Top 10 Bars in Singapore

Singapore is one of my favorite cities. The Singapore nightlife is incredible and has some of the best cocktails and bars in the world.

With its endless options for amazing bars and restaurants, I wanted to share some of my favorite bars because honestly putting together a list for food is way too hard with so much great food in SG. You really can’t go wrong in Singapore when it comes to the food.

I lived and worked in Singapore in 2017 and recently went back for a 1 week getaway in April 2019 and I think I can finally put together my TOP 10 list of bars.

There are probably loads of other bars that are probably just as good or better but these are the ones that I’ve enjoyed most and would go back to any night of the week.

Here is the short list:

1. Employees Only
2. 28 Hong Kong Street
3. Atlas
4. Tippling Club
5. Nineteen80
6. Lantern
7. Loof
8. Escobar
9. Timbre X – The Arts House
10. Blu Jazz Café

NOTE: The rankings are not in any particular order as they are all so different and really depend on what you are looking for.

This most recent Singapore visit was definitely a food and drink holiday – yes, that’s a thing – where we just went to eat amazing food, relax, and escape the island life for a bit.

We ended up hitting up a lot of different bars. I think we may have hit the 30 mark in about 7 days. Most places were just for one drink and some were only to stop in and check out the “vibe”.

One thing that’s apparent when traveling to Singapore is that it is very, very, expensive. You can eat and drink relatively cheap if you know where to go with the food courts (hawker centers) and finding good happy hour deals. At night though, you’re kind of stuck paying market price at the more popular places.

That being said, we were living it up during our vacation but also tried to find deals where we could.

1. Employees Only

Starting off with a controversial one. Employees Only is anything you want it to be. It’s somewhat of a speakeasy that’s nestled in a tight space and usually is quite crowded. There is always a good mix of people dancing, having dinner, and conversing at the bar.

It’s really hard to describe Employees Only because when you first walk in, it looks like just another Singapore bar. The distinguishing factor is the eclectic vibe and lingering feeling like anything can happen here.

Let’s just say this, I’ve gone to this bar multiple times and always had an interesting story. From getting hit on by Japanese girls, to chatting it up with Aussies on the start of their world trip, to discussing geopolitics with British oil tycoons, this bar is like a box of chocolates: you just never know what kind of of crowd you’re going to get.

Maybe it’s a group of pretentious bankers, or a group of tourists who just arrived in Singapore that day. Or maybe it’s seasoned expats out for a good night. The bottom line is this bar is full of all walks of life which is why it’s at the top of the list. My favorite bar.

2. 28 Hong Kong Street

28 Hong Kong Street is a mix of a hip hop night club and upscale hotel cocktail bar, if that makes any sense. Let’s call 28 Hong Kong Street for what it is at its core, a SPEAKEASY.

Let’s face it, nowadays any Speakeasy worth its weight charges between $15-$18 a drink – apparently for the exclusivity – and there always seems to be an air of pretentiousness in these places.

I’ve been to a lot of speakeasies back in the U.S. (D.C., Philly, and NYC) and I can say that 28 Hong Kong Street is the best in Singapore and, in my opinion, one of the best in the world with its great music and specialty drinks.

Yes, it’s pricey but compared to NYC where it’s $15USD for drink, $18SGD is really not that bad for a world class cocktail. Yes, there are also a few pompous elites who think they are much cooler that they are but that is anywhere in a rich city like Singapore.

Even with the slight stuffiness, this is still a great place to go with a group of friends for one drink to end your night with some good music and funky drinks. The cocktails are very creative with a rotating menu however they are definitely on the expensive side ($18-$20SGD) but absolutely delicious so one is all you really need.

The exclusive and intimate atmosphere at 28 Hong Kong Street is what distinguishes it from other bars, but be willing to pay a hefty price premium. Despite the price, I still think it’s worth it to go for a drink and to hangout.

3. Atlas

Atlas is one of the fanciest bars in all of Singapore and also a place you must visit at least once. Once you walk through the doors and see the bar and elaborate architecture of bottles lining up all the way to the ceiling, you will understand why.

This would be a great place to bring a date or for a special night out. I’ve been twice and I can contest the drinks, service, and atmosphere live up to the hype. This past April my friend and I stopped in to check out the scene and were both impressed with the caliber of service and classiness of this place. As corny as it sounds, just stepping in this place made me feel like I was in a James Bond movie or something.

There was a 2 hour wait at the bar so we moved on. Even if you don’t get a drink here, it’s still a neat place to walk in and check out the ambiance and take a couple pictures of the beautiful bar layout.

4. Tippling Club

The Tippling Club is a super famous bar in Singapore and consistently ranks as one of the top bars in the world. The bar itself is nothing special but the cocktails are on point. It’s more of an experience with the bartender discussing what type of flavors you like and what type of mixes would pair well together.

The bartenders and drinks are top notch and nothing short of world class. After discussing what kind of drink suits you, the bartender will artfully whip up a concoction specially made to your liking adding some signature twist that makes each drink unique. They used to have gummy worms that you could try to see what kinds of flavors you like but they have since stopped that.

Definitely one of the best bars to get an amazing cocktail in Singapore and the bartenders here can probably go toe to toe with any mixologist in the world.

5. Nineteen80

This is such a cool bar. As the name suggests, this bar is 80’s themed equipped with your favorite 80’s / 90’s arcade games, funky drinks, and some really awesome 80’s style art.

This bar may not be well known, but is definitely one of the most unique bars I’ve ever been to. Not only that but the music is stellar and the drinks were quite reasonable for Singapore standards – $12SGD. I would highly recommend checking it out to bring back some memories of the glory days.

6. Lantern

This is more of a hotel than bar but has one of the best views of the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Singapore Skyline.

Come at sunset or at night and you won’t be disappointed in the views. There is also a pool and beautiful garden that surrounds the bar so you feel you have escaped the city hustle and bustle. The seating is really nice here and very spaced out so you can get a private little escape from the other groups.

This is another great spot for a happy hour or to bring a family. I also like this location because it’s within walking distance to the harbour and if you go at sunset or after walking around all day it’s close to all the tourist spots like the Merlion, Gardens by the bay, Clark Quay, etc.

BONUS: Another great nearby spot is the PELICAN Outdoor Patio bar with similar views of MARINA BAY SANDS and great happy specials.

7. Loof

While there are many exclusive rooftop bars with much better views in Singapore, I still love Loof as a simple open air style rooftop bar.

This is definitely one of my favorite happy spots mainly because it’s so open and you feel like you’re in the heart of the city looking into the middle of the city skyline.

The happy hour specials are quite good for beers and rail drinks and the crowd is lively and fun. It’s always filled with big groups coming in for a drink after work. A great place to meet up with friends or for a friendly happy hour.

8. Escobar

Escobar may not be on many lists for TOP BARS IN SINGAPORE , but hear me out. This bar was recommended by a friend as a place with good music. After hitting this bar as our first stop on a Friday night, I can conclude that this is a great warmup bar before you head out for a night of dancing. Being that its name is ESCOBAR, you can expect a fair amount clubby Reggaeton pumping and a good mix of Latino/Indian/Turkish/Arabian music.

It is located on a charming little street in China Square that has plenty of outdoor seating which is great so that you can still have a conversation but also listen to the music. Escobar also has great deals on Guinness ($8SGD) and other drinks which makes it one of the best in Singapore for value, especially as a pre-game spot.

9. Timbre X – The Arts House

A friend of mine introduced me to Timbre and I was pleasantly surprised. It sits right on the water at the end of Clark Quay and is within walking distance to all of the museums and close to Marina Bay Sands Waterfront.

The drinks were nothing special, but the food was pretty good. The main attraction is the live music which you can listen to while staring up at the city skyline looking past all the tourists on the riverwalk.

Being that this is an Arts House the music varies but mainly it’s acoustic sets. While there is nothing that sets this bar apart from other similar live music bars, Timbre does it well enough and therefore makes the cut as a go-to for chill live music in a great setting.

There is another Timbre X location called the Substation which apparently is another great bar for live music and food.

10. Blu Jazz Cafe

Keeping with the live music theme for the last two on the list, Blu Jazz Cafe is one of the best live music bars in all of Singapore. Singapore is not known for its live music scene so the fact that this bar routinely attracts very talented Jazz musicians speaks volumes.

Blu Jazz Cafe is located on Arab street within a 10 min walk from the Bugis MRT. There is street art, quirky little shops, and some fabulous restaurants tucked in this area. For that reason, Blu Jazz Cafe sits in one of the best spots for a chill evening listing to music outside.

This bar does get crowded at night when there is a good band playing. It’s also not really a happy hour spot but more of an after dinner hang out to listen to music over a couple of drinks. There have long been rumors and talks of this place shutting down, but as of April 2019 it’s still open and there was still great live music playing at night.

 So that’s my Singapore recommended bar list! Have at it and let me know what you think!

Hope you enjoyed!