Best new bars in Singapore: October 2024

Could the ‘bar-in-a-bar’ concept be the newest trend in the drinking world? East47 is a cocktail studio by and within the acclaimed Manhattan Bar – acting as the postmodern, new money counterpart to Manhattan’s old money charm. The 12-seater takes inspiration from Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory on East 47th Street in New York, where Warhol’s iconic silkscreens and lithographs were made. Echoing the same spirit of boundless creativity, the bar puts out a mishmash of art, mixology, and gastronomy in its debut menu, ‘Volume 1: High Low’. 

‘Tomato Sauce’ ($28), a cocktail inspired by Warhol’s Campbell soup print, blends tequila with tomato, banana liquor and champagne syrup, finishing off with a delicious savoury tomato sorbet that melts into your drink. Or try the ‘Sbaaaam!!’ ($28) – a Roy Lichtenstein-inspired bourbon fat-washed with hints of yoghurt and popcorn, which comes wrapped in a literal comic strip. Each tipple comes with a suggested food pairing, though mixing and matching is encouraged as well. There’s also a degustation option ($140) which takes you through three cocktail and food pairings.

Middle child syndrome is all over the internet, and who would’ve thought the day would come where this oft-overlooked bunch would have a place for themselves – one called Middle Child Wine Bar no less. The folks behind Moonstone Bar at Amoy Street are the masterminds behind this new concept along Middle Road and Bencoolen Street focusing on natural wines, ice cream, sandwiches, and music. Wines by the glass go at $10 and are on constant rotation, so expect to sip on anything from a crisp Batussa Blanc from Catalonia, to a full-bodied red from France with hints of pepper, blackberry and plum. 

And if wine is not your thing, the bar also stocks a decent selection of craft beer. Caffeine lovers might be glad to know that cold brews by the popular Kurasu café are also served here. On the food front, folks are loving the Morticia ($13), a classic mortadella sandwich with pistachio cream and stracciatella, as well as the bar’s ice cream counter which sees nine interesting flavours including butter crumble and stracciatella hazelnut (from $5).

The popular Barbary Coast has long been known as a multi-concept venue housing the rustic drinking hole Deadfall, and the bar’s finer and more opulent counterpart, Ballroom. After a recent revamp, the two concepts now exist as standalone venues with independent menus – Barbary Coast upstairs, and Deadfall Cantina downstairs. The fully refreshed Deadfall Cantina is now an homage to all things Mexico, with its own independent menu. But don’t expect kitschy Mexican paraphernalia to be plastered all over. Instead, the bar is reminiscent of a typical walking street in Oaxaca during the festive Day of the Dead season. 

Agave is the star spirit here, and Deadfall has the city’s largest collection, split evenly between mezcal and tequila, with a few raicilla in the mix. The cocktail menu sees a list of playful margaritas in flavours like frozen watermelon ($23) or the Horchata-rita ($23) – a spin on the traditional Mexican horchata drink made of rice, cinnamon, and almond milk. Other tipples on the menu are the Pasilla Mole Negroni ($25) with a touch of spice thanks to pasilla chile, or an interesting buttery paloma ($24) which incorporates beurre noisette or browned butter for a creamier mouthfeel.

Those well-acquainted with Le Bon Funk at Club Street will be excited to hear of Bar Bon Funk, a new buzzy neighbourhood cocktail bar in New Bahru – a trendy lifestyle enclave which has opened recently. Helming the bar is head bartender Josiah Chee who brings along almost a decade of experience from top establishments like Jigger & Pony, 28 Hong Kong Street, and Employees Only Singapore. 

At Bar Bon Funk, menus are set to evolve every three to six months, with eight classics and eight signatures. Its current offerings draw inspiration from Sunday morning staples, like a glass of milk, a scoop of peanut butter, or a slice of sourdough. Try a boozy interpretation of your breakfast cereal in A Glass of Milk ($26), crafted with Avallen Calvados, Le Gin Pira, and strawberry honey. Or find out how green juice and mezcal tastes when combined in the Lean Green Salad ($28), a savoury concoction with clarified miso and caramelised honey avocado foam.

In skyscraper-dense Singapore, rooftop bars are aplenty, but one towers above them all, literally. Located on the 63rd floor of Raffles Place is Nova, perched just above HighHouse. The new bar rises 282 metres above ground and now owns the title of Singapore’s highest rooftop bar. Sweeping city views aside, you certainly won’t miss the colossal steel star structure crowning the building that adds an electrifying, urban glow to the space – a must for pictures.

While you’re more likely to be here for the striking city lights and thumping DJ beats, the food and beverage programme is equally promising, with a focus on flavours around the Pacific Coast. Star cocktails include the mango sticky highball ($20) – inspired by the ever-popular Thai mango sticky rice dessert; the gin-based Trippple Lime Sling ($20); and the Roselle ($22); while peckish diners can snack on tom yum fries and Indonesian-style noodles ($20).

The Singapore Edition is already home to its swanky Lobby Bar and the punch-focused destination bar Punch Room, but it has recently unveiled another addition to its already stacked repertoire. Nestled behind the hotel’s signature spiral staircase and past a mysterious bronze mirror tunnel is Wonder Room, clad in dramatic velvet drapery that transports you to another era. 

The regal Gold Bar takes the centrestage, and it is here where signature cocktails are shaken up — think a refreshing gin, blanco and vermouth blend in Clover Club; the smoky mezcal-based El Diablo; a zesty grapefruit Paloma; or a tried and tested Cosmopolitan or Old Fashioned for straight-laced tipplers. Food-wise, luxurious classics shine. Indulge in bites of Iberico ham bellota with garlic bruschetta and marinated olives, sink your teeth into wagyu slides, or snack on chicken popcorn bites paired with manuka honey mustard. Wonder Room also houses Pink Room, an intimate 20-seater speakeasy-style ‘bar-in-a-bar’ available for private parties.

The famed Dragonfly cocktail bar from Hong Kong takes the cake as the most exciting new bar opening in Singapore as of late. Sipping on a tipple here is no ordinary affair. Instead, you’ll be transported to a whole other ethereal dimension, thanks to the artistic vision of Ashley Sutton, designer of other glamorous establishments like Iron Fairies and The Mixing Room. You’ll find the bar’s iconic gilded counter flanked by majestic stained glass panels, alongside colourful mosaic tiles that line the floor, tables, and even the table lamps. Bartender Morgan Raelin Barron holds the fort here, with a stacked portfolio including stints at Jigger & Pony and 28 HongKong Street. The drinks list houses everything from classics to exclusive originals, and low-ABV drinks to more potent blends. Try the gin-forward Rose Stained ($25) with sakura vermouth and rosé, or the eau de vie-based Right Chance ($25), a heavy-hitter of cognac, port wine, beetroot, cacao, and oak.

Sago House’s co-founder nails his comeback to the bar scene with a whimsical, 14-seater hole-in-a-wall – Idle Hands. Taking over the space above Low Tide at 98 Club Street, this new drinking spot offers a fuss-free, straightforward bar experience stripped of pretension. “Keep It Simple Stupid” is Gray’s motto, and what it translates to is drinks that don’t take anything more than three to four steps or ingredients to shake up, and no more than one sentence to describe. Choose your poison for the night from three drinking menus: Sours & Highballs for fruit-infused concoctions; Strong & Stirred if you like your tipples on the boozier side; and NAB & LABV (Non-Alcoholic and Low Alcoholic) if you’re going for something lighter. Highlights include the American-Not ($21) from the first menu, which balances bitter coffee, Campari and dark rum with a refreshing red fruit soda; and the Oxacca Hanky Panky ($23) from the second menu for a mezcal and sweet vermouth blend.

Oenophiles now have a new playground to revel at, and we’ve said it before, but if Dionysus were to open a wine bar in the 21st century, this would most likely be how it looks like. The space at Big Wine Freaks is clad in vibrant hues of magenta, flamboyant patterned upholstery, and vintage accents all over. And its wine list sets out to impress – we’re talking a whopping 500 labels and 2000 bottles housed in the bar’s wine cellar. Instead of sticking to familiar names, the bar handpicks the finest champagnes and burgundies from new generations of wine producers. Natural wine enthusiasts will also delight in a diverse selection of organic wines from the French regions of Jura, Beaujolais and Loire, as well as those from vineyards in Spain, Austria, and Italy. The strong curation and luxurious concept translates to higher wine mark-ups, but that’s the price to pay to drink in Dionysus’ den.

Calling all Japanophiles and self-professed weebs: a new Japanese bar beckons, and geeks will immediately get its reference to Jimbocho – a popular area in Japan that’s lined with old bookstores. This new craft whisky and cocktail bar is hidden behind shelves of manga books, and it’s the sister outlet of Umesan 100, another Japanese bar focused on umeshu that’s hidden behind colourful ‘vending machines’ in Fortune Centre. The cocktail list sees anime-inspired creations like Songbird ($22), inspired by ‘Belle’; Light of Nara ($22) inspired by the Shishigami forest spirit from ‘Princess Mononoke’; Matxha ($22) which is a reinterpretation of Eru Chitanda’s favourite drink in ‘Hyouka’; and Tiffany Sky ($22), a bright blue tipple inspired by the azure skies in ‘Land of the Lustrous’. Meanwhile, serious whisky aficionados can choose from four craft whisky tasting sets (from $32) that contain three 30-millilitre pours of whisky from around the world.

If somebody’s gonna match your freak, it’s this new goose-themed drinking hole at Stanley Road. Cute, quirky, and kinda crazy, the bar is hidden behind a nondescript red door, plastered with a goose sticker on it. You’ll also find duck lamps on every table and bowls of pappadoms as bar snacks – unconventional, but it works. The curated drinks list takes iconic hip-hop songs as inspiration, and if you’re a fan of sweeter concoctions, you’ll love numbers like Gin and Juice, a caramelly blend that doubles up as a liquefied dessert; Lose Yourself, a foamy banana-flavoured drink; and Let Me Rye’d, which is perfect for chocoholics and caffeine addicts. Else, the menu also consists of other smashable options like Hold Ya Head, a zingy lime margarita infused with padron pepper for a hint of spice, or Obsessed With You, reminiscent of carrot juice and topped with a carrot slice for acidity.

If you spot a bright yellow shophouse in the Boat Quay area, doing a double take won’t hurt. Higher Ground is perched on the rooftop, as its name suggests, but more importantly, it’s run by Thugshop. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because they’re the same people behind buzzing party venues like HQ, Tuff Club, and MDLR. And when a bar is run by party folks, you can expect no less than fantastic music programming and the occasional pop-up event. Sip on a delish gin sour featuring Orientalist Gunpowder gin, Campari, citrus fruits and pineapple, or go for the majestic Dragon Makgeolli, made with Orientalist Dragon whisky, makgeolli, elderflower and lemon juice. Apart from cocktails, the guys here know their wines too. Ask for the somm’s pick of the week, which can range from anything like a medium-bodied and fruit-forward Etna Rosso from Sicily, to a citrusy, grassy Sauvignon Blanc from the sunny Adelaide Hills.

If you find your local haunts a little quieter than before on a Friday night, it’s probably because all the cool kids are flocking to Nowhere, the trendy bar above Nook at Craig Road. Nook’s got its own brand of gritty, industrial-chic, mixed in with vintage furniture, and this spills over to its second-floor bar. The dimly lit space is decked out with loungy, weathered furniture and artwork done by an in-house artist. The bar runs a considerably tight list of six signature cocktails ($23 each) which are all on the refreshing end of the spectrum – think fruity infusions of green apple, cucumber, watermelon, pineapple, mango, peach, and plenty of citruses. We recommend going for the Garden for a pleasant blend of Hendricks, apricot, elderflower, green apple, cucumber, mint and lime; and Chichi ($23) which mixes vodka with watermelon, coconut, pineapple and lime. Else, you could also keep it simple with staples like margaritas, espresso martinis, whiskey sours, or a no-nonsense negroni ($22 each).

Taking over Operation Dagger is The Coup. It takes some work to find the underground bar, but once you’re through the doors, you’ll find a bunker stocked with craft beer, natural wines, and specialty spirits. It’s got one-of-a-kind craft beers that you can find on tap including a tasty dragonfruit sour ($17), and you should definitely keep your eyes peeled for the elusive stout selection that comes and goes. These can include anything from gems like barrel-aged imperial stouts, nitro stouts, and imperial stouts with smoked plums and smoked salt. Apart from beers, the bar is also stocked with plenty of natural wine labels and lesser-seen sake labels for the adventurous drinker. And if you aren’t big on booze, then you’re in luck. You’ll find a decent range of non-alcoholic options including house-made kombucha.

The pop-culture haven Another Bar recently sprung up in the Bras Basah neighbourhood, and every corner of the joint is as Instagrammable as it gets. The space is splashed in a striking orange, with neon signages all over like the one that reads “Another Day Another Drama” – a lyric from Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do. The centrepiece of the bar is its main hall ceiling, which is clustered with shimmery disco balls. A line-up of inventive cocktails awaits, and they’re littered with pop-culture references for the sharp-eyed. Case in point: Solulu To Your Delulu ($24), which is a gin-based drink with shiso umeshu, lemon and champagne. And for the anti-capitalist, I Hate My Boss ($24) or Too Pretty To Work ($24) might pique your fancy. The former is a boozy bourbon-based drink with yuzu, while the latter is a straightforward mix of vodka, lychee, and lemon. Swiftites will also be delighted by tipples like The Tortured Poet’s Drink ($24), Not So Cruel Summer ($24) and more.

This taproom is more known for its peculiar “Pressure Hour” tradition, where customers can enjoy craft beer on tap for free, for as long as no one leaves the bar or heads to the toilet within the pressure hour. It also has an in-house brewery and 25 beer taps including some traditional old English cask hand pumps. But there’s even more to the gastropub than its endless pours and state-of-the-art brewery. Because hidden behind an obscure refrigerator door stocked with beer is the bar’s best-kept secret – an in-house speakeasy. The space holds approximately 40 people, and when it’s not used for events, it houses live DJ sessions on selected nights, along with a tight range of classic cocktails. After you’re done savouring signature craft beers like the Island Lager ($16.50 per pint) and Straits Pale Ale ($16.50), the speakeasy makes for a great place to retreat to get away from the boisterous crowd.

Slate is the cool-tone cocktail counterpart to the ember flames in Tribal’s kitchen. You’ll find both concepts in the chic new Mondrian Singapore Duxton Hotel. If you’re a fan of fruity tipples and Asian flavours, then the drinks here ($25 each) might be right up your alley. Eight signature cocktails are the bar’s main offerings, and if you’re at a loss as to where to begin, the citrusy Daiquiri Night makes for a good start. It’s Raining Melon is equally palatable, featuring Tanqueray as a base, followed by sweet honeydew, pandan gomme, and melon milk. If you’re up for something different, the Smoking Gun is a smokey, spicy cocktail that undergoes a complex process using up every bit of the capsicum, down to the skin and seeds, before blending it with Smokey Monkey. The bar also offers plenty of zero-proof options including kombucha, as well as a by-the-glass wine list, sake, spirits, and beer.

Most people walk right past Amara Hotel’s lobby to head straight to the acclaimed Jigger & Pony down the hall. But just this year, the hotel spruced up its bar in a bid to set it apart from your run-of-the-mill lobby bar, ditching stiff and proprietary leather sofas for a mishmash of eclectic furniture you’d imagine in a stylish living room. Oenophiles make for the most of its visitors, thanks to its collaboration with Grand Vin. Expect to see the likes of renowned winemakers like Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), Domaine Faiveley, and Champagne Louis Roederer – of which the bar houses the widest collection in the country. Wine-tasting masterclasses are also available, and whether you’re a seasoned wine lover or just dipping your toes into the world of wines, you’ll be able to engage with visiting winemakers from all around the world to hear their thoughts and insights.

Little Island Brewing Co’s Gillman Barracks outlet is also Singapore’s first vintage vinyl bar. This is the place to bring an audiophile, because the bar celebrates all manner of vinyl records and vintage sound systems, and even boasts its very own Technics MK5G turntable and vintage Altec Lansing A5-X speakers from way back in the 1950s. Knock back a couple of craft beers while jamming out to your favourite tunes. You’ll find labels like Penny Lane, Sister Golden Ale, and Yeast of Jupiter, as well as brews like the classic English Pale Ale, Blood Orange Saison, American IPA and many more. Classic cocktails are also aplenty, alongside a list of house wines and spirits. As for grub, the star of the show is the bar’s vinyl-inspired charcoal pizza exclusive to the branch, where slow-fermented kombucha dough is tinted with activated charcoal to mimic a record.

Getting here is a journey in itself. You first have to go through the Singapore Edition’s veiled doors which give way to a cosy, otherworldly lobby space. Then, descend the iconic spiral staircase and enter the inconspicuous side door on the left. You’ll be led to a room painted in a striking Yves Klein blue and lined with velvety sofas – a modern reinterpretation of a classic London gentleman’s club. The bar is the first and only in Singapore to house a punch-focused menu, inspired by the drinks consumed by sailors along trade routes in the 17th century. Punch is also widely recognised as the first ever ‘cocktail’ to be made. Here, find unique infusions inspired by Southeast Asian spices and local stories. The Tempest Punch ($27) is the bar’s signature gin and rum cocktail based on the tale of Sang Nila Utama, while Daeng’s Punch ($27) is a rum and coffey grain whisky concoction with vetiver, betel leaf, starfruit and assam tea.