Originally a dive-y cocktail bar hidden above Indian restaurant Haldhi at Boat Quay, the Spiffy Dapper has since moved to new digs at the trendier, more upscale Amoy Street. Gone are the tattered upholstery and haphazard empty crates; the larger space sports a more conventionally attractive look with lots of timber and handcrafted metal furniture. The music (fuzzy ’20s jazz) and crowd (a mixed bag: Yelp!ers, tech industry bros straight out of HBO’s Silicon Valley, handsy friends of the staff) remain.
Entertainment is free, courtesy of the bar’s mustachioed owner, George, who’s quite a character. The real stars here, though, are bartenders Jez and Joyce, who whip up some of the best bespoke drinks (stiff but harmonious, often with a cocktail geek’s touch, from $22) in town without any fanfare. Oh, and they serve housemade coffee in the daytime.
The Spiffy Dapper is in I-S Best Bars Guide 2014. Download your copy to see where else you should be partying.
