So much has happened in the past few months that I barely had time to catch my breath and head to my local. The team spent a bit of time rounding up our all-time 59 bestest things to drink and eat in Singapore, and here’s another new list: new bars, revamped menus from recent favourites, and, in one case, a welcome return of an O.G. bar. Keep them in mind on your next night out.

East 47, Conrad Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road

This bijou 12-seater bar-in-a-bar (nestled within Manhattan) is a bastion of free-spirited creativity and forward-thinking innovation. The imaginative cocktails by head bartender Antonino Donato and team draw inspiration from Andy Warhol’s iconic Silver Factory on East 47th Street in Manhattan.

The debut menu, Volume 1: High Low, features seven libations and plates and spotlights the vibrant interplay between high art and popular culture central to Warhol’s legacy. The gleeful use of boutique spirits and bang-on techniques adds up to a quality experience. All cocktails and dishes are available à la carte, with recommended pairings, but I’d recommend the degustation experience of three food and cocktail pairings at $140 per person.

Madame, 69 Tras Street

This cosy new watering hole in Tras Street – which has the feel of a French bistro – is co-founded by a rum-loving Madame and Nicholas Jens. The bar serves as a display for Nicholas’s hundreds of bottles of spirits collected over the years, leaning favourably towards whiskies and rums.

The name Madame is a nod to the area’s history (psst, it was once a red-light district); it is now one of the liveliest enclaves in town. The selection of boutique spirits and fine wines should thrill a seasoned drinker; some bottles might even make the most confident collectors misty-eyed. It’s the new hang for the post-lunch crowd (opens from 2 pm until midnight from Monday to Saturday), and if the spirits don’t speak to you, start with a creamy Espresso Martini and wait till the naughty devil in you starts to whisper.

Setsuri Ishinomaki, Guoco Midtown House, #01-03, 120 Beach Road

Wait, no alcohol highlight? What gives? Actually, shochu takes centre stage at Setsuri, and there are more than 60 selections to sample. Order them while you speak to Janice Chi, co-founder of the restaurant and Singapore’s first certified female restaurateur master sake sommelier, who will guide you and offer pairing suggestions. And since you know what a glass of shochu looks like, we’ll focus on the food, which is Japanese grills and is superb, stylish and sensibly priced (set lunch starts at $38).

The grill section highlights four types of grilling: genshiyaki, warayaki, robatayaki and rogama. Each differs in intensity and timing, but the results are all the same: tasty and smoky. Don’t leave without trying the Mentai Dashi Maki Tamago (above), paired with a buckwheat shochu.

[Fun Fact: Most imo shochu (sweet potato) are atmospherically distilled, resulting in richer aromas, while vacuum-distilled (reduced pressure) ones have a lighter scent.]

SUSHISAMBA, Level 52, Capital Tower, 168 Robinson Road

The buzziest spot in the financial district has a lot going for it: a colourful and sexy modern interior with one of the best panoramic views of the city (from level 52); the stylish beats all through the day and night; two levels of cocktail bars, and cuisine that’s a unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian culture.

The open kitchen and fiery robata grill offer brilliantly roasted and flavoured meats, vegetables, and fish. Sharing is pleasing here; from sushi to anticuchos and seviches, the small plates are meant to provide culinary pleasure to dining groups.

The best deal here is the $58 business set lunch, which gets you two starters and a main. It’s substantial and superb (I insist you have the Black Cod). Pair that with something from the cocktail program — an assortment of fun tiki drinks, twisted classics and satisfying signatures (not included in the price, neither is dessert).

Cygnet Bar, QT Singapore, 35 Robinson Road

The decadent bar in the hotel is, in their own words, “a twist of Manhattan in the heart of Singapore”. Manhattan (the city) informs much of their raison d’etre; the emphasis is on North American spirits. The martinis are supercharged; their classics are bold, and everything is served doubly quickly. The wine list is an enticing mix of Old and New Worlds, curated to pair with Chef Sean Connolly’s small bites.

Manhattan the muse is also their design inspiration. The look is downtown Art Deco, with dark woods, leather-lined booths and sexy curves. You can well imagine The Strokes and Chloe Sevigny having Old Fashioned in the corners. Me? I’m ordering another Dirty Martini, and I want it in a New York minute.

Not quite a new bar, not quite a menu revamp:

Horse’s Mouth, Millenia Walk, #02-06, 9 Raffles Boulevard 

New location, new vibe, but same old gung-ho spirit when it comes to cocktails and food. Horse’s Mouth was one of the O.G. in our craft cocktail scene, known for their omakase offerings, and thankfully, they’ve retained this element of their identity. There are changes to the food aspect; it’s now a gastrobar offering Latin fare with an Asian twist. [Order: The Pollo Frito ($17) has succulent morsels of fried chicken coated in a sticky sweet glaze and black vinegar powder, while the Ceviche (S$25) is a freshly diced Japanese yellowtail served with housemade guacamole and crispy housemade sweetcorn kernels.]

The wine list leans towards natural and low-intervention bottles diligently sourced from boutique producers. New cocktail signatures to try include the Geisha’s Whisper, a refreshing blend of sake, honey melon, triple sec and lemon. Offerings here, in their first volume, highlight Asian flavours – matcha, Thai tea, banana syrup – meant to pair with their big flavoured food.

And they still do their classics well /big chef’s kiss to them/. We’re glad they’ve found a new fun, playful home – welcome back!

The gastrobar is open five days a week, from 12 pm – 2.30 pm for lunch, and 6 pm to midnight for dinner.

••• And some noteworthy menu revamps •••

Madame Fan Bar, The NCO Club, 32 Beach Road

The revamped menu by Head Bartender Qing Ting is simplicity itself: six new cocktails to celebrate the Past and six for the Present. What’s not so simple is the imagination behind it, where clever flavours meet creative flair. Here, you’ll rediscover a journey where echoes of the past are embraced with contemporary sophistication as Qing Ting recreates classic cocktails with modern flair.

Each sip is an experience with a distinct note: the Osmanthus Paloma is elevated with floral notes, and the Vesper is enhanced with strawberry vodka. Above is Dragon, where gin, malt whisky, herbs and chrysanthemum provide playfulness and plenty of punch. Each artful cocktail is woven with threads of cultures and stories, and they’re all worth your time.

The Warehouse Lobby Bar, 320 Havelock Road.

We first featured the Lobby Bar in 2017, and it’s good to know that the spot is still salaciously secretive and decadent. The newly crafted cocktail menu at The Warehouse Lobby Bar is designed (as per tradition) to showcase the hotel’s rich history as a hidden distillery with modern creativity; each libation is a toast to local libertinism. Every cocktail, according to Food and Beverage Director Joseph Haywood, “Is a tribute to moments in time, reimagined with local ingredients and playful, hedonistic flair”.

Cocktails are segmented into four categories based on their flavour profiles: Herbaceous, Fruity, Spiced and Bold – all showcasing local flavours in audacious combinations. An immediate winner is The WarehouseMartini (S$26++), which combines Chiu Long Gin, Hapusa Gin, and Baldora Dry, accented by Shao Hsing Wine and a touch of sea grapes. The Shao Hsing Wine is weird on its own, but combined with the sea grapes, tilts this classic into A-list status.

Another can’t-miss is Jack’s Gamble (S$27++), a negroni/boulevardier twist featuring cold-pressed jackfruit juice blended with High West Bourbon, Campari, Baldoria Rosso and Bianco Bitter. [Fun Fact: Back in the day, the jackfruit was known for its more unorthodox uses as snakebite remedies or talismans in the region.] Other highlights include Sidecar For Rosie (has calvados!) and Tiki Katong (has laksa!). There’s a bit of history with each drink, so you’ll learn something with each order. If only school was this much fan before.

Brasserie Astoria, 11 Empress Place

We’ve already highlighted Astoria for having one of the best happy hours in Singapore, and now there’s a new Aurora Borealis cocktail menu. The creamy Oye Como Va (above) is a refreshing delight with Codigo Blanco, Madre Espadin, lacto-strawberry and habanero, and Sakura Bitters. Equally impressive is the attuned Real Love Baby (all cocktail names are song titles which you can scan from their clever design) with high ABV bourbon, amaro and vermouth. Even better than all that, bartender Paulina makes the best martinis in town, for real. Test her with a Perfect, Dirty or Vesper; it’ll all rule. Love it.

Plume, Pan Pacific Hotel, 7 Raffles Boulevard

We loved the hotel bar’s first iteration of bird-themed cocktails when they launched 15 months ago. It was imaginative, well-executed and proved one could do concept cocktails without too much overblown chemistry and grandfather stories. Their new menu consists of 12 new experiential cocktails inspired by three aspects of ornithology: Anatomy, Ecology and Plumology.

Some highlights include the refreshing and lightly sweet Woodpecker, a Clover Club twist topped with an aromatic vermouth foam to represent the sponge-link skull of woodpeckers. The presentation is quite fly. The Fairy Bluebird is a zesty, bubbly visual cocktail with feathers that look different in varying lighting situations. The cocktail will swoop down in one go.

The clear winner is the complex Peregrine Falcon, a smoky predator with tequila, amaro, port, hickory and chocolate. It’s a balanced apex drink that impresses with its complexity and packs a wallop.

If you prefer a more sophisticated and intimate ambience, the new cocktails can be enjoyed in their revamped “speakeasy” space.

Cat Bite Club, 75 Duxton Road

Each page of the reimagined classics – their most significant menu change since opening – is filtered through the lens of agave and rice spirits. The only constant, as they say, is changing the recipes. The Hulk Splash is a savoury delight with Ocho Blanco Tequila, kiwi, fresh citrus blend, Fernet Hunter Granit and roasted broccoli (S$28). Destined to be a new classic is the full-on Little Italy, featuring Michter’s Rye Whiskey, Cynar, Cinzano Rosso 1757 Vermouth and Scrappy’s Orange Bitters (S$27++) – an offer you can’t and shouldn’t refuse.

My fav, though, is the agave old-fashioned-style Ode to Ada, with Montelobos Espadín Joven Mezcal, Tepeztate Mezcal, Amari, apricot and Cinzano Rosso 1757 Vermouth (S$26++). Amari is the secret weapon here, it holds up and adds muscle and subtlety to the other spirits.

Cat Bite Club has newly expanded seating – the place does feel cheery and still has its cosy ambience. It’s best to reserve for groups of five or more guests (+65 8190-6597/meow@catbiteclub.com).

[Of course, the bar’s two core signature classics – Cat Bite Margarita and Soju Sprint – are still purrfect and available.] 

Jungle Ballroom, Mondrian Singapore Duxton, 16 A, Duxton Hill

The bar’s all-new Jungle Journeys Vol.2 menu features 16 new cocktails that capture the essence of the 16 cities the bar team explored on their travels. From guest shifts to extended stays, farm stays to distillery trips (from Goa to Okinawa), they’ve been collecting ideas and recipes, and the cocktails celebrate the unique spirits, ingredients, and flavours indigenous to these incredible regions. There’s Ube to represent Pampanga, Philippines; Lil Pari for Siem Reap, Cambodia; and of particular note is To Gather (Seoul), a complex mix of vodka, soju, black tea, kombucha, ginger and strawberry.

Like this? These are the best 59 things in Singapore

Like this? From A to Z, 26 words about the cocktails biz

3