Ditch the glitzy furnishings associated with the cocktail bars of yesteryear for this casual watering hole in town. Side Door is stripped back, minimal, and it manages to rock the urban industrial look while still appearing friendly and welcoming. Pleasing aesthetics aside, the bar is helmed by powerhouse duo Bannie Kang (previously from Anti:Dote at Fairmont Singapore) and her award-winning chef husband Tryson Quek.
Cocktails here are interesting, clean, and highly drinkable pours that go at $26 each. We recommend starting with the Easy Peasy, a straightforward yet well-thought out tipple consisting of gin, mountain pepper, calamansi, vermouth, and lime leaf for a touch of added fragrance — refreshing, balanced, with just the slightest kick of spice and aroma. East Meets West is another favourite, consisting of St. Germain, osmanthus sencha, passionfruit, and finished off with a seaweed powder lick that's sure to please fans of savoury cocktails. For the adventurous, go for the Just 3 — a twist on the classic martini. Gin, cucumber, lemongrass, vermouth and celery are distilled to form an ultra-clarified liquid, before three drops of langoustine oil are added into the concoction.
Complete the experience with bites like the angus beef tartare. It's a spin on the regular dish with added elements like yuzu sorbet, paprika rice puffs, seaweed and caviar. And for a comforting classic, go for Tryson's rendition of a guo tie or Chinese fried dumpling. It comes stuffed with pork belly, yoghurt, and homemade scallop XO sauce.