Here’s your guide to some of the sexiest spots in Singapore.
Eliza
This recently opened Shanghai-inspired cocktail club is dark and moody, and features live jazz rearrangements of pop music, followed by late-night DJ sets. Among the nightclub’s signature drinks are the Dragon’s Daughter ($22) with Botanist gin, St Germain, Peychaud bitters and a touch of vinegar – and Drumz & Sax ($22), Eliza’s take on an Old Fashioned with Old Tom Gin, ginger liqueur, chamomile syrup, honey and bitters. There’s a menu of modern Chinese food, too!
113 Telok Ayer Street | elizalo.com
The Monarchy
This brand new British cocktail bar on Tras Street is a great spot for enjoying some of general manager Rob Scott’s “Cool Britannia” inspired beverages with your sweetheart. There are 18 “proper” cocktails to choose from, and all are named after British songs throughout the ages. We’d recommend the Message in a Bottle ($23) – fruity and smooth with scotch whisky, Dubonnet, sweet vermouth, orange liqueur and maraschino – and Champagne Supernova ($21) – sparkling, fruity and light with Pimm’s, watermelon, lemon, cucumber, mint, ginger and champagne. (The drinks are all Insta-worthy, right up to the ice cubes stamped with “The Monarchy”!). On Fridays and Saturdays a secret door opens to reveal the venue’s swanky, special lounge where big-name international DJs and live acts perform. Reserve one of the seven Chesterfield VIP tables tables and you’ll even get a dedicated VIP hostess! Tables can be booked via vip@monarchy.sg.
56/58 Tras Street | monarchy.sg/cocktail-bar
Operation Dagger
This hidden underground bar, which has ranked on The World’s 50 Best Bars list three years in a row, features a raw concrete, sleek-minimalist look that’s illuminated by a show-stopping “light cloud” made up of thousands of bulbs – a great place for cosying up over cocktails. It’s all about a flavour-centric, sensory experience, with opaque apothecary-style bottles lining the bar shelves to keep ingredients top secret. While some of the classics remain permanently, most of the menu changes every three months; our firm favourite is the bar’s signature Gomashio 2013 ($25) with toasted sesame, cucumber and ginger flavours. Feeling adventurous? Let the bartenders do the choosing with one of the multi-course omakase menus with drink pairings.
7 Ann Siang Hill, #B1-01 | operationdagger.com
Origin Bar
Dark, romantic and sexy, Origin at Shangri-La Singapore is buzzing with guests and music, but still quiet enough that you can have a conversation. The namesake cocktail is Origin ($22), a gin-based drink made with a concoction of spiced pineapple, sugar cane and lime husk wine. The food menu is vast, but the thing to order here without question is the wagyu beef and gruyere cheeseburger ($18).
22 Orange Grove Road | shangri-la.com
Catchfly
Situated in the basement of a Chinatown shophouse, this American-style cocktail bar is small, intimate and cosy. The design is dark and contemporary – black marble furnishings, lush teal armchairs and a back-lit bar – with a cool mix of hip-hop, chart and alternative music. There’s a range of really fun cocktails on offer, as well as $48 cocktail flights, which allow you to choose three tipples to try.
12 Ann Siang Road | catchfly.sg
28 HKS
Another hidden haunt (it’s literally hidden, without any signage, in an unassuming 1960s shophouse), this place has been a date-night favourite for years, thanks to its low lighting, atmospheric vibes and a strong list of potent craft cocktails ($23 each): fan favourites include the Dillmatic, made with Fords gin, snap peas, Mancino Secco vermouth, lemon and dill, and the 6 Foot 7 Foot with rum, cognac, rye, absinthe and torched bananas. You’ll also find delectably sinful American comfort food like panko-crusted, three cheese truffle mac-and-cheese balls ($15) and a shrimp po’ boy ($15).
28 Hong Kong Street | 28hks.com
Manhattan
This place is all about Golden Age glam, with mirrored walls, marble tops, old-fashioned sofas and Gatsby-esque glassware – if that doesn’t scream romance, we don’t know what does! The craft cocktails here are divine, and complemented with American-inspired bar bites like lobster tacos ($28), hot dogs ($18) and cheesecake ($12); add in some fun, vintage tunes for the perfect date-night destination. Or, visit the adults-only cocktail brunch on Sunday for a special treat ($150 for brunch, free-flow cocktails, beer and wines; $195 with the addition of champagne).
1 Cuscaden Road, Regent Hotel, Level 2 | facebook.com/manhattansg
Atlas
Also reminiscent of Gatsby-style, old-fashioned glam, this massive Art Deco-inspired bar in Bugis oozes opulence and is truly something to see – gold gilded balconies, lush velvet furnishings, intricately painted high ceilings and a gin tower featuring over 1,000 varieties of the spirit (some dating back to the early 1900s!). The jaw-dropping interiors coupled with the enormous drinks menu make for some great conversation with your date.
Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Road | atlasbar.sg
Smoke and Mirrors
This optimally positioned rooftop bar atop National Gallery Singapore features both indoor seating and an alfresco terrace that looks across the Padang to the Theatres on the Bay and beyond. Sip on beautifully presented cocktails by bartender Yugnes Susela – for example, the M.C.-N.L. ($24), a cacao-infused vodka drink with sweet vermouth, pineapple and coconut nectar, served in a potted plant with edible “soil” – and, if you’re hungry, order bar bites like duck rillettes ($14) or a cheese platter ($18).
#06-01 National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrews Road | smokeandmirrors.com.sg
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This article first appeared in the February 2019 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
