Singapore does the hidden bar especially well. Half the fun is finding the door: an unmarked entrance off a shophouse lane, a staircase you’d walk straight past, a quiet room at the back of a hotel lobby. Once inside, the drinks are usually serious.
I keep the ones I’ve collected on this map. Most cluster around Tanjong Pagar and Duxton Hill, an easy evening’s walk from one to the next. A few sit up along Orchard and Scotts Road, and several hide inside grand hotels, from the St. Regis to Parkview Square.
Bars like these open, close and change hands quickly, so check hours (and whether you need a booking) before you set out.
The list
Tanjong Pagar and Duxton Hill
- Bucha Loco: 15 Duxton Hill
- Officer’s Club: 20 Craig Road, #01-03
- Jigger and Pony: Amara Singapore, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road
- Elephant Room: 33 Tanjong Pagar Road
- Polo Club: Maxwell Reserve, 2 Cook Street
Orchard, Scotts and Tanglin
- The Addition: 38 Cuscaden Road
- Emerald Hill: 5 Emerald Hill Road
- 67 Pall Mall: Penthouse, Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Road
- St. Regis Bar: The St. Regis Singapore, 29 Tanglin Road, Level 1
- The Other Room: Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, #01-05. Ring the doorbell. Its spirits are finished in casks in-house.
Bugis
- Atlas: Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Road