For those times you want to feel young again, here are the best places to eat, drink and hang out in Singapore.
For Mostly Booze (and Bar Bites)
Fancy drinks flow till the wee hours, but food is a shortened bar bites menu at best.
Martini lovers should head here. The wild-looking Oasia Hotel Downtown teamed up with Refinery Concepts (of Fat Cow and Bedrock fame) to turn their lobby bar into a gin-focused cocktail bar, boasting a (probably) unparalleled selection of 100 gins. Much of the menu is devoted to a make-your-own-martini option. Choose from five tiers of gins (price points range from $18-26), pair it with one of 11 vermouths and homemade shrubs, topped with one of 14 bitters and then either stirred or shaken. It’s open till 1am on weekends, but don’t expect too much from the bar bites menu.
This famous, swanky NYC bar opened an outpost on Amoy Street and is fronted by ex-Marine and bartender Steve Schneider, a veteran of the US bar scene and star of Hey Bartender, a cocktail documentary. The much-lauded bar and restaurant, which ranked #4 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2015 is just like its New York flagship with its stylish and modern interiors reminiscent of the Prohibition era. The all-important cocktail menu has highlights like the EO Gimlet and Ready Aim Fire. You can expect raucous late-night partying and friendly hospitality—the last batch of revelers will be served warm cups of chicken soup upon closing (3am on weekends).
A typical night out at a KTV joint usually involves uninspired snacks, overpriced drinks that come out of a box, and off-key yowling. Unfortunately, singing in public spaces is still very much the domain of the tone-deaf but at Skinny’s, you can take the edge off the high-octave action with a couple of “Fast and Cheap” cocktails. Snacks are basic, including stuff like Ruffles with sour cream and onion dip and pretzel rolls with cheese dip. Closes at at 3am on weekdays, and 4am on Saturdays.
The rum bar and grill debuts a supper menu with a succinct but delicious-sounding dishes like country pate with homemade pickles, bone marrow with onion marmalade and the much-awaited (and raved about) Sugarhall ramen brimming with pork belly, kimchi bacon, egg and garlic confit. Available from 10pm to midnight, it goes best with their Ron Negroni cocktail.
For Atmospheric Heart-to-Hearts
Have a last drink or two or three and divulge your secrets in quiet, well-decorated surrounds.
If you’re already a fan of Caribbean restaurant Lime House at Jiak Chuan, then check out their recently launched extended bar just upstairs. It’s also possibly got the biggest rum selection in town, with over 150 labels covering pretty much every tropical former colony you can think of, from Guyana to India. Closes at 1am.
If you’re in the CBD and need a solid place for a bistro-style meal, head here. The menu comprises light bites like crostini with Iberico ham, sliders, charcuterie platters and plates of calamari and beef tartare.
After nine years of spreading the word of good whisky from their home at Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Quaich Bar has opened a second outlet. Set in South Beach Avenue, the retail section of the exciting new South Beach development, Quaich brings you the same whisky bar experience you know and love with a few bells and whistles, and offers over 500 whiskies with many of them–including some of the oldest and rarest–available by the glass. The food? Think bar bites with a big upgrade – a Scottish cheese plate ($21), Scottish smoked deep sea salmon ($24), jamon iberico (from $24) and more. Closes at 1am daily.
You can expect a beautiful view of Singapore’s skyline at this Scottish restaurant and bar at One Fullerton. Open till 1am on weekends, you can gorge on Scottish dishes cooked with French techniques and an Asian twist, like the butter poached lobster and baked pigeon. They also serve desserts like the Singapore Breakfast, peanut butter bread pudding served with kaya ice cream. End the night with a selection of drinks like dessert wines like Eiswein and Mosel, or a variety of Scottish whisky, gin and beers.
For Hangover Prevention
Monster food menus to go with your monster drinks.
The new Highlander outlet in Chijmes is open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays, so it’s no wonder they’ve got a complete “Wee Bites” supper menu in tow. Since it’s basically open until dawn, there are still delicious menu items like scotch eggs and potted crab with truffle butter you can order to get you through the night. Don’t miss their interesting list of light whisky cocktails and the whisky-doused prawns.
Who can resist the call of Korean fried chicken late at night? Just think of those glazed and juicy morsels that come steaming hot to your table after a night out. Whether you choose the hot & spicy rendition (bool dak) or the sweet & spicy versions, there’s no going wrong. Plus, you can also just get traditional ramyun noodles or bibimbap. They’re open daily until 4am making this a solid CBD bet.
The London burger joint is a good bet if you want greasy, fuss-free and downright delicious burgers until 2 or 3am. Not only are the burgers grilled to perfection, you can get equally satisfying sides of huge onion rings, sambal fries and chicken wings. Plus, the raucous place churns out huge glasses of cocktails like the House Grog Slushy.
After a heavy night of partying, sometimes all you want is to tuck in to a hearty meal. This Mexican place has it all figured out when it comes to post-drink grub with piping-hot marinated meat tacos or a beer-battered fish tacos with chipotle-mayo sauce. As they typically close at 2am, and if you want to continue drinking, they’ve got a Corona-rita, which is a mix of two beloved Mexican exports – the margarita and Corona beer.
For Detox and Local Comfort Food
Little to no booze, but plenty of greasy stuff to help mitigate the night’s bad decisions.
This no-frills Hong Kong-style dim sum restaurant offers delish midnight munchies like pork belly buns and locally-inspired man tou with chilli crab sauce. Located in Geylang, land of late-night eateries, among glaring neon lights and plastic chairs, 126 Dim Sum is a solid option. Open 24 hours daily.
This popular chicken rice stall has tons of outlets islandwide and for good reason. They make legit white chicken rice on top of other Chinese-style dishes like oyster sauce kai lan and braised tofu. Stick to the basics by ordering a portion of chicken rice loaded with lots of ginger and chilli sauce. Although the original Balestier outlet is open the latest (they close at 4:30am), the River Valley one (425 River Valley Rd.) may be more convenient and is open until 4am.
This old-style-grandma’s-cooking restaurant is known for its delicious Dinosaur prawn noodles. Whether you have it dry or with soup, the huge prawns, pork bone and springy egg noodles make an addictive mix. They’ve also got a pretty extensive zi char-style seafood menu with offerings like squid, prawns, clams and stingray cooked in a spicy paste, steamed or in one of their signature sauces. Plus, they’re open until 4am, which makes this a perfect foodie nightcap.
Carrying both Hong Kong- and Shanghai-style dim sum, there’s an extensive menu of steamed favorites at this late-night joint. Open until 6am daily, except on Tuesdays, sink your teeth into classic dishes like siew mai, har kow and the famous Swee Choon big pau. On the Shanghainese front, they’ve got plenty of dumplings like chive pork dumplings and xiao long paus. If you fancy something heavier, there are also la mian and rice options, too.
If you don’t know about Spize, there must be something missing in your night owl routines. Touted as the go to place for prata and mee goreng, all cuisines from Indian to Mediterranean to Western are pretty much covered here. Don’t stray too far from their street food forte and opt for pratas, curries and mees. Not only is the place affordable, it’s also open until 6am (or 7am on Fridays and Saturdays). Just beware of drunken clubbers straying over from Zouk (while it’s still there).
Any late-night foodie list is incomplete without some spicy Indian food. This Serangoon eating house has an extensive menu, so you’ll be hard-pressed to not find anything you like. Whether you’re more of a chicken tikka with butter naan kinda person or prefer seekh kebab, this place packs a spicy punch to clear the sinus and get your blood flowing.
General Shenanigans
Less about the booze, more about the fun camaraderie.
Ganso Manekineko (Orchard Cineleisure)
The seventh Ganso Manekineko karaoke outlet at Orchard Cineleisure is the largest one in Asia at 2,218 sq m, and the only karaoke joint in Singapore that offers an all-you-can-eat buffet spread of local, Japanese and international dishes so you can eat and sing till your heart’s content. The dinner buffet’s only until 10pm, but this it’s open till 6am, which is enough time to skim through some of the 150,000 songs in their library.
