet franc from Loire.
24 Holland Grove Rd, #01-18, Singapore 278803. Book here.
Seafood bar Humpback has breached the surface after a two-month long renovation. Compared to the previous iteration, the new Humpback is slicker and more diverse in its food and drinks offering. Led by chefs Alynna Tan and Joseph Teoh, oysters are still a mainstay, with three varieties ranging from crisp to briny and sweet, while snacks, small plates, and large plates are illuminated by deeply savoury house-cured hamachi pastrami, and a scintillating white asparagus with blue crab and white miso, and marble goby with roasted broccolini and juicy, sake-cooked mussels. The 60-plus strong wine list reads like a Spotify playlist, with It’s (Almost) Always Sunny in Bukit Pasoh dropping breezy hits like a dry furmint from Hungary – more commonly used to make the dessert Tokaji wine – while Tingle My Palate fizzes with bubbly wines.
18-20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089834. Book here.
Low Tide‘s new food and drinks menus are inspired by Southeast Asia’s rich heritage with a sprinkling of other sea-faring cultures including the Caribbean, East Africa, and Japan. At the street-level Top Side, nasi ulam is remixed with torched pineapple, coconut flakes, and pomegranate, and stingray is cooked with miso butter with grilled okra and curry assam, both joined by equally sunny cocktails such as a carrot and gin Colada, and Grape Intentions, a vodka martini with red grape cordial. Head inside and down into The Cave, where the tropical speakeasy has a menu of six cocktails by bars with similar leanings, including Bangkok’s Tropic City and Junglebird from Kuala Lumpur.
98 Club St, Singapore 069467. Book here.
Just upstairs from Low Tide is Ghostwriter, an F&B incubation space that lets restauranteurs and bartenders experiment with concepts for a month. For May, they play host to Spectre, a vintage apothecary bar with the Japanese approach of “kintsugi,” a practice of putting broken pottery back together with gold and a metaphor for celebrating imperfections. The food is led by MasterChef Singapore finalist Inch Chua, who has come up with dishes such as Eurasian Feng – pork shoulder, dry curry, rice cracker, and pickles – ossobuco kueh pie tee, and smoked stingray pasta, while Beam Suntory Regional Ambassador Andrew Pang is responsible for cocktails like Retrospect, a martini with Benedictine D.O.M. and olive oil, and Lend a Hand, helped along by spiced rum, coffee liqueur, and orange.
98 Club St, 2nd floor, Singapore 069467. Book here.
After two years of pandemic absurdity – remember when we couldn’t have music in bars? – The Blackbird is a big return to lyrical normality. Founded by four people in the food, music, and arts business, the Gillman Barracks venue has a music lineup features a variety of genres, from classic tributes to funk, soul, and blues, performed by local musicians and bands. The menu offers straightforward Western-style cuisine and bar bites: think fresh onion rings, chicken wings, pizzas, and fish and chips, while the drinks menu has a wide selection of draft beers, cocktails, and wine.
8 Lock Rd, Singapore 108936. Book here.
Local craft beer company Alive Brewing has taken over Mikkeller’s pop-up at Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre. Their beers have been hard to come by and found mostly in bottled form, but the two-month-long pop-up will have 12 taps pouring both their core and seasonal selection. Mainstays range from a clean and floral rice lager to Lucky Omen, a luscious hazy double IPA, while seasonal styles include Chocolate Bomb, an imperial stout they call “liquified boozy chocolate.” The stall will also sell bottles, and offer a happy hour deal every Wednesday from 6.30pm to 10.30pm featuring the kölsch-style One Night in Cologne going for S$10 nett a pint.
335 Smith St, #02-058, Singapore 050335
If the live action remake of “The Little Mermaid” needed a nightclub scene, Aniba is the ideal stage. The hallway is lined with iridescent scale-shaped tiles, and the stark contrast between light and dark sets the mood for a swanky deep-sea lounge. Of the 16 cocktails inspired by North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, highlights include the Negroni-based Sirocco with date-infused sweet vermouth, while Helena is a Martini made zesty and herbaceous by tarragon and grapefruit. The wine list is just as interesting for featuring bottles from Israel, including a silky red blend that Bin Nun Winery labels exclusively for Aniba.
6 Battery Road, Bonham St, #05-03 Private lift from Riverfront Entrance, Singapore 049909. Book here.
Very few bars can match the grandeur of Atlas, and it is almost expected that its cocktails are just as opulent. Yet Atlas bravely dials back the pomp for its new Simple Pleasures menu. The latest offerings delve into four classic cocktails – the Martini, Sour, Old Fashioned, and Champagne Cocktail – with five drinks under each style ranging from Atlas’ version to modern interpretations. Under Sours, Ode To Odyssey simplifies the notoriously labour-intensive Ramos Gin Fizz by using egg white substitute while keeping it light and creamy, while Occidental enriches the Martini with limoncello. The bar pays just as much attention to non-alcoholic drinks, with Hope on the Horizon showing champagne is not always necessary when you have a vivacious yuzu-lavender kombucha.
600 North Bridge Rd, Parkview Square, ground floor, Singapore 188778. Book here.
Joo Chiat gets even cooler with the opening of Salt & Palm. The venue was created by Mark and Natasya Soetantyo, two siblings who first opened in Sydney in 2018 before branching out here in March. Dishes include mushroom rendang, Balinese babi guling presented porchetta-style, and pandan coconut creme brûlée, while the wines range from a naturally-made pet nat chardonnay to a grippy Super Tuscan. Like the food, cocktails emphasise the Nusantara connection from spiked cendol to Kecup Manis, which tops pandan-infused rum and cold brew coffee with sweet soy sauce.
467 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427678. Book here.
Asian immigrants in Peru gave the South American country more than just Nikkei food, as Chifa! demonstrates. The new concept at Resorts World Sentosa is named after the term for Peruvian-Chinese cuisine, which they have translated into dishes like yellowfin tamarind ceviche and wok-fried seafood XO aeropuerto (quinoa and jasmine rice with seafood and seasonal vegetables sautéed in XO sauce). To drink, Peru’s national spirit pisco is showcased in cocktails such as the ginger ale and passionfruit Chicano de Chifa, and with condensed milk in Leche de Monja.
Resorts World Sentosa, 8 Sentosa Gateway, Ave8, Singapore 098269. Book here.
You can drink with the fishes once again at the refreshed Fish Pool. The NCO Club venue now has a list of cocktails inspired by the tropics and its surrounding elements. Ocean Inspiration takes cues from the sea with two kinds of whiskies, tropical house mix, and oyster saline tincture; while Mori Ne Geijutsu looks inland with junmai sake, orange liqueur, and sparkling fruit sake. There is also R&T Heights, a spirit-forward, clarified cinnamon rum- and tonic-based blend. The raw bar also has new seafood dishes featuring Asian, European, and Latin American flavours, and a nightly underwater performance by Singapore’s first mermaid performer, Syrena.
32 Beach Rd, The NCO Club, Singapore 189764. Book here.
Jigger & Pony marks its 11 years in operation with a cocktail menu titled Identity, which traces the evolution of Singapore’s best bar and muses about its future. Topics like sustainability are explored through the Ugly Tomatoes cocktail, which uses unsellable heirloom beefsteak tomatoes and mixes it with gin, and a house-made herbal liqueur called kummel. Local produce is also celebrated in Honey Magnum, featuring raw honey from a Singapore beekeeper, together with bourbon, strawberry wine, and beetroot. The drink is then aged in beeswax to impart a slicker texture.
165 Tanjong Pagar Road, Amara Hotel, Singapore 088539. Book here.
Samsu gets its name from a moonshine-like Chinese rice liquor, but the alcohol here are slightly more refined. They carry an extensive range of independent bottlers of whisky and rum, as well as collectible and rare spirits from around the world. A recent lineup include special anniversary whiskies for Bar Tarlogie Sona in Osaka, and Kornog single malts from Glann Ar Mor distillery in Brittany, France. The goal, however, is to keep things approachable. “Sometimes, visiting a whisky bar can be a daunting experience with lots of bottles to choose from,” said founder Jeremiah Kee. “We have kept prices affordable and accessible for all who are curious.”
100 Orchard Rd, #02-33 Concorde Hotel & Shopping Mall, Singapore 238840. Book here.
Fine-dining Thai restaurant Sarai has revamped itself with a new food menu, interior, and bar programme. Helmed by Chimkit “Lisa” Khamphuang, the à la carte and tasting menus draw upon dishes popular among the Thai royal family such as deep-fried wagyu beef with sticky rice, dried prawns and wild ginger wrapped in betel leaves, and roasted duck soup with young coconut and shiitake mushroom. For drinks, different regions of Thailand are represented by nine cocktails such as the Pandan Grasshopper (rum, peppermint liqueur, pandan, and coconut milk) and Floating Market (vodka, caramel, calamansi, and chocolate).
163 Tanglin Rd, #03 – 122 Tanglin Mall, Singapore 247933. Book here.
Underdog Inn rides on its dark horse appeal to upend Singapore’s bar scene. Opened by the same people behind Low Tide, Sago House, and Ghostwriter, the venue took over previous tenant Burger Bar, kept its 18 taps, spruced up its New York tavern interior, and added open hearth cooking. Chefs Peter Smit and Graeme Goronovsky are responsible for nose-to-tail dishes like pig’s head scrumpet and bone marrow mash, while bartenders Jay Gray and Lee Rizali are serving 12 cocktails on draught including Martini and Old Fashioned, which can be adjusted to taste. The rest of the taps are taken up by six beers on rotation, and they also have a tight list of French and Italian wines.
115 Amoy St, #01-03, Singapore 069935. Book here.
Wildfire Burgers slowly spreads around Singapore with its third location at Robertson Walk. Replacing Lil’ Tiger, the newest branch serves crowd favourites like the Classic 001 cheeseburger and The Eggstarter, as well as two new dishes: chargrilled Argentinian grain-fed Angus striploin and chopped Caesar salad. What the latest outlet does differently is offering a bar programme. The venue has cocktails like Mezcal Negroni and Daiquiri in a one-shot format for S$9++, or in a flight of six for S$48++. Full serves are also on the menu, as well as highballs, craft beer, and American wine.
11 Unity St, #01-07, Singapore 237995, Book Here
Capella has revamped its private dining space, Chef’s Table into the Oyster and Champagne Bar. With wicker furniture, copper pots, and a raw bar, it resembles a bistro in an expensive home.
The concept allows diners to try five kinds of oysters side by side. Of the three French Fine de Claire varieties, the balanced and mild Vertes separate the assertive David Hervé from the delicate Saint Kerber. Irish Kelly oysters are fatter, and Canada’s Fanny Bay has a quiet tang.
Russian, French, and Chinese caviar can also be sampled back to back. Chef’s Table supervisor Marie Pusung described them in terms of a film. “The Kaviari is like an action movie, while the Oscietra is a love story. The Sturia Vintage has a bit of both.”
Available by the glass, Roger Coulon Heri-Hodie Premier Cru is a non-vintage champagne that mixes aromas of marzipan and green apple with a sharp finish. Another popular option is the Jean-Louis Vergnon’s Eloquence, which offers notes of red apple and almond, plus a hint of umami. The latter is sumptous with items from the Chef’s Reserve Platter, especially rich Japanese sea urchin and intensely sweet Alaskan king crab legs.
1 The Knolls, Singapore 098297. Book here.
Last November, Lolla collaborated with Denmark-based Empirical Spirits on a cocktail pairing for their seasonal tasting menu, which was successful enough that the restaurant decided to list four of them as their signature cocktails.
Created by Empirical brand manager and Operation Dagger alumni Sasha Widjidessa, the drinks do not adhere to any classic cocktail template. Instead, ingredients are incorporated with culinary techniques such as sous vide. With a plum-based spirit, Peas Please recalls flavours of marzipan, yuzu, and basil, which sit nicely with salads and parmesan. You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato is built on a Mexican chilli spirit, and its smokiness cuts through buttery dishes like Lolla’s signature sea urchin pudding.
Made with the same chilli spirit, Lolla Luau is reminiscent of charred pineapple. Drunk alongside a river crab cooked in coconut milk and garnished with kaffir lime leaf, the combination is similar to tom yum soup. The Last Straw-Berry has a fruity, bubblegum-like aroma, but grows serious thanks to an oily texture, and aromas of apple zest and vanilla.
22 Ann Siang Road, Singapore 069702. Book here.
Modern European restaurant Lumo‘s latest cocktail menu took cues from colours that evoke certain emotions. Part of the blush red ruga hue, Manakin is a spicy and smoky number with mezcal, tequila, and bird’s eye chilli, while Serenity under the azure-leaning blua inspires calm through chamomile-infused Chita whisky, chamomile tea, and thyme-infused honey. All the cocktails are built with sustainability in mind, with most ingredients used entirely to show “respect and appreciation” for them, said head bartender Aaron Lancelot.
50 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058682. Book here.
Nostalgia is always nice in hindsight – can we go back to 2022 and seven percent GST? – and Origin Bar at Shangri-La hotel doubles down on this sentiment with 18 new drinks inspired by time travel. From 1860, the minty and fruity Chicle celebrates the creation of chewing gum, and Atomico marks the invention of the nuclear bomb in 1942 by fusing rum with yuzu, sake, and wasabi. Drinkers can also go back to the very beginning of life with Dark Matter, which combines tequila, amaro, chocolate, and smoke into a complex and intense sip.
22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350. Book here.
Papa Doble is in a strange place. The bar went from being The Old Man Singapore to its current moniker early last year, kept its former offerings, got on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list under its new name, refreshed its entire team, and launched a new cocktail menu over Christmas 2022. Even founder Andrew Yap admits it. “Even till this day, Papa Doble remains in a state of partial opening.”
The bar still pays tribute to Ernest Hemingway, this time by retracing the literary giant’s journey through eight signature cocktails. A visit to Singapore is represented by a gin drink with DOM Benedictine, clarified pineapple, and pomegranate coulis, while Thailand is symbolised by chamomile-infused single estate vodka, clarified starfruit, torched ginger-infused honey, and fleur de sel. Other stops include Africa, France, Bahamas, and Italy, with vastly different ingredients from mandarin dijon foam to mascarpone gelato cream.
55 Keong Saik Road, #01-04, Singapore 089158. Book here.
Playing all the greatest hits from the 40s to the 90s is Tippling Club, which has created a jukebox of cocktails based music from the past six decades. Laid down by head bartender Arathorn Grey, the 31 drinks are named after an artist and their song, with ingredients telling their stories. Learnin’ The Blues by Frank Sinatra features the crooner’s favourite spirit, Jack Daniel’s, as well as amontillado sherry and amaro, of of which are barrel aged in an ex-ruby port cask. There’s also Funky Monks by Red Hot Chili Peppers, which highlights punchy agricole rhum with ginger and togarashi lime garnish.
38 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088461. Book here.
Jethro enjoys wine, biking, and climbing, and he’s terrible at all three. In between them, he drinks commercial lagers, and eats dumplings and gelati.
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