What’s a pub?
Pub = Public House
A pub, short for a public house, is an establishment authorised to sell alcoholic drinks. These include beers, ale, wines, and cider, and house-brewed ales and related drinks. A pub is a social drinking outlet, and it’s a prominent part of different global cultures.
A pub serves the public without membership or residency requirements. It sells beer/drinks without food being consumed. Also, it allows patrons to buy at the bar and not the service table.
The State Of Pubs in Singapore
At the turn of the night clock, Singapore transforms from an efficient business hub into a glitzy nightlife. The list of swanky bars, lounges, and nightclubs is inexhaustible. There is an abundance of trendy rooftop pubs, New York-style cocktail bars, and vintage joints.
These establishments cater to a variety of clients. Slick executives love to patronise rocking rooftop bars around Clarke Quay while mature age students love to frolic around the scintillating bars in Orchard Road. Tourists love to sample the thriving rooftop bars as they savour the iconic Lion State skyline and down a variety of scrumptious cocktails.
Trends Marking Pub Businesses in Singapore
The blend of retro cocktail bars, quirky pop-up pubs, and swanky vintage joints make Singapore’s nightlife accessible. The island state contributes significantly to the list of World’s 50 Best Bars. The trend is currently pointing to an increase in the number of stylish skyscraper cocktail lounges. On the local scene, a cadre of wine bars, gin, and micro pubs remain a buzzing feature in the undertow beneath Singapore’s business laden fame.
Tips for Choosing the Location of a New Bar in Singapore
As a budding bar owner in Singapore, there’s more than the competition to beat. You need to provide a crowd-pulling menu, top-notch customer service, and a scenic location if not view. Primarily, location will have a significant impact on the success of your pub. Other aspects to consider are:
Set the Style of Your New Pub
The style of the pub you want to run is crucial to its success. You need to understand the style before pinpointing the location. Choose a busy and sophisticated location (day and night) if you’re opening a chic cocktails bar.
Distinguish your demographics
Area demographics determine the traffic that will be heading to your pub. For instance, you’ll need to research the number of people aged 30 and below or their average household income. It will give you insights whether people around the area are likely to patronize your pub. If you’re targeting university students, consider setting up near a quaint student zone.
Buying vs. Renting Space
Buying or leasing pub space is a daunting decision to make. Buying requires healthy financial muscle. However, it gives you control since there are no landlord hiccups after you launch. Leasing can be equally expensive, but it’s the best option for new pub owners. Leasing allows you to channel your starting capital to the right priorities, e.g., marketing, design, or salaries.
Rules for Picking a Great Bar in Singapore
Polished bars and pubs in Singapore are the reason why the country’s nightlife is ever glittering. But choosing the perfect bar for your night out is hard work. Here’s a checklist to help you choose the best tipple joint.
Select a Pub with Lots of Action
Pubs with sparkling ambience and no action can be annoying. Some cater to the youthful crowds and their energy but lack something for other patrons. Always choose a bar with a variety of things to do, e.g., Beer pong, karaoke, pool tables, bull rodeos, and other appealing activity.
Pick a Bar That Attracts the Ladies
If you’re going out looking for potential dates, choose a pub that attracts great looking ladies. Avoid the poorly lit dive bars that barely attract quality women.
Choose a Bar That Has Different Sections
Spacious pubs/bars with different sections have a lot to offer. Nobody wants to sit in one area for hours. A pub with different areas will help you kill the boredom. You can move between the sections as you look for fun things to do.
Select a Bar with Decent Music and Spacious Dance Floor
A great bar comes with great music and a spacious dance floor. As long as they have music that moves the crowds and a dancing area that’s not crammed up, it’s a perfect pick. Also, priorities on a pub that has an outside area where you can step out to catch some air-and meet someone new.
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The Penny Black |
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| Address |
26-27 Boat Quay, Singapore 049817 |
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(65) 6538 2300 |
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Review 1 |
Great location, and perfect landmark to arrange a crowd. Shows most important sports events, i.e. Rugby and Football. |
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Review 2 |
Stopped here for a beer, river front location, good selection of beers and others drinks. I Did not have any food off the menu so no review on that. Sports shown on large screen TV. |
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Review 3 |
Great location. Surprisingly, the Guinness was fine. This coming from an Irishman. – Wm Emery
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Muddy Murphy’s Irish Pub |
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| Address |
442 Orchard Road, #01-02 to 05 Claymore Connect, Singapore 238879 |
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(65) 6735 0400 |
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Review 1 |
One of my favorite hang out bar with my close friends. Relaxed, welcoming atmosphere with great bar food and drinks! Interior of the venue, rustic and homely feels, doesn’t feel like Singapore. Love the weekends band sessions, pretty great environment and entertainment to enjoy! – Shermin |
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Review 2 |
Have lunch here, quiet and nice place. The roast beef is good, and the waitresses are friendly. Will definitely come back again. – Gregory Goh
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Review 3 |
A nice place to visit for a pint of Guiness. They also have a good variety on the menu…I had a steak and Onion rings. The onion rings were awesome! All reasonably priced. Will visit again! – Jim Rossiter
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Molly Malone’s Irish Pub |
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| Address |
56 Circular Rd, Singapore 049411 |
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(65) 6536 2029 |
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Review 1 |
A nice, simple Irish bar with decent service and decent pours. This bar is in a nice location in the central business district behind boat quay, and even better there is a taxi stand right outside so it’s very convenient. I’d recommend it for anyone who wants a decent bar to enjoy a drink or two. – Joanna O
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Review 2 |
Really good fish & chips, and pan seared salmon. Warm & friendly service, cosy setting, and homely live music at night. It’s not clamorous like the nearby pubs, so it’s a nice place to hang out for a beer with friends. – Chong KL
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Review 3 |
Awesome food awesome company! Came to Molly for their Christmas special and regular set lunch (Had their Salmon) and it didn’t disappoint. Love the atmosphere and the food. Would recommend 😊 – Eugene Ng
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McGettigan’s Irish Pub |
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http://mcgettigans.com/singapore/ |
| Address |
3A River Valley Road, Merchant’s Court, Singapore 179020 |
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(65) 6837 0577 |
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Review 1 |
Ladies, please come here during Ladies night, you’ll get 4 glass of free drink, great live music and cozy place to hang out. You won’t be disappointed. – Aipie
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Review 2 |
Top Irish restaurant with a great Guinness. James the barman is a gem and took great care of us. Recommend as location next to river and great food and great service👌 – Oscar
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Review 3 |
The McGettigan’s in Clarke Quay is a great choice for watching sport. It also has great food and service so you really can’t go wrong. My most recent visit was during the Russian GP. Not only did they have the race on but they had the sound on as well. This was a nice surprise and further made me a loyal customer. – Jim Hurley
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Malthouse |
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| Address |
685 E Coast Rd, Singapore 459054 |
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(65) 6636 4436 |
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Review 1 |
Good food. Good beer. Decent prices. Nice people. Not sure you can ask for much more. – Desmond Low
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Review 2 |
Great pizza and a nice selection of crafty beers. Terrific vibe. Excellent service. And, it’s just around the corner from where I live. What’s not to like?! – Richard Matthews
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Review 3 |
Have been here a couple of times, the food never disappoints. Friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. Am definitely coming back! – Julia Tay
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Bar Stories |
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Click here to enquire |
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https://barstories.sg/ |
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(65) 6298 0838 |
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Review 1 |
Highly recommend the mussels and the curry crab risotto. In fact, almost everything in their menu is worth trying. Just go for it! |
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Review 2 |
This place is a gem! Personalized drinks based on your own preferences and flavor profiles. Awesome place for drinks with friends. The staff is so friendly and interactive that you wouldn’t be alone if you’re out for solo drinks. Try it… you’ll like it! 👍🏾 – Amanda Robinson |
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Review 3 |
Great food and drinks, and excellent service! If you’re allergic to seafood then your food options become limited though. Bartenders have creative drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Thanks great service by Ed and Nat – Gabbie Cheong |
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The Drunken Poet |
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View Menu for Pricing |
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| Address |
400 Orchard Rd, 01 -29C Orchard Towers, Singapore 238875 |
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(65) 6734 2924 |
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Review 1 |
Food was not bad, particularly love the finger food. Ambience was nice as well. Pretty decent place to chill and get a drink. – Jonathan Tai
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Review 2 |
Great service with delicious food as well. The staff were very welcoming and fun to talk with, even assisted with my friends to carry out the birthday celebration for me. Really thankful for this experience and their host. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a place to chill and drink. – Beverley Loke
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Review 3 |
A nice place to hang out in the heat of shopping district, cool environment to have friends with. Food are good and drinks are ice cold. A place that you can drop in anytime. – Benjamin Hoi Tang |
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Ice-Cold Beer |
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Click here to enquire |
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No. 9 Emerald Hill Road, Singapore 229293
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(65) 6735 9929 |
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Review 1 |
lots of super cold beer on tap as you would imagine. not so expensive. wait staff are FAST. popular with the after work crowds. nice finger food and not wait for the bathroom – which is important when u drink beer. – Maxim Kaye
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Review 2 |
Wonderful atmosphere for a pub. Old school charm in the middle of town. Several food items like the chicken wings and hot dogs probably the best in town. Attentive staff. Mid priced but check out the Happy Hour promos. – Julian Yue
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Review 3 |
One of my favourite pubs in town since 10 years or more. Good happy hour prices (although 7% GST added now) and nice must-try prawn paste fried chicken wings! Great pub atmosphere and ambiance, recommended! – Sebastian Teo
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The Secret Mermaid |
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| Address |
10 Collyer Quay, B1-09, Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315 |
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Review 1 |
Tucked underground, right alongside the MRT throughway. These folks have an extensive and deep collection of liquors. You’ll find both classic and craft distilleries represented. Super knowledgeable owners who are more than willing to customize drinks to your taste. – Sahala Swenson
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Review 2 |
Great place for post work drinks around raffles place. AMEX has a 1 for 1 promo for cocktails, which makes it a great place to start the weekend. – Jason Tan
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Review 3 |
Good cocktails, good food, and good service. Very cool setting in an unexpected (secret?) spot. – David Vignola
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Nutmeg & Clove |
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https://nutmegandclove.com.sg/ |
| Address |
10 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069789 |
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(65) 9389 9301 |
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Review 1 |
Love their cocktails, especially the ones made by the legendary Jayden! she always knows what I love best and everything is crafted to perfection. 10/10 best place to hang out after a long day at work. – Karen Hutchison
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Review 2 |
A cosy bespoke bar with really cool and interesting local themed/ tasting cocktails! |
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Review 3 |
Very unique local twists to cocktails in Singapore. Not too sure about some flavors, but you may find it amusing to try different flavors. One of the better cocktail bars in Singapore. – Nicholas Guan
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The Horse’s Mouth |
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| Address |
583 Orchard Road, Forum the Shopping Mall, #B1-39, Singapore 238884 |
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(65) 8188 0900 |
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Review 1 |
A nice speakeasy in the Forum mall. Lots of interesting drinks and some great bar food as well. They kindly accommodated a walk-in party of 6 when we came in around 11pm. I would definitely recommend this place, though you will have to search for it a bit! But that is part of the fun. – Joanna O
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Review 2 |
Kinda hidden cocktail bar in Singapore. Thanks to instructions by the local guides here, I was able to find this place effortlessly. So I’m not gonna comment an another instruction with how to reach this place. Drinks are cocktails are good. Ambience is quite nice. Expensive though. Service is good. – Chinmayi Prasanna
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Review 3 |
Ordered 2 bespoke cocktail. Bar tender was very friendly and drinks are nice. Great experience and definitely will visit again. – Karen Ho
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Smith Street Taps |
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Click here to enquire |
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| Address |
335 Smith St, #02-062, Singapore 050335 |
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(65) 9430 2750 |
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Review 1 |
Definitely a must visit to try the myriad of craft beers available. A little pricey for a hawker center but definately cheaper than any pub offering the same beers, if even available. Best thing is, there’s lots of great local food to pair with your beers. – C.H Lee
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Review 2 |
Great beer at good prices comparitively. Friendly staff and good recommendations. 10/10 best beer drinking we had whilst in Singapore. Also great satay available around the corner at bargain prices. – Callum Bolch
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Review 3 |
Can you believe that among all these hawker stalls selling cheap local food and drinks, that there’s this wonderful beer stall selling international microbrews with a view of the Chinatown food street? It’s true, and it’s amazing. – Victor Ma
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The Trenchard Arms |
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Click here to enquire |
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https://www.rabbit-carrot-gun.com/ |
| Address |
47 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428767 |
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(65) 6348 8568 |
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Review 1 |
A great pub- great team of staff, all the major sporting events (rugby, football), food is excellent and the beer selection great too. Will really make the effort to be friendly and accommodating to make this the main pub option on the east coast! – Carl Jones
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Review 2 |
Great place. Wonderful food and gin selection. – Sajith Kumar
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Review 3 |
Enjoyed a tasty Sunday Roast. Will be back again to try more dishes and some beers soon! Great spot to eat, drink, and watch sports. – Tim B
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1-Altitude |
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View Menu for Pricing |
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https://www.1-altitude.com/ |
| Address |
1 Raffles Place, One Raffles place, Singapore 048616 |
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(65) 6438 0410 |
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Review 1 |
Great cocktails, amazing view from 63rd floor, nice and polite stuff, we had two complimentary drinks in occasion of my birthday. From this place, unconditionally, you just start falling in love with Singapore! – Poly Polunytsya
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Review 2 |
Roof top lounge on 63rd Floor gives you spectacular 360 degree view of Singapore. The view from here is breathtaking. Nice place to spend with your friends. Drinks are decently priced not very pricey although we thought the place mike be expensive. Dishes are just above average. To end it this place is highly recommended if you want to experience the breathtaking view of Singapore. – Roopesh Praveen
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Review 3 |
Great place with a stunning view. You have a nice look over the city and on Marina Bay Sands. They also have a small dancefloor even though we rather enjoyed just relaxing and enjoying the view. – Julian
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Jekyll & Hyde |
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Click here to enquire |
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| Address |
49 Tras St, Singapore 078988 |
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(65) 6222 3349 |
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Review 1 |
Thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. It almost felt like it doesn’t belong to the mainstream Singapore at all. Service is amazing, and ambience is definitely a huge plus. Drinks are very well crafted, and the bartenders are good at their jobs. Fridays can be very crowded, so either call to reserve a space, or expect some wait when you arrive, or even the possibility where they’ll turn you away. – Flo Yeow
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Review 2 |
Can be very crowded on Fridays and Saturdays. But drinks are very good (especially the one inspired by soy beancurd!) and ambience makes for a great date night venue. – Simin S
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Review 3 |
Loved the Kopi Old Fashioned. It was super tasty. Tried what my friends got and all of the drinks were scrummy. You can get some good food as well. Definitely worth a visit or two. – Melissa Eisner
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Hospoda Microbrewery |
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Click here to enquire |
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| Address |
180 Albert St, #01-19 Village Hotel Albert Court, Singapore 189971 |
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(65) 9755 8929 |
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Review 1 |
Abit of a weird one, but if you’re looking for a reasonably priced beer (30% off between 5-8 I think) then might be worth a look. Two beers on tap or you can choose the half and half mix. Not bad really. – Ben Atkins
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Review 2 |
Tiny hole in the wall, sit outside and drink some great beer 😎 – Graham Barker
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Review 3 |
Good beer and a cool little microbrewery. Selection tiny of course but flavours definitely there. Not quite the super authentic Czech beer but good nonetheless. Would return again during happy hour. – Sammy Knox
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Chupitos Shots Bar |
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| Address |
3B Clarke Quay, #01 – 05, Singapore 179021 |
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Review 1 |
One of the best places in Singapore to get drunk. My favourite pick from their menu is the Gas Chamber. They also have a great range of interesting shots. Their foos is decent too. Since they have an outside seating as well so ambience is never a problem. – Vardaan Arora |
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Review 2 |
The staffs were very nice and friendly. They have an array of very interesting alcohol shots. When you order a half dozen of shot, the bartender will likely perform a little performance with fire. Although the drinks can be expensive, this shots bar is known to serve up cool combinations. Situated in Clarke Quay, it is popular among teenagers and adults. – Victor Tan
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Review 3 |
Friendly staff and amazing atmosphere. Happy hour prices also boosted the experience of hanging out with friends, coupled with the flavourful and creative shots selection. Will definitely head down again! – Cheesetxn
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Alley Bar |
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View Menu for Pricing |
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| Address |
2 Emerald Hill Road Peranakan Place, Singapore 229287 |
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Telephone |
(65) 6738 8818 |
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Review 1 |
Had a really nice time at the Alley Bar! Great service! Its eclectic Peranakan-meets-contemporary ambience and music set a perfect backdrop for the excellent food and drinks. Highly recommended for anyone looking for something snug and off-beat on Orchard Road. – Lakshmi Menon
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Review 2 |
Great cocktails and vibes! The friendly service team were really helpful in suggesting drinks that suits my preference, which shows great knowledge! The plush chairs at the other extension were really comfortable too. – Bonnie Lim
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Review 3 |
If you are looking for a place to catch up with friends and have a meaningful conversation, if you value private space and ambience, if you are price conscious, come to this place during happy hour! They have a few drink options at $6,$8,$10 during happy hour! – Esther Yanglan Wang
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Operation Dagger |
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Click here to enquire |
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| Address |
No.7 Ann Siang Hill, #B1-01 Singapore 069791 |
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(65) 6438 4057 |
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Review 1 |
Operation Dagger has been voted one of the best bars in the world and I can see why. Its creativity and innovation deserve recognition. While it is mainly minimalist, it does have an eye-catching feature above the bar – its 10,000 light bulbs! The bartenders will guide you through the menu! – East London Girl
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Review 2 |
Thankfully the entrance wasn’t that difficult to find – inside it’s actually quite spacious and the crew were happy to chat and introduce stories behind the drinks. Bravo to the team for putting a lot of effort into self-fermenting the ingredients. Drinks are quite mini in size though – so savour the few glups. – Ray Fung
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Review 3 |
A secret underground venue. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. On the higher price side but the cocktails are very craft and signature made so no complaints. Interesting venue. Not sure the large camera pointing down on the toilet for the rest of the bar to see is such a great idea. – Ben Hindmarsh
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KPO Bar |
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Click here to enquire |
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| Address |
1 Killiney Rpad, Killney Post Office |
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Telephone |
(65) 6733 3648 |
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Review 1 |
The ambiance was really good. Chill to say the least. Very responsive and attentive staff. Would recommend the truffle fries and hokkien noodles. – Jostian Ng
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Review 2 |
We really like this place. Very friendly staff. Food is great – Carlos Jaramillo |
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Review 3 |
Good band. Good environment. Good whisky place ! – Calvin Foo
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Editors Note:
While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information.
If you are a service provider and wish to be featured in this listing (MediaOne reviews are read by hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans) – please contact us at [email protected]. There is no charge! Please allow us up to 3 working days to review before adjusting the information or including your entry.
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