Weirdly enough, there are no hotels in this Alexandra area. Park Hotel Alexandra is it, there’s nothing for miles, the nearest might even St. Regis in Orchard. So if you find yourself in this part of town (perhaps after a bout of shopping at Ikea next door), and in need of a drink, then Aqua Luna, the hotel’s pool side bar, is an astute choice. (There are also no decent cocktail bars around here unless you go to Holland Village.)

Aqua Luna welcomes guests from 1pm, but we reckon sunset isn’t a bad time to go. The cocktails here are mostly of the crushed variety, created to pack maximum ice into colourful drinks. Think of these cocktails as from the M family: Margueritas, Martinis and Mojitos.

The Alexandra Sunset is one such example, a golden-hued cocktail with Grand Marnier, fragrant rosemary, cherry liqueur plus lemon and pineapple juice, inspired by the sunsets that serve the bar. (All cocktails are $18, btw). It’s a good starter, and we also recommend the Spiced Mojito, a not-too-sour cocktail nicely balanced by the spices.

The Poire Basil with pear vodka, fresh pear, basil and lime juice hits the spot, but maybe because it’s got too much ice. We would suggest taking a tad off, but it’s a good drink. (The Breezy Berries in the photograph is a wingman).

Enough with the umbrella drinks. I asked the bar for a Dirty Martini and the result was this (above). And it was good, the cocktail given an extra oomph and bracing flavour because the olives were muddled (a nice touch, which also explains its cloudy appearance). Well done. I would come back for this.

The food. The bar snacks – created by Executive chef Robert Chan – include fresh seasonal oysters, truffle polenta fries, crabmeat and artichoke flatbread (I love this one) and the “dirty” steak (highly recommended by the meat lovers).

Verdict: It’s a grand yet welcoming spot in an unexpected part of the city, and a sunset pool bar with an almost 360 view of the surrounds (granted, you’re looking at Queensway Shopping Centre, but still…). Aqua Luna has Singapore’s first swim-up bar of any city hotel, although that’s reserved for hotel guests, natch. The cocktails are decently-priced at $18, and it’s an idyllic spot to chill without having to access Sentosa. We’ll be back.

Aqua Luna, Park Hotel Alexandra, Level 7, 323 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159972. (From now till Sept 30, order a cocktail and the second one is 50% off).

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