Hotel bars in Singapore: Where to go for a five-star tipple

Hotel Bars in Singapore: Where to go for a five-star tipple

rachelzheng

14 Aug 2017

updated the 15 August 2017 à 13:10

1/5
Manhattan at Regent Singapore
Manhattan took the top spot in this year's ranking of Asia's 50 Best Bars and is consistently regarded to be amongst the top bars in the world. Inspired by the 19th century's Golden Age of cocktails and fine drinking, Manhattan's glamorous interior is evocative of the grand hotel bars of old New York. Helmed by bar manager Philip Bischoff, the menu features a broad but tightly curated selection of artisanal spirits, handcrafted cocktails using housemade ingredients and the world’s first in-hotel rickhouse, and delectable gourmet bites.

Manhattan, Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715

Photo: Manhattan
2/5
The Other Room at Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel
Inspired by the drinking dens of the Prohibition Era, The Other Room is a clandestine bar sitting in the heart of Orchard Road. However, the bar has proven that a speakeasy gimmick is not the sole thing it has to its name as it placed 35th on this year's Asia's 50 Best Bars list within a year of its opening. At the reigns is award-winning bartender Dario Knox, previously of FOC Restaurant fame, whose menu introduces a new concept of in-house cask finishing which sees more than 150 spirits aged in different types of wooden casks to provide added unique layers of flavour. The presentation of the cocktails are another thing to marvel at – try the Reverse Gin and Tonic (pictured) or the High Tea, which is served in a modified teacup.

The Other Room, Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, #01-05, Singapore 238865

Photo: The Other Room
3/5
Lobby Bar at The Warehouse Hotel
The cocktail menu at the Lobby Bar of The Warehouse Hotel rings true to the boutique establishment's focus on heritage and local culture. The original building was a godown built in 1895 along the Singapore River as part of the Straits of Malacca trade route, and drinkers can go on a boozy journey through its heritage with the Lobby Bar's imaginative cocktail programme, which reflects three past eras the hotel has seen. There's the Singapore Sazerac and Whisky Houston, inspired by the spice trade during the 19th century, Madame Butterfly and Kopi Cat, which represent the illicit godown era during the mid 20th century, and Barbarella and Kaya Lumpur, reflecting the building's use as a disco during the late 20th century. If these cocktails have got you loco over local, simply head over the hotel's Po restaurant, which serves refined Singapore classics.

The Warehouse Hotel, 320 Havelock Road, Singapore 169628

Photo: The Warehouse Hotel
4/5
Mitzo at Grand Park Orchard
What do Chinese food and cocktails have in common? Mitzo proves that the unexpected duo make a palatable match with its original concept. While those who have heard of its name may know Mitzo as a restaurant for fine Cantonese cuisine, it also has an equally strong cocktail programme that not many are aware of. The bar offers a variety of Asian-influenced cocktails using Chinese herbs and spices, updated classics, and original creations which take inspiration from around the world. Its Asian Inspirations series, for example, includes the Garden of Eden, which is made from eight treasure tea infused Stolichnaya vodka, chrysanthemum syrup, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, jasmine water, and egg white. The best seat in the house is undoubtedly at its glittering bar counter with a backdrop of a three-metre long jellyfish tank.

Mitzo, Level 4 Grand Park Orchard, 270 Orchard Road, Singapore 238857

Photo: Mitzo
5/5
Court Martial Bar at JW Marriott
The newly opened Court Martial Bar is housed in the swish South Beach development, and it's a bar to watch. It occupies the former Singapore NCO Court Martial office from the 1940s within the site, which used to be a cluster of military barracks, hence its name. Selected historic elements, such as an old vehicle maintenance pit, have been preserved, but don't feel out of place alongside the otherwise sleek and modern interior that includes a centrepiece bar clad in metal. Apart from reinvented classics with a local twist like the South Beach Sour and Heritage Sling, another unique thing about the Court Martial Bar is its barrel-aged cocktails, which are kept in American oak barrels. The Negroni and Rum Ol'Fashioned from this range are worth a try. Those with an appetite can also nibble on bar bites like their signature coconut prawns and wagyu beef satay.

Court Martial Bar, JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach, 30 Beach Rd, Singapore 189763

Photo: JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach

Who would have guessed that these hotels in Singapore have hidden gems in store?

Hotel bars – Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray may have met at the Park Hyatt Tokyo’s New York Bar in Lost in Translation, but that’s about it. The truth is that bars located in hotels don’t have the best reputation in the cocktail scene. They’re generally neglected by the local crowd, who have plenty of other drinking options. Worse still, hotel bars are often seen as obligatory, uninspired facilities offering just the bare minimum.

The good news is that this is changing. Perhaps as a result of a burgeoning drinking culture in Singapore, hotels are starting to buck the trend with original cocktail programmes. We’re seeing cocktails made with Chinese herbs and spices to pair with Cantonese cuisine at Grand Park Orchard’s Mitzo, and concoctions that pay homage to heritage and local culture at The Warehouse Hotel. The Other Room at Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel has even gone so far as to have an in-house cask finishing project, the first of its kind.

Whether you’re planning your next staycation or you’re simply on the lookout for a new after-work drinking haunt, this list of the five best hotel bars has you covered!

Rachel Zheng

Photo: The Warehouse Hotel

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Hotel Bars in Singapore: Where to go for a five-star tipple

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