From night spots constantly reinventing themselves with new designs and menus to drinking holes remembering the darker days of the global trading hub, here are six speakeasies in Singapore that will take you back in time.
1. Live Twice
While it evokes a sense of warmth and nostalgia, this is not some Nordic restaurant but an offbeat, Japanese-inspired bar with a post-World War II concept: think SG$3,000 (US$2,200) mid-century, second-hand Falcon chairs, Akari lights and a stylish, irregularly shaped communal table next to the bartender working his magic.
Hong Kong’s original speakeasy 001 is back – yes, it’s hard to find again
Hong Kong’s original speakeasy 001 is back – yes, it’s hard to find again
With drinkers enjoying experimental, Japanese-inspired libations, the atmosphere is reminiscent of Ginza, an upmarket dining and entertainment district in Tokyo.
The Mizuwari whisky highball uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies Coffey Grain and Coffey Malt.
18-20 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore
2. Chandu
Opened in October 2023, Chandu is an opium-den-themed bar inside The Robertson House by The Crest Collection, on the banks of the Singapore River, that harks back to colonial Singapore, when lounge-like opium establishments flourished in the city state.
The orbs on the door of the 16-seater and the menu take on the Hindi interpretation, while the door’s peephole, the opium bed and the murals of Chinese workers escaping their harsh realities reflect the Malay one.
Bedside lights and table candles add to the intimate atmosphere, and the star aniseed scent nods to the hotel’s exclusive gin.
Each drink has an intriguing narrative – like the Mata Hari, named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan convicted of spying during World War I and executed by firing squad in France.
1 Unity Street, Robertson Quay, Singapore
3. Oriental Elixir
Hidden behind an unmarked door near the top of a musty-smelling stairwell, Oriental Elixir takes some effort to find.
There are no signs to this quirky cocktail bar other than the initials “OE” outside a Peranakan rowhouse, but the voices and laughter behind the door will tell you that you have come to the right place.
Push through, and you will step inside a dimly lit watering hole with toys from yesteryear, century-old cigarette ads and antiques.
“We want to keep that speakeasy atmosphere,” says our bartender, widening his eyes in the candlelight.
The eccentric menu will guide you through drinks from “easy” to “stiff” and “safe” to “crazy”.
19A Bukit Pasoh Road, Second Floor, Singapore
4. Junior the Pocket Bar
A 25-seater bar in a hidden alley near Chinatown’s Ann Siang House is arguably one of the wackiest speakeasies in Singapore.
Junior the Pocket Bar switches its concept every four to five months, reinventing itself with a new design and cocktail menu. Loud, wild and fun, the bar attracts people looking for good vibes and its ever-evolving drinks.
At the time of our visit, the bar was focusing on Korea – specifically with modern flavours that took inspiration from Korea’s Joseon dynasty.
The cherry on top to our visit was the neon-lit tigers and dragon-like creatures on the walls that sprang from Korean mythology.
The Bund in Shanghai, a protected historical district of the Chinese city, is the current inspiration for the bar, with drinks with names such as Paris of the East, Jade Harbour and Farewell My Concubine.
6 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore
5. Roxy
The menu, on vinyl, almost makes you feel as though you have travelled in time. Of course, tracks like 1991’s “Ring Ring Ring – Ha Ha Hey” by De La Soul do nothing to dissuade you from that.
And the drinks? “We serve classics, but to give them a different spin, we change a few components,” says our bartender.
Track 1 is a Negroni-inspired Boulevardier with two-week barrel-aged Wild Turkey bourbon and bittersweet Punt é Mes vermouth.
The sour-whisky-like Track 4 uses Californian, wheat-based Skyy vodka plus Americano, “to create that bitterness and oakiness of whisky”.
6 Marina Blvd, #01-17 The Sail at Marina Bay, Singapore
6. Last Word
A little legwork is needed to find the Last Word hidden on Purvis Street, and its minimalistic design might not add to the appeal to begin with.
However, it has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s and that rekindle the romance of bars that fell into obscurity during the Prohibition era, a time when craft cocktails became more popular.
“Over here, we want to serve up classic cocktails not so common – those you usually don’t find in other bars,” says one of the bartenders, stowing a bubbly champagne bottle away behind shelves as the Last Word does not have a back bar.
There is very little light. But visitors love the calm, candlelit vibes enhanced by slow, bluesy jazz melodies – it is the perfect setting to sip a luscious sour.
Refreshingly tart yet herbaceous and subtly sweet, the green chartreuse and sour cherry maraschino cocktail with gin and lime juice sells well for a reason – it is the forgotten classic named Last Word.
8 Purvis Street, #02-01, Singapore