Somehow, despite being a bottle’s-throw from Zouk in one direction and three minutes from the rest of Robertson in the other, this stretch of the river always feels like a well-kept secret. But it’s after work that the pubs and bars here come into their own. In July, Bar Bar added a third branch at Boat Quay, with Bukit Timah making up the trinity (though, this one’s still our favorite). Three is the magic number in more ways than one; Bar Bar is home to three different food outlets: Thai, Western and Indian. In the interests of research, we ordered items from all three, and, while we can’t recommend the particular combination, it’s hard to argue with the formula—this is good pub grub; with a far greater variety than any of the competition. The best from the international spread we assembled? An authentic green curry chicken ($13.50), a thick mutton curry ($10) that would have sufficed as a meal on its own, and a plain old cheeseburger ($13.90), with some cheese fries ($7.90) thrown in for good measure. It’s hit and miss, that’s for sure. We intended the tandoori platter ($20)—a selection of prawn, fish, chicken tikka and kebab—as something to share; but no-one wanted anything to do with the lukewarm offerings that arrived. And the mango salad ($10) was a triumph for chili but not much else. Service is underwhelming, too—we have no objection to ordering at the bar (lest we forget, this is still a pub at heart); but the food arrived in no real order, with a good quarter hour elapsing between the arrival of the Thai food and the rest. Okay if you’re planning to share; not so good if you have a cute girl with you craving her burger. But as long as you don’t come here expecting anything too fancy, you might be pleasantly surprised. If nothing else, it’s a great spot to kick back over a few beers (Kronenbourg on tap for just $7) and people-watch.
If you’re craving Thai curries, papaya salad or just stir-fried pad ka prao (basil leaves and minced pork), this list of what is arguably the best Thai restaurants in Singapore got you covered.
