Skinny’s Lounge at Boat Quay ticks a few of our bar boxes: Good cocktails? Check. Reasonable prices? Check. The right music? Check. Vibe? Check. Good service? Check. Bonus point… Karaoke set? Check! We showed up early for the cocktails ($18), stayed a bit longer for the enhanced cocktails (add $3 to ‘Make It Nice’, usually with added ingredient or spirit), and stayed really late because of the karaoke lounge. At some point we started to see the industry types drifting in after midnight. By industry we mean the ne’er-do-wells and the vampire bartenders, who end their shifts and need a late night place to hang. Turns out, Skinny’s is now that place. Penincillin (above) is just one of the classics you can order, add $3 to make it good. In the Whisky Sour, for instance, they make it good with a splash of red wine – totally works for us. Plus, it’s just fun to say ‘make it nice’. The locale done like a dive bar, it’s fuss-free and comfortable. The music is a blend of indie rock, hip-hop and the odd top 40 (the good top 40). A place to kick back, in all senses of the word. Come in after work or in the wee hours and the beers are chilled and the cocktails are solid. It’s at the end of Boat Quay, and the place used to be a KTV lounge… The KTV lounge is for everyone, so expect people to just pop in, cue up a song and go at it. You can book it (fits 12-15 punters) for a minimum bar spend of just $200, and cry into your Robbie Williams or rock to MGMT all by yourself. Nick Haas (middle, with his team) is the bartender/owner of Skinny’s Lounge; he’s put in a few stints at Vasco and The Cufflink Club. So who manning the bar right now?

Ladies Night: Every Wednesday. Any group of four ladies will get a bottle of rose bubbly. And guys as well! Well, guys in drag and in a group of four will also get a rose bubbly. Any combo of women and guys in drag as well. What’re you waiting for!

Skinny’s Lounge, #01-02, 82 Boat Quay. Opens till laaaaaaaaaate.

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