Not that we’re complaining, but there are two new cocktail bars setting up shop (hot on the heels of Operation Dagger and Nutmeg & Clove), while a well-known pop-up bar moves location.
Squires & Scoundrels
Duxton Road’s well on its way to usurp Chinatown as the next It street, with this cheeky new bar (72 Duxton Road) cementing the area’s chic cred. The decor’s old school, and there’s monochrome grafitti mural, granite bartop and mismatched wooden furnishings that add to the hipster-eclectic vibe. Selfie junkies and Instagramers will love the lineup wall, which has height measurements and a “Scoundrel” placard for your mugshot. Expect Peronis on tap ($10), wines (from $10/glass) and house specials (from $15) like the Negroni.
Tess Bar & Kitchen
Even though it’s across from the legendary Raffles Hotel at 38 Seah Street, don’t expect a stuffy atmosphere and a sub-par menu, instead the line between food and drink are going to be more than blurred. The finer details of this place are fuzzy—but we hear the bar is helmed by Bitters & Love barkeep Steve Leong, which should be enough to get diehard cocktail nerds buzzing.
Mars Bar
Beloved pop-up bar in The Duxton Hotel will be moving out in October when their year-old lease ends in conjunction with the hotel’s renovation. Fret not: they are already in talks with another location and may be moving to an undisclosed Tanjong Pagar location in July. If you haven’t already, get your fix of locally-inspired cocktails like the Chilli Crab cocktail and Milo Dinosaur before they vanish from this chic boutique hotel lobby.
