You know how some days you and your compadres just decide to do something crazy? Well here’s an idea for you: pick a weekend and try hitting all of these bars—all of which are pretty much walking distance or a few bus stops away—at City Hall, Bugis and Kallang. Our hats go off to you if you actually manage to do drinks from Anti:dote all the way to Druggists. Just make sure no one’s driving that night…
CITY HALL
Anti:dote
The sleek and sophisticated spot at the Fairmont Singapore wows with its 26,000-piece crystal chandelier and some unexpected Peranakan touches. Handcrafted cocktails here include Children of the Sun (pisco, Campari, pineapple and cinnamon) and Mother’s Hand (bourbon, mushroom, sesame, chili padi and kombu). 1/F Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Rd., 6431-5315.
The Auld Alliance
Stocking well over a thousand bottles of whisky, some dating back more than a century, The Auld Alliance is a temple dedicated to the spirit. Whether you’re spending five figures on a rare and old bottling, or sharing a few reasonably priced drams with friends, you’re welcomed as a whisky lover by a team of fellow whisky lovers. #02-02A Rendezvous Hotel Singapore, 9 Bras Basah Rd., 6337-2201.
Bar Rouge Singapore
Shanghai’s hyper-glamorous nightclub takes a prime spot atop Swissotel The Stamford with floor-to-ceiling windows providing views of the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay and the CBD. Expect a line-up of the region’s, as well as Shanghai’s, most coveted and versatile DJs. 71/F Swissotel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Rd., 9177-7307.
Smoke & Mirrors
Part of the National Gallery’s entourage of stylish bars and restaurants, Smoke & Mirrors is a rooftop terrace bar overlooking the Padang. The bar team, headed by Yugnes Susela, whips up “Playful Eye” cocktails like Mighty Duck (jackfruit rum, five spiced honey and edible egg shells served in a “nest”). #06-01 National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew’s Rd., 9234-8122.
Tap Craft Beer Bar
While Capitol Piazza may be a place to find snazzy threads and satisfying food, this bar is one of Singapore’s best places for craft beer. They’ve got 20 brews on tap and another 80 in bottles featuring all your favorites from Australia, the UK and the US along with a few Singaporean representatives. #01-K1/K2 Galleria, Capitol Piazza, 15 Stamford Rd., 6384-7188.
BUGIS
Alchemist Beer Lab
Using special towers, the folks at Alchemist infuse craft beer, cider and mead with ingredients like vanilla, marshmallows, pink guava and even duku. The classy stemware and contemporary setting at South Beach add even more to the experience of this Little Island offshoot. #B1-16 South Beach Avenue, 26 Beach Rd., 6386-4365.
Atlas
One of the grandest openings of 2017, Atlas captures the glamor of the Jazz Age in all its Art Deco glory. More than 1,000 gins are available here, along with cocktails crafted by Roman Foltan—a combination which saw them debut at #15 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list before they were even a year old. 1/F Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Rd., 6396-4466.
Blu Jaz Cafe
Good old Blu Jaz. This Kampong Glam mainstay hosts everything from an electic mix of live music performances to DJ nights, poetry slams and comedy shows. It’s also the ideal spot for a fuss-free get-together. 11 Bali Ln., 6292-3800.
Flying Monkey
Flying Monkey is both a full-fledged restaurant serving up Indian tapas while also being a full-on cocktail bar with a South Asia-inspired drinks list. Try the Goa Mamma Lassi, a concoction of vodka, dark rum, mango, passion fruit, milk and yogurt. 67 Bussorah St., 6291-0695.
Good Luck Beerhouse
Good Luck Beerhouse is the first of its kind along the hip Haji Lane, and a wonderful addition to the eclectic mix of shops here. Besides the obvious craft beers that’ll be in stock, they’ll also be serving a menu of dim sum to go along with your drinks. 9 Haji Ln., 8742-4809.
Joo Bar
Joo Bar brews its own makgeolli and you can sample it on its own or in makgeolli-infused drinks with flavors like black raspberry, yucha and strawberry. They also do soju cocktails and serve fun dishes: kimchi mac and cheese and Mangalitsa pork belly are among your options. 5 Tan Quee Lan St., 8138-1628.
Loof
One of Singapore’s all-time favorite rooftop bars, Loof is still going strong after 12 years (can you believe it’s been that long?). Asia-inspired cocktails fill the menu here including Kopi Cat (salted caramel vodka, coffee, hazelnut, condensed milk and orgeat). #03-07 Odeon Towers Extension Rooftop, 331 North Bridge Rd., 6337-9416.
Mikkeller Bar Singapore
When Mikkeller Bar first opened in Singapore, the masses showed up at 120A Prinsep Street, where container art space DECK is, thirsty and eager for a taste of Copenhagen’s renowned export. Fast forward two years and they’re now found a home at a bigger, more central location. The first thing we’ll all probably appreciate with the move are more seats—specifically, more indoor seating with air-conditioned comfort, which is a godsend considering our weather. It’s amazing that they’ve added more taps too, meaning there will now be 25 taps in rotation (yay to more choices), up from an already generous 20. The bottle selection will be doubled as well, and there will also be way more food on the menu than before, making it a proper restaurant offering. 7 Purvis St., 6677-7969.
Mr Stork
Thirty-nine floors above ground sits Mr Stork, Andaz Singapore’s rooftop bar. A circular bar, the space offers 360o views of the city; perfect to sit with a signature cocktail in hand, and watch the skies turn pastel-hued. What you’ll love most about the bar is the tepee-hut seating, designed by famed architect Andre Fu. 39/F Andaz Singapore, 5 Fraser St., 6408-1234.
Quaich Bar at South Beach
After close to a decade of spreading the word of good whisky from their home at Waterfront Plaza, Quaich Bar opened a second outlet at South Beach Avenue. They have 500 whiskies to offer with many of them—including some of the oldest and rarest— available by the glass. #01-16 30 Beach Rd., 6386-5366.
KALLANG
The 1925 Brewing Co
Run by two brothers and their uncle, this microbrewery and restaurant tells a bit of their family history with each of their beers. The Blk 622 dark ale is named after the block where their father/grandfather used to live and the Yellow Van pale ale is named after the vehicle he once used to move goods for his grocery store. 369 Jalan Besar, 6294-9215.
Druggists
Occupying the ground floor of the Singapore Chinese Druggists Association, Druggists boasts 23 taps pouring cult beers from around the world. Beer aside, they’ve also got a menu of Singapore-inspired dishes. 119 Tyrwhitt Rd., 6341-05967.
