Notes On Singapore’s World Class Cocktail Bar Scene

Much has been written about Singapore’s vibrant cocktail scene – and with good reason. The city-state’s top venues consistently earn spots on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, attracting global recognition not just for innovative mixology but also for those often elusive elements of personality and atmosphere. Highly competitive, yet impressively collaborative, Singapore’s cocktail bar culture is in constant evolution, offering locals, expats, and international visitors a wealth of world-class drinking spaces. Today, Singapore’s sophisticated nightlife holds its own alongside that of London, Paris, and New York.

Known as the gateway to Asia, Singapore’s role as a regional hub for business, finance, media, and politics shapes its identity. It’s a place where deals are made, ideas are exchanged, and where the fast pace of urban life fuels a thriving night time environment. Singapore’s advantage in the cocktail world lies in the dense concentration of people and cultures, as well as high-quality bars, all easily accessible within a small, well-connected area. Hopping between venues, whether to follow the ebb and flow of Happy Hours, or to capture the shifting energy of the city, is simultaneously effortless and fun.

This proximity, along with exceptional creativity and service, makes Singapore one of the best cities for cocktail bar hopping. Whether in search of the intimacy of a speakeasy, or the chill of a rooftop bar with sweeping city views, or the privacy of exclusivity, Singapore offers something for people from all walks of life. The professionalism that once defined the city’s bar scene has evolved into a relaxed confidence that encourages artistry and bold imaginative concepts.

This rapidly evolving industry traces its roots back to the creation of the Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel in 1915, one of Asia’s most iconic cocktails. Once a symbol of refined colonial sophistication, the drink has now had so many makeovers that it’s now only a small part of the story. Nevertheless, it’s still worth heading down to the Long Bar at Raffles in a nostalgic nod to the past, but today’s cocktail culture is unfolding all over the city and draws inspiration from broader historical diversity.

Singapore’s bartenders and mixologists, of which women increasingly make up a significant segment, are known for embracing everything from locally inspired flavors to zero-waste techniques. This spectrum of innovation reflects Singapore’s unique mix of tradition and modernity, as well as its commitment to continuous reinvention, and is found in Singapore’s best cocktail bars.

In the 2024 Asia’s Best Bars list, four of Singapore’s top establishments earned prestigious spots: Jigger & Pony holds the No. 5 position, while new entry Nutmeg & Clove surged to No. 28. Atlas comes in at No. 43, and Analogue Initiative is No. 47. These venues—and the talented teams behind them—showcase the diversity, skill, and creativity of Singapore’s cocktail scene. Here’s a guide to some of Singapore’s standout cocktail destinations.

Jigger & Pony

Ever since its move to a larger space in the Amara Hotel, Jigger & Pony has capitalised on its excellent reputation and solidified its place at the forefront of Singapore’s cocktail scene. It currently holds the No. 3 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. Named after the double-sided measuring tool, Jigger & Pony combines classic cocktail techniques with a modern, creative twist. A warm, welcoming vibe that balances the fundamentals of a fun, relaxed bar with layered sophistication, it appeals to both the cocktail purist and newcomers alike. Under the guidance of co-founders Indra Kantono and Gan Guoyi, Jigger & Pony’s talented team takes pride in their hospitality-first approach and each year release a themed Menuzine. A Decent Menu celebrated classics with a contemporary spin, featuring signatures like the Yuzu Whiskey Sour and Madame President, a gin-based twist on a French 75. The current edition is called Smash and its 72 pages provide a comprehensive exploration of the boundaries and definitions of the word smash. Expect plenty of twists on the classics. The blend of quality, creativity, and guest centric service has made Jigger & Pony a true Singapore institution.

Live Twice

Live Twice is an intimate cocktail space for those that take their nightcaps seriously. Although inclusive and welcoming, the 1960s Tokyo salary-man theme, with nods to Ian Fleming’s novels, lends it a sophisticated ambience. Named after Nancy Sinatra’s theme song to the 1967 James Bond film ‘You Only Live Twice’, the bar hosts a suave crowd toasting their dreams with Mizuwari, vespers and G&Ts. Full of alcoves and cosy spaces, this is a great space for toasting achievements on the road to success. The menu is focussed and considered, with clear Japanese influence. This is a great concept; it’s ideal for thinking ambitiously about the future without feeling pretentious.

Gibson

Also launched by the creators of Jigger & Pony and Live Twice, Gibson provides a more casual curation of cocktails. Its illuminated backdrop is inviting and stimulates conversation. Undoubtedly laid back, the menu design is inspired by Trader Joes and invites a broad crowd, speaking subtly to those that are new to this world, but want a cool cocktail experience. This accessible approach is part of Gibson’s identity, and allows for plenty of flexibility, and indeed opportunity, in the art of entertainment. Guest shifts from the region’s famous mixologists are common and bring the culture of cocktail making to a wider audience. Try the Kaikan Fizz.

Nutmeg & Clove

Nutmeg & Clove has soared up the rankings in Asia’ 50 Best Bars list. The 2024 roster saw it reach no. 6, up a place from 2023. The bar, located on Purvis Street (known for its Hainanese eateries), is a simple unit brought to life in a stylish, sophisticated manner. The pink jackets worn by the team are an effective way of delivering a sense of occasion and theatre, bringing colour and energy to an otherwise fairly minimalist design aesthetic. The latest menu acknowledges a decade in business, and celebrates continued innovation in mixology. Under the stewardship of bar manager Shelley Tai and head bartender Gavin Teverasan, the venue is a must visit for those seeking out a contemporary vibe and cool, creative cocktails that challenge and provoke.

Synthesis

Located in a bright and busy shopping mall, Synthesis is a speakeasy with a Chinese medicine theme. Entering through a door and walkway that evokes Singapore’s historic markets, the bar then wows guests with its high curving backdrop. Doubling up as a stage for visually theatrical mixology, the bar serves an eclectic menu of intriguing cocktails, complete with photo worthy presentation. The bar is owned by Sebastian Ang (Mama Diem) and partners.

Employees Only

With a late license and a reputation for song and dance, this is a useful name to have in the address book. Known throughout the industry as a venue to grab a drink after a long shift, word is gradually drifting out that Employees Only is a pretty cool place to close down the night. Some may know the name for its presence in NYC, but the Singapore interpretation has actually been open since 2016, somehow maintaining a reputation as a hidden gem. That being said, it sits proudly on Asia’s 50 best bars list (no. 38 in 2024), and frequently runs high energy, busy nights. High quality cocktails and lots going on.

White Shades

Founded by Jiawei Bai, White Shades is a multi level bar concept perfect for starting early. The ground floor offers an approachable Japanese high ball concept, with a more serious cocktail experience above. Beyond that there’s an events space and rooftop terrace. Perhaps even some secret spaces. Following national service Bai started at Employees Only and gradually earned the famed jacket, marking his achievement with a tattoo. He has gone on to create “a four-storey cocktail playground in the heart of the CBD” His concept, not easy in such a competitive space, has been brought to life with meticulous attention to detail. Highly versatile, White Shades needs to be on your list of hangouts.

Mama Diem

Just like its sister venue Synthesis, the main bar of Mama Diem exists behind an entrance of theatre. Here, nostalgia for Sebastian Ang’s childhood are felt. He’d stop at a Mama shop, a style of family run convenience store, on the way home from school where he’d hang out with his friends and eat white rabbit candies and popsicles. Imagined around the theme of Mama shops, a Hokkien term for a small convenience store, Mama Diem Sebastien X says “everyone knows that the bars in Singapore are very strong, especially when it comes to the classics. We’re trying to do something a bit different, and recreate those memories of Singapore.”

Atlas Bar

The beautiful interiors of Atlas Bar and its high end hospitality concept shouldn’t be missed. A vast space in an impressive art deco style provides a home for over 1200 different gins, probably the largest collection in the world. The venue sticks closely to classic cocktails and rarely ventures into Asian taste profiles. Instead, the focus falls on the subtlety of gin infusions, tonics and accompanying garnish. A tower behind the main bar provides a central focal point. Lidiyanah K, known to everyone as Yana, sums it up best when she she notes, “every day that I step into this bar I’m just in awe.” Used as a backdrop for the HBO series Westworld, expect grandeur in the decor, and lots of first time visitors looking up at the ceiling.

28 Hong Kong Street

Having opened in 2011 and won the very first Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2016, 28 Hong Kong Street was at the forefront of Singapore’s cocktail culture revolution. Since then it has settled comfortably into its identity as a party venue. Situated inconspicuously behind a 1960s chop house facade, it blends the concept of a U.S. style speakeasy with 90s hip hop tunes and classic American cocktails. Cool, confident and impressively sure of itself, 28 Hong Street is the place go and let yourself be taken with the flow. Sit back and trust in their longstanding formula. You’ll have a great night.