Raising the bar: 6 new cocktail spots shaking up Singapore’s nightlife

While the World’s 50 Best Bars may have just wrapped up, with Jigger & Pony and Nutmeg & Clove making the prestigious list this year, don’t let the familiar favourites sway you from discovering the latest arrivals on Singapore’s cocktail scene. Some are fresh openings brimming with ambition and creativity, while others are familiar names reinvented with new identities — all offering experiences just as compelling as those celebrated on the global stage.

TEMPER

There’s plenty of personality to be found in Singapore’s wine bars. Whether you’re looking for something cosy, funky, or a little too pleased with itself, you’ll find a spot that caters to it. Most, however, still prefer to stay in their lanes, focusing squarely on wine, occasionally pairing it with a respectable restaurant attached to an impressive cellar. Temper, a sprawling 370-sq-m lounge beside the Mondrian, aims for something broader. Its slick Bauhaus enclave promises not only vino and vintage charm, but also cocktails, food, and a soundtrack designed for those who want it all.

The layout makes sense. Upstairs is the wine room, housing 1,200 labels and 2,100 bottles from over 30 countries, with 250 available by the glass. Downstairs, cocktails are stirred, shaken, and poured to the sounds of live jazz, vinyl sessions, and late-night spins of funk and hip-hop.

Food is served across the space, with a menu that ranges from the casual (roast beef sandwiches, shrimp cocktails, calamari) to the extravagant (three-tier seafood platters, caviar, Josper-grilled picanha).

It’s an ambitious balancing act, but Temper’s bench is stacked with heavy hitters. Wine director Roberto Duran was formerly head sommelier of 67 Pall Mall; the cocktail programme was devised by June Baek — Chivas Masters Global finalist and Singapore champion in 2018 — and the kitchen is helmed by executive chef Nicolas Tam of Michelin-starred Willow alongside head chef Ronald Sim, whose pedigree includes Burnt Ends and Candlenut. The soundtrack is curated by DJ Joshua Pillai, co-founder of A Phat Cat Collective, with rotating live acts such as vocalists Dita Jacob and Nick Zavior, saxophonist Kaye of DarkerThanWax, and DJs Keith Colaco and YA5TH.

As Pillai promises: “We’ve got a soundtrack to match every pour, dish, and mood.” And there is something liberating about a place where you can start with shrimp carpaccio and Sancerre, fuel up with a burger and Barolo, then finish with a Portuguese egg tart and a peanut butter–washed Old Fashioned — all while the room hums to a groove that shifts as fluidly as your palate.

83 Neil Road #01-07

Mon to Wed: 5pm to 1am; Thu to Sat: 12pm to 1am

CASPER

Just a little way down the hill is Casper, the grungy new kid on the block. The backstory behind the name is long and convoluted, but all you really need to know is that it’s every bit as welcoming as its friendly ghost namesake. Its zine-like menu is splashed with colourful spreads of the bar team and their industry friends, while a feature wall of electrical outlets (only one of them actually works) takes a sly jab at patrons who are eager to charge their phones before zoning out into their digital voids. Even the Wi-Fi password reads “DONTUSEYOURPHONE.” Message received, Casper team. The connection here is meant to be human, not cellular.

That ethos extends to the drinks, which are designed to spark conversation. Each is named after a single flavour, though the path to get there is inventive and unpredictable. “Tomato” is not a Bloody Mary riff but a clear, savoury consomme bursting with freshness. “Mushroom” plays it straighter, its rye, bourbon, and sweet mezcal rounded out by citrus and finishing on a subtle umami note. “Dates” (whisky, coffee liqueur, milk, dates, chocolate) is so thick you could almost chew it, while “Sesame” leans indulgent: a dessert-like tipple crowned with a warm (!) ube cream cheese foam over vodka, coffee liqueur, and black sesame.

The generously sized, meat-stacked sandwiches make sides an afterthought, but don’t sleep on the shishito peppers either — fat, glossy, and almost unnervingly big for what we’re used to. Add to that a rotating art collection and a resident DJ helming “Frequency Nights” every second-last Thursday of the month, and you’ve got plenty of reasons to keep your phones firmly in your pockets.

59 Duxton Road #01-01

Wed to Sat: 4pm to 12am; Sun: 7pm to 12am

HORATIO

Those heading to Sentosa with the aim of drinking usually want the whole island-postcard package: sun, sea, and something cold with a paper umbrella in it. So you can’t really fault Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) for leaving the bar game to the beach clubs — until now. But instead of adding another sunburn-adjacent watering hole, they’ve opened Horatio: a bar that prefers shadows to sunshine, secret doors to sandcastles, and tall tales to tiki mugs.

And boy does Horatio commit to the bit. The entrance is grandly dubbed The Portal of Secrets, which not-so-secretly parades a wall of rare, off-menu spirits (mostly whiskies) before it whisks you through a trick door into The Main Parlour. Inside, the 12-drink menu reads like a travel diary penned by its fictional namesake, Horatio Fairchild, a man whose idea of adventure wasn’t so much crossing oceans, but emptying glasses across continents.

And Horatio apparently has expansive tastes. There are gentle twists on the familiar, like the highball-like Highland Hermit (blended Scotch, heather honey, pear, lemon, thyme, shortbread), or the Carnaval de Sonhos (rum, dry vermouth, passionfruit, lime, bitters), which drinks like a Caipirinha that’s just discovered joy. The food menu is equally globe-trotting: crispy Sicilian sardines, local beetroot croquettes, New Zealand salmon tacos, wagyu beef skewers — RWS already feels like a world apart from the mainland, but Horatio insists on flinging you even further afield.

Beyond yet another secret door lies The Enclave, Horatio’s innermost sanctum. Entry requires a minimum spend of S$5,000 (US$3,850), but those who make it through the portal will be able to enjoy their drams of Macallan The Reach 81YO, Brora 1977 45YO, Karuizawa Omoiyari 36YO, and other gloriously “showboaty” expressions — along with Enclave-only cocktails served in plush privacy.Yes, Horatio can be a touch theatrical, but under all the drama lies a genuine reverence for a good drink. Besides, one sip of Port Ellen 1978, and you’ll forgive everything.

26 Sentosa Gateway #02-135 &135A

Wed to Sun: 5pm to 11pm

THE ST. REGIS BAR SINGAPORE

A lot has changed at the St. Regis Singapore’s flagship bar. Formerly known as the Astor Bar, it has undergone a complete transformation: new seating and furniture, an ornate back bar of glass, metal, and birdcages, and a new head bartender with a fresh menu. Yet the sequel still unveils itself like a soft chiaroscuro, thanks to dim, layered lighting that casts a warm glow over burgundy and teal fabrics, ebony tiles, and brass fixtures. Bars of five-star hotels don’t have the luxury of being quirky. They just have to be luxurious.

And lead barman Kelvin Saquilayan certainly knows the drill. Under his leadership, Regent’s (now Conrad’s) Manhattan Bar re-entered the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2022, earning the No. 33 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars the following year. Before taking the helm here, he spent nearly two years as head bartender at The Ritz-Carlton’s Republic Bar. His accolades include crafting 2019’s best gin and tonic at the East Imperial Gin Jubilee, as well as creating a modern take on the Manhattan that clinched second place at Mixology Asia by Woodford Reserve that same year. The man clearly knows his classics — and how to have fun with them.

The Martini and the Bloody Mary each get their own dedicated sections, as per St. Regis tradition. The Skyline is one of the most elegant martinis I’ve encountered — Cointreau, raspberry, and Ruinart Brut lend a bright, effervescent lift to what’s usually a spirit-forward classic. The Bloody Mary list, meanwhile, takes a world tour with four variations, though Singapore’s Straits Mary suffers from a bit of an identity crisis  — a hilariously long ingredient list that tastes more confusing than complex. Still, points for enthusiasm. Still, points for enthusiasm.

It’s the bar’s first revamp since the hotel opened 18 years ago, and with its inventive drinks and refreshed design, the result feels both overdue and worth the wait.

26 Tanglin Road

Sun to Thu: 5pm to 12am; Fri to Sat: 5pm to 2am

BAR.TER

The modern bartending playbook loves a good remix. Classics are constantly being updated with painstakingly made syrups, infusions, and garnishes promising flavours that unlock the fourth dimension. But Bar.ter takes a different route to novelty, starting with the bottles themselves. Why settle for Gordon’s when you can have the motor-oil-chic Engine Gin? Or default to Scotch when there are award-winning Indian single malts waiting to be discovered?

If many of the labels here are unfamiliar, that’s entirely by design. Founder and head bartender Joseph Seah has curated a back bar that champions not just the good, but the interesting — because, as he puts it, most of what you find in bars these days is “boring.” He was also growing weary of bartenders who could rattle off tasting notes without context — the why and where of what’s in your glass. So Bar.ter isn’t just another cocktail joint; it’s Seah’s way of bringing genuine hospitality (and a little education) back into the drinking experience.

And Seah’s brand of hospitality is gloriously unfiltered. Disarmingly honest and utterly without guile, he has a way of making you feel like you’ve known each other for years because he talks to you like you’re already friends. If you find choosing quality bottles intimidating business, Seah does away with the posturing, pitches, and pretense because all he cares about is what you want. The jeans-and-T-shirt uniform helps, too, since he “doesn’t want to dress like a penguin”. If it isn’t clear by now, Seah is half the reason you should head down.

The other half is the more than 700 bottles of spirits Bar.ter stocks — all handpicked by Seah for their quality and curious provenance. For instance, there are vintages of Long Pond rum that predate the distillery’s devastating 2018 fire, which wiped out its wooden fermentation vats and, with them, the unique microbial flora responsible for the rum’s distinctive flavour profile. There are also bottles drawn from Seah’s own private cask of Wild Turkey. And everything is available to taste before you commit.

The cocktail menu is lean, but each drink earns its place, thanks to Seah’s long run in the industry, from managing La Maison du Whisky Singapore to representing brands for Brown-Forman. Even the inevitable Singapore Sling (we really can’t seem to outrun it) gets a second life here, recast with corn moonshine and tequila blanco into something more balanced, tropical, and worth finishing. Of course, Seah will just as gladly shake up whatever you’re in the mood for, because it’s always about connection over commerce at Bar.ter. He’ll even fetch your bak kut teh from next-door neighbour Legendary Bak Kut Teh so you can sip, slurp, and trade stories just as old friends do.

42 South Bridge Road, #01-01

Tue to Sat: 10am to 12am ; Sun to Mon: 2pm to 12am

GOODBYE, ALIBI

Goodbye, Alibi’s debut was less grand opening and more trial by fire. Beset by internal upheavals and lacking direction from the get-go, the bar drifted for months while owner Kimberley Yeo — who had no prior experience — learned the ropes on the fly. But what she lacked in training, she made up for in grit and grace, and now, with a new head bartender and completely refreshed menu, Goodbye, Alibi has finally found its rhythm.

Leading the beverage program is Tan Chok Han, whose stint as former head bartender at The Elephant Room has contributed to a list of cocktails that lean heavily into savoury territory. It’s a daring direction, given how local tipplers tend to favour sweet or citrusy classics — but savoury cocktails really ought to be the next big thing. When you start playing across the full flavour spectrum, your world cracks open, and what spills out is pure, intoxicating possibility.

Tan’s creations are meant to surprise, and My Crazy Ex sets the tone. Inspired by his favourite foods — hot and sour soup, and mala hot pot — it’s built from Sichuan pepper corn and soy whisky, soy caramel, mala spices, and a soy crisp. Think of it as a Bloody Mary that’s joined a triad. Then there’s the Miso Broken, a cocktail that feels like sitting at a sushi counter long after closing time: vodka, pickled radish, wasabi, miso, citrus, and roasted seaweed come together in a combination that’s as refreshing as it is umami-laden. Finally, Kill Me — Yeo’s sole contribution to the menu — is a brilliant one: a martini flavoured with bonito flakes, kombu, and garlic brine, and paired with a seasoned quail egg. It’s less aggressive than a standard Dirty Martini, but boasts an exquisitely long finish.

You’ve probably guessed by now that the bar delights in tales of late-night mischief. Perch at the counter and you’ll find glass bowls full of secrets scrawled by guests — some saucy, some sorrowful, some truly unhinged, but every one is a small reminder of how gloriously messy it is to be human.

Rough beginnings aside, Goodbye, Alibi proves that a little chaos never hurt. Here, the drinks are bold, the stories bolder, and the experience is unmistakably its own.

53A Duxton Road

Tue to Thu: 4pm to 11pm; Fri to Sat: 4pm to 12am