If you didn’t already know, Singapore Cocktail Week is happening right now (from 12 to 19th March 2016)!
Singapore Cocktail Week is an annual festival where the best bartenders (both local and international) gather to create unique cocktail experiences and celebrate Singapore’s dynamic cocktail scene. In its second year running, the event promises to be bigger and better, featuring an exciting lineup of events and 60 participating bars and restaurants. In addition, there are cocktail tours, international guest bartenders, cocktail brunches, workshops and supper clubs!
To relish the experience, you may purchase a set of 8 wristbands (one for each day) for $38 and get invited to exclusive events. Moreover, wristband wearers get to enjoy S$14++ on signature cocktails from the special festival menus of participating outlets.
In this article, we will be featuring some of the participating bars. Quench your thirst and sidle up for a seat at any of these participating bars for a refreshing cocktail to dispel the heat.
For the Adventurous
Bincho
To get to this elusive yakitori and cocktail bar, one needs to navigate through the shophouses at Tiong Bahru and through the back alley. The space is a fusion between the traditional and the new, featuring a black chalkboard wall with the menu of the day (changes frequently depending on what is available), traditional marble top coffee tables, and a modernistic bar counter where you get to witness Chef Asai Masashi in action. Enjoy Japanese-inspired cocktails, whisky, sake or sochu in this unique setting! (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday: 12pm – 3pm (Lunch), 6pm till late (Dinner)
Closed on Mondays.
Nox Dine in the Dark
Dining at Nox will be an experience like no other. Situated in a shop house on Beach Road, Nox challenges you to dine in the dark, thus relying on only taste, smell, touch and sound. You’d be guided and served by blind or visually impaired individuals who have been trained to offer guidance to sighted guests. Its signature cocktails include Skippy Dip (a dessert cocktail with creamy, rich peanut butter) and Bird’s Eye Chilli (a spicy cocktail infused with Asian flavours) – anyone up for the challenge? (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 6pm to late
Saturday: 5pm to late
Sunday: 5pm – 11pm
For the Cool and Easygoing
Lime House
If you love spaces with a homely vibe, you’d definitely enjoy your time at Lime House. Situated near Outram MRT Station, Lime House is Singapore’s very first Caribbean restaurant. With its overhanging ceiling fans and lightbulbs, comfy sofas and random placements of potted plants, it almost feels like a housewarming party at a friend’s. At Lime House, you’d get to drink rum the Caribbean way by customizing your drink, or choose from the rum cocktails available on the drinks menu. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Closed on Mondays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Tuesday to Friday: 12pm – 2:30pm, 5pm – 12am
Saturday: 3pm – 12am
The Study
Located at Keong Saik Road, The Study fuses local and British café culture to present a whole new experience in a comfortable, yet charming setting. It has an industrial-chic vibe, with its copper hues and eclectic furniture. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 12pm – 2:30pm (Lunch), 6pm – 10:30pm (Dinner)
Saturday: 11am – 3pm (Brunch), 6pm – 10:30pm (Dinner)
Closed on Sundays.
For the Trendsetters
Hotel Vagabond
Hotel Vagabond is not just any other 5-star boutique hotel. Designed by world-renowned designer Jacques Garcia, Hotel Vagabond’s décor is stunning and breathtaking to every little detail. Upon entering the space, one is instantly struck by the bold fusion of gold and red, and iconic sculptures such as the tusked elephants in the lobby, the huge brass banyan tree with its gold leaves and a rhino sculpture taking the place of Hotel Vagabond’s reception desk. The Bar Vagabond @ the Salon, and 5th Quarter housed within Hotel Vagabond takes on the same theme, and are equally dazzling. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
5th Quarter
Tuesday to Sunday: 12pm – 2:30pm (Lunch), 6:30pm – 10:30pm (Dinner)
Closed on Mondays and Public Holidays.
Potato Head Folk
Found within a shophouse at Keong Saik Road and spanning across three floors, Potato Head Folk brings you a special, one-of-a-kind experience on each level. On the 2nd floor, you can find Three Buns Dining Kitchen, where you get to feast on delicious burgers while being surrounded with vintage furniture, hand-painted murals and sculpture art. The lounge bar aka Studio1939 Lounge is located on the next level, where comfort takes precedence, as evident from its huge lounge chairs and comfy sofas. On the highest level is its Rooftop Garden, a quaint and beautifully decorated space. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Three Buns
Tuesday to Sunday: 11am – 12am
Studio 1939 & The Rooftop
Tuesday to Sunday: 5pm – 12am
Photo credit: Potato Head Folk
For Those Who Love Drinks with a View
CÉ LA VI Singapore
At CE LA VI, you’d get to party at the most coveted spot in Singapore – the top of Marina Bay Sands. Needless to say, the view of the city skyline at the al fresco area of CE LA VI Restaurant (SkyBar) is one of the best you can get. Enjoy their signature cocktails made by the team of mixologists at CÉ LA VI, with the breathtaking backdrop, such as the best-seller on the menu – the Storm Cooler (Grey Goose vodka, passion fruit-n-honey and raw licorice powder) – which is said to be a mixture of sweet, sour and spice. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
CÉ LA VI Restaurant
Lunch: 12pm – 3pm (Monday to Sunday)
Dinner: 6pm – 11pm (Sunday to Wednesday), 6pm – 11:30pm (Thursday to Saturday)
SkyBar at Restaurant & Club Lounge
12pm to late
Smoke & Mirrors
You can find Smoke & Mirrors atop the National Gallery Singapore, offering an unparalleled view of the Padang area and Singapore’s iconic buildings. Opened only last year, it is a relatively new and unexplored establishment. It has an extensive drinks menu, spanning from Asian-inspired cocktails such as Rainforest Remedy (artisinal French gin, Malaysian trigona honey, fresh lemon) to art-inspired drinks such as Lotus in a Breeze, 1970 (Pennsylvania potato vodka, Smoke & Mirrors butterfly pea flower cordial, grapefruit btters and artisanal New Zealand soda). (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursday: 11:30am – 12:30am
Friday & Saturday: 11:30am – 1am
For the Workaholics
Club Street Social
Located at a quiet corner along Gemmill Lane near the CBD, it is no wonder Club Street Social gets packed with people clad in business attire in the evening for after-work drinks. Its interior resembles that of an ideal modern bachelor pad – uncluttered and stylish, with dark wooden elements. And of course, the iconic tiled floor right at the entrance. It has an impressive selection of alcohol beverages, including 14 barrel aged cocktails, 5 bottle fermented cocktails and a curated wine list of 100 wines. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Monday to Wednesday: 12pm – 12am
Thursday & Friday: 12pm – 1am
Saturday: 11am – 1am
Sunday: 11am – 4pm
Jekyll & Hyde
Situated along Tras Street at Tanjong Pagar, Jekyll & Hyde is a shared space between a bar and a nail salon. Its standard drinks menu features the 7 Deadly Sins, a unique set of signature drinks exclusively at Jekyll & Hyde. The bar has a loyal following, largely due to co-founder mixologist Jeff Ho, former head bartender of Bar Stories. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 6pm – 1am
Friday & Saturday: 6pm – 2am
For the Nature Lovers
Pollen
Dine inside the largest greenhouse in the world (2015 Guinness World Records) at Pollen, with a stunning view of the Marina Bay waterfront. The restaurant serves up British cuisine with Asian influences, and playful variations of cocktails such as Pisang Goreng (white rum, banana liquer, lime, Islay whiskey float) and It’s The Humidity (white rum, lime, Thai-curried passionfruit syrup). Diners will get complimentary access to the Flower Dome, where flowers and plants from the Mediterranean and semi-arid regions are featured. (Discover More)
Opening Hours:
Main Dining Room – Level 1
Monday, Wednesday to Sunday: 12pm – 3pm (Lunch), 6pm – 10pm (Dinner)
Closed on Tuesdays.
Pollen Terrace – Level 2
Daily: 9:30am – 9pm (Afternoon tea from 3pm – 5pm)
Visit www.singaporecocktailweek.com.sg for more event details, and check out other participating bars!
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Venuerific is Asia’s largest event venue marketplace currently in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia. We are a young and dynamic team that loves introducing people to all manner of amazing, trendy, beautiful, professional and truly unique venues. Come visit us at www.venuerific.com!