13 Best Nightlife in Singapore
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Singapore’s late-night options have expanded in recent years to include more highbrow lounges with million-dollar views, mixologists shaking up the trendiest ingredients, and bars tapping into some of the beers from all over. After work, professionals and expats typically congregate at watering holes on Club Street and pubs in Boat Quay, as well as at some of the cocktail bars that have been popping up around Chinatown and Haji Lane.
Nightclubs featuring electronic dance music have a massive following here, and that's been true since the opening of Zouk, back in 1996. Additional clubs can be found around Clarke Quay and throughout the CBD.
First-time visitors should be prepared for the exorbitantly expensive prices that clubs charge. Beer guzzlers on a budget are best off sipping on a few at the hawker centers, one of the only places to find reasonable rates.
Be aware that although the once-bawdy Bugis Street has been sanitized, a seedy underworld still exists elsewhere in town. Red-light districts, which are mostly found in parts of Geylang, have buildings that really are lit by red lanterns. Soliciting for prostitution is illegal, but the deed itself isn't; it's actually tolerated, monitored, and contained, with most prostitutes registered and subject to regular medical checks. If karaoke is what you seek, keep in mind that it is common for "KTV" lounges to be a cover for prostitution.
Manhattan Bar
Recalling the golden age of New York, with a menu that takes you on a journey of cocktail history, this dark and sultry cocktail bar in the Conrad Singapore Orchard offers more than 220 whiskeys. It's also the first in the world to craft negronis with ingredients that have been solera-aged—and right in the hotel’s own 100-barrel rickhouse. No wonder it often ranks in the World's 50 Best Bars.
No. 5 Emerald Hill Cocktail Bar
Pretty red lanterns hang above you at this chic cocktail bar inside a restored two-story Paranakan terraced house, reflecting the design style of the early-20th-century Straits-Chinese shophouses. There are a variety of enticing cocktails on offer (sampling the signature chilli-infused vodka is a must) plus an impressive selection of spirits, shooters, beers, and mocktails. You can enjoy regular live music and performances; sample the bar snacks, which include pizza and chicken wings; or just sit back and enjoy the ambiance.
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The Other Room
Recognized as one of Asia's 50 best bars, The Other Room is a moodily-lit speakeasy where mixologists sling cocktails until the early hours. The allure is its location: hidden behind a largely unmarked black door inside the Marriott Hotel. It’s small and snug inside, so it’s better to reserve ahead if you want to secure a table, especially if you want to try their version of the classic Reuben sandwich. The cocktails are the real stars, though, made using the 100 different cask-finished spirits blended in-house.
Acid Bar
This bustling bar alongside Emerald Hill has been rocking for more than 15 years. It has a nice outside seating area—great for people-watching—and a cozy interior where live bands play every evening. The artists tend to be up-and-coming, so the music can sometimes be hit or miss, but it's a good place for a few drinks and dancing. It tends to be quite noisy, so don't come if you're looking for a quiet conversation.
Alley Bar
Tucked between two heritage Peranakan shophouses on Emerald Hill, this low-key cocktail bar has atmospheric lanterns hanging from its ceiling and gold and copper decorations dotting its 15m-long brass bar. The excellent daily happy hour (5 pm to 8 pm) makes it a popular after-work haunt with locals. Prices are very reasonable given the Orchard Road locale. On Wednesday, women can enjoy free-flowing bubbly from 7 pm to 9 pm during the Singaporean tradition of Ladies Night.
Brix
Renowned for being one of the hottest nightlife destinations in Singapore, this hotel bar often has a line outside. Drinks are fairly standard—expect whiskey, wine, and beer—but the music is great, featuring everything from disco and soul to R&B and jazz. A live band usually begins playing around 10 pm each night, and the dance floor can get busy.
D’Underground
This bar-club is a popular spot among younger Singaporeans who come to play games and dance until 6 am. The bar has a range of nostalgic table games, including Crocodile Dentist, Penguin Trap, and Pirate Roulette, as well as a large area dedicated to beer pong. The free-flowing alcohol packages make it an affordable place to dance the night away, listening to live bands.
Foc Pim Pam
Ice Cold Beer
Set in a 1910 townhouse noted for its Straits-Chinese architecture, this bustling pub attracts expats and locals alike and serves some 60 beers on tap or in bottles (they're "ice cold" from being in vast ice tanks). At the back of the bar, you can play darts; upstairs, you can play pool and arcade games. If you get peckish, the range of international bar snacks includes hot dogs, chicken wings, and mini-burgers.
KPO
Once the Killiney Post Office, this Orchard Road landmark is now a spacious two-level indoor and outdoor bar with a great ambience in the evening. Balcony tables upstairs offer views of the traffic whizzing by, while inside the mix of raw concrete walls and steel architecture contrasts with the chill tunes that usually play, often mixed by a local DJ. Tuck into solid local dishes like Hokkien mee or nasi lemak with your beer. Happy hour promotions run every day until 8 pm.
Muddy Murphy's
Inside Claymore Connect is this Irish pub famed for its wine-and-cheese promotions; Sunday Roast lunches; live Irish-Celtic bands; and beverage selection that includes whiskeys, draft Kilkenny Ale, and Guinness Stout. The bar was actually built in Dublin in 1996 before being reassembled in Singapore. It's one of the most popular spots on Orchard Road to catch live sports, with huge TVs showing rugby, football, boxing, tennis, and more. It also has live-music performances on weekends and Thursday quiz nights.
The Drunken Poet
This always-lively Irish pub is well known for its revelry, especially during the sports-games screenings that take place throughout the week. Though it serves good food, the quintessentially Irish drinking atmosphere is the real draw, especially after dark. The kitchen serves filling pub grub until 2 am most nights.