Buzz: The latest in the line of Archipelago’s showcase bars, Malones is sort of a postmodern take on the Irish local. The outdoor location at 313@Somerset is central, and Discovery Walk is easily one of the best places on Orchard Road to watch people go by.
Décor: Less neighborhood Irish pub and more minimalist city bar and restaurant. Instead of the usual trinkets and old, black-and-white photos on the walls (there are a couple, though), you get pictures of a leprechaun on the menu saying, “Top of the day to you.” Given Singapore’s affinity for Irish pubs, a place like Malones was bound to emerge eventually. The quintessential pub interior (rustic, dark and a bit craggy) is absent, but you get shiny mahogany and marble in its place.
Food & Drinks: The Archipelago craft beers are the pick, of course, and there are the four standard brews on tap: Summer ale, Irish ale, Belgian wit and Bohemian lager. Happy hour begins at 11am. Other drinks on the menu include Irish standards Guinness and Kilkenny and a decent variety of relatively cheap spirits. Their food menu features Irished-up pub grub like the Paddy Murphy steak sandwich ($16.90) and Irish bangers ($16.90).
Music: Nothing much above that signature Discovery Walk drone.
Crowd: A mixture of everyone between curious locals, expats and first-date thirtysomethings.
Why you’ll be back: Affordable spirits and craft brews, and to see what else that leprechaun has to say.
