Post updated on 11-Jun to fix an error in the information about the founders of Revival.
As you may recall from the last post, Mrs. Cocktail Dork and I had a grand spring adventure and headed over to Singapore for a few months. Of course, it’s impossible to capture all of the incredible bars in that city, especially in one single blog post. So I’m back with a few more bar visit reviews. Below are but a few more of the bars that you should definitely check out when you visit the Lion City. So without further ado…
Bars in this post:
Check out Part 1 here.
Revival
Are you an art historian? I’m not at all, but it’s one of Mrs. Cocktail Dork’s hobbies, so they get all of the art references at this place that go over my head (take me to any sort of music-themed bar, however, and I’m all over that). Revival is brand new to the Singapore scene, but started out incredibly strong. It was founded by The Compound Collective (Roman Foltan, Celia Schoonraad, and Michael Callahan), a team of F&B veterans who have brought you many other wonderful venues. Both the menu and the decor are filled with references to classical art. Already it’s become one my favorite bars to frequent in Singapore. Safe to say it will be a spot that I visit every time I’m in town.
This place is slightly off the main pub crawl lanes, but has some really swanky digs over in Robertson Quay. We first meandered in while they were in their “soft open” phase, and the menu was still being sorted (the paper menu you see in the pics has now been replaced with something much fancier). And me being the dork that I am, I neglected to take good photos of the interior; I was too busy taking pics of their beautiful drinks (see below). But if you check out some of the great press that they’re getting, you’ll see some excellent photos there.
Sitting at the bar is an absolute delight here. Revival has some plush, green, low-rider chairs that are perfect for lounging. As another nice trick, the floor in front of the bar is elevated compared to the floor behind the bar, so you’re still at eye level with the bartenders while you’re lounging sipping on a tasty beverage. No surprise that everything on their menu is well-crafted and delicious, and they will happily go off menu to make you whatever you want1I don’t know why I still hype this as a neat thing; every good bar should be able to do this. And beyond that they’ve got quite the collection of hard-to-find and specialty spirits. If you can catch them when they’re not too busy, they’ll be happy to chat your ear off about everything they’ve got behind the bar.
No Sleep Club
Who else hears the Beastie Boys in their head when they think of this bar? No one? Just me? Ok.
Coffee, cocktails, neat snacks. What more could you want? Located amidst the fray of Chinatown is No Sleep Club, rocking the is-it-a-coffee-shop-or-a-bar vibe with all the delightful curmudgeonlyness one would expect.
It’s difficult to fully capture the vibe here, but overall I’d sum it up as relaxed, though that does little to communicate what it actually feels like; perhaps I should say this place is easy like a Sunday morning, and I recommend chilling out at the bar on a Sunday afternoon for full effect, as you can get some good conversation with the bartenders going on.
NSC has been rocking the Singapore scene for a few years now, and they’ve crafted some fun twists on flavors for all of your drinking pleasure. I especially recommend their espresso martini or one of their highballs. Mix it up with some coffee drinks to keep the energy going.
Also some great reading: founders Yi Jun Juan and Jay “Hutch” Hutchinson talk about running a bar as a couple in this Drink Magazine article.
Analogue Initiative
Yet another sustainability concept, right? Perhaps, but this one isn’t as cheesy as most, and is quite well-executed. So, I’m here for it.
Ok, so I shouldn’t be too snarky about sustainability concepts. My cynicism is showing through. Anyways, don’t let my snark dissuade you from checking out this awesome spot in Chijmes.
Analogue is the latest spot from Vijay Mudaliar, who also founded Native in Singapore and focus on sustainability in both food and drink. I also greatly appreciate the menu for having a list of non-alcoholic beverages that clearly has as much thought and care put into it as the alcoholic beverages list. More spots need to put as much attention into their non-alcoholic offerings. We made our way through nearly the entire menu while we were here, and being able to pace ourselves with those non-alcoholic options was a delight.
Employees Only
You’ll have to forgive my limited number of pics from this place. I was too busy enjoying the drinks.
Right out of New York and into Singapore, is the ever famous Employees Only. The vibe, the craft, the classy curved bar, and the crowd, it all fits, and in this cozy spot in Asia, you have some wild New York style2it’s practically a duplicate of the original; though it’s admittedly more hot and humid here in Singapore.
What really caught my attention, as a lover of classic cocktails, is partner (and NY veteran) Steve Schneider’s 99 Classic Cocktails guide. A menu of 99 classics, perfectly executed, await those who care to try. And if you have all 99 over… some period of time… you get… something else I think. The details are a bit hazy for me, as I had a few of those delicious classics. They’ll even give you a notebook to keep track of your tasting notes as you go3I’m not showing you my handwriting, especially from later in the evening.
Beyond those 99 are a menu of originals and other specialty concoctions, and some excellent food. Throw in some beers and some shots, and you have yourself a party. In true industry fashion, you may also run into many other bartenders you know on a night out at EO. When the other bartenders are hanging out somewhere, you know that’s a ringing endorsement.
Anyways, that’s all I’ve got for now. But keep your eyes open for Part 3 whenever I get around to writing it.
Footnotes