While Singapore is often lauded for its luxury offerings, high-end shopping, and futuristic attractions (super trees, anyone?), there’s something to be said about the city’s energy when the sun goes down. Head to any hawker center for a typical street food dinner, and you’re sure to find a watering hole with an inspired menu a hop, skip and a jump away. Head to any high-end hotel, and you’ll find that iconic cocktail bars abound.
Below, you’ll find six of the best bars in Singapore — if you’ve got just a few nights on the island, these are the cocktail menus that you just can’t miss.
Long Bar
Any Singapore local will tell you that a trip to the city isn’t complete without a Singapore Sling — the nation’s signature cocktail. While you can get one for free aboard any Singapore Airlines flight, we recommend you head to Long Bar at the legendary Raffles Hotel, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, for a Sling after dinner. Not only is it the birthplace of this delightful cocktail, but it’s got an unmistakably cool vibe. Between the peanut-shell-strewn floor and the 1920’s plantation-inspired decor, you’ll likely end up staying for two drinks, not one.
Tippling Club
Set out on any Internet research journey with the goal of finding the best bar in Singapore, and you’ll find Tippling Club at the top of many a list. With a new location in the Central Business District, Tippling Club spans three traditional shophouses and serves up some of the best cocktails on the island. You’ll find inventive, fresh drinks that pair well with Chef Ryan Clift’s ever-progressive cuisine.
Loof
Loof is not the only rooftop bar in Singapore, but it is the first, and many say the best. The bar, aptly named as a tongue-in-cheek play on the way locals pronounce “roof,” towers over the streets of the Central Business District and offers a whimsical setting for enjoying Southeast-Asian-inspired cocktails and snacks (chili crab waffle fries are a must).
The Old Man Singapore
Locals are over the moon about the fact that a new outpost of this award-winning Hong Kong bar has graced the island’s shores with its presence. The Old Man Singapore (twice the size of the Hong Kong bar) brings together an Ernest Hemingway theme (the decor pays homage to his Havana home) and experimental cocktails, all named after Hemingway’s books.
Native
The cocktails at Native are some of the most inventive you’ll find in Singapore — which is saying a lot, seeing as mixologists across the city are all about experimenting. Behind founder Vijay Mudaliar’s sleek bar, though, the bartenders are more like artists who use foraged and local ingredients (ants and oysters, to name a couple) to yield unforgettable cocktails. The space’s design is chic and intimate, and soft, amber lighting adds a touch of moodiness the experience of sipping on one of these nuanced cocktails.
Jigger & Pony
The low-lit space and general posh ambiance at Jigger & Pony are enough to get anyone to want to stick around for a few. A look at the inspired menu feels as much an education as a selection process — flipping through the magazine-style booklet is a ball. Bartenders here put a fresh take on classics, like the Old Fashioned and martinis, and alongside delicious spirits, there is plenty of creativity mixed into these drinks.
