A heritage mansion, a vintage train carriage and a door marked ‘Players Only’ – seven of this year’s openings went all in on concept.
Singapore’s best new bars didn’t play it safe this year. Each one picked a concept and committed to it.
And you get to tour the city while you check them out. Our guide takes you from the shophouses of Tanjong Pagar and Kampong Glam to the riverside at Boat Quay, the Orchard end of town, and even the National Gallery.
There’s a big-name rooftop, a 21-seat hideaway, and a pub that runs on live music, plus bars built on Korean drinking culture and Filipino hospitality.
Here’s where to start.
Earworm
A corner pub on Boat Quay, this is ‘your local wiggle room’, and it runs on music. It comes from the team behind Offtrack, which ranks No. 16 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 and No. 89 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026 (51–100).
Live at the Worm is the Wednesday stalwart, where local musicians play improvised jams and their own material – no covers here. Wormhole, running Fridays and Saturdays from 9pm until 2am, sees DJs slowly ramp it up from dinner into dancing.
For a sense of the variety, look back at the housewarming on October 9. Molam (traditional folk storytelling rooted in Laos and Thailand) was the centerpiece, with Paradise Bangkok playing live after Zudrangma Records founder Maft Sai’s set.
The room has a distinctly ’60s style: the furnishings honor the era, and old music posters cover the wood-paneled walls. Settle in wherever suits. There’s a semi-open street corner, a communal nook at the back, and a main room for dinner, live music, and weekend dancing.
When it comes to the menu, the cocktails also lean classic, with a twist. Everything is arranged by mood, from light and bright to bold and punchy. The Black Olive Spritz takes olive brine and throws in Aperol, Gin Mare, Cynar, and sparkling wine. For something richer, order the Toreador and embrace its blend of butter, Espolòn Blanco, and apricot.
Beyond the cocktails, there’s craft beer and a short but carefully curated natural wine list, including a rare orange wine from Ningxia, China’s best-known wine region.
Comfort food with an Asian twist, and made for sharing, best describes the food. Dinner runs 6–10pm, and a shorter Grub menu is your backup until 11pm. The mala rigatoni is worth ordering, and so is the teh tarik tres leches for dessert. Ponder too long, and you’ll likely end up with the Spice Bag, a heavily Asian spin on a takeaway favorite: all fries, okra, and padrón with curry spice (plus calamari and prawns, chicken, or mushrooms).
Walk-ins are welcome all night, so there’s no need to stress planning ahead. Just show up, and you’ll probably end up dancing.
What: A retro corner pub with live bands midweek and DJs on weekends
Where: 16 North Canal Road, Boat Quay
When: Tue–Thu 6pm–1am, Fri–Sat 6pm–2am
How: Instagram | Website
Milli
Two massive names in the local scene joined forces to take over the National Gallery’s storied rooftop. The bar’s name comes from ‘millennium’, a nod to Singapore’s rapidly evolving identity.
LG Han, chef-owner of one-Michelin-starred Labyrinth, is handling the food. Vijay Mudaliar, co-founder of Native, has the drinks on lock, and his Bae’s Cocktail Club crew keep the party going at the Level 5 Lounge.
The top level is a 100-seat rooftop overlooking the Padang and Marina Bay, in the old Smoke & Mirrors space, which ran for nine years until 2025. Down below, the Lounge was previously the Yan Cantonese restaurant. Here, the ‘view’ comes from a 20-meter HD screen that acts as a false window, showing the skyline and moving to the beat.
Vijay’s drinks tend to draw on local and regional produce and history. The signature drink, the Milli, remixes the Million Dollar Cocktail, a forgotten classic rumored to be created by Ngiam Tong Boon of Singapore Sling fame. Another Hendrick’s Gin partners mandarin grenadine, yuzu, pineapple, fino sherry, and dry vermouth. Sling It is the bar’s Singapore Sling riff and comes in a flute with a packet of peanuts alongside. A little more out there is the Mil Spicy Margarita, a tribute to the McDonald’s McSpicy and billed as a “burger in a glass.”
LG’s menus take similar liberties with Singaporean classics and are built for sharing. Some Dinner menu highlights include the Oyster Omelet Soufflé (featuring premium Hyogo oysters) and the Hua Dan Lobster Laksa, a whole Boston lobster served with cheong fun (steamed rice rolls). If it’s the After Dark menu, try the High Roller Prata Pizza, with 50g of Oscietra caviar and gold flakes. Or for something lower-key, the MIL-LY Smashed Burger, LG’s spin on the Ramly burger, the egg-wrapped street-stall favorite.
Downstairs at the Lounge, a DJ spins every night from 10pm until late. The tagline ‘Nostalgia, Remixed’ hints at the retro-meets-modern vibe you can expect. American rapper G-Eazy headlined the grand opening in August, and the club has already hosted guest DJs from across Asia.
Whenever you decide to stop by, this joint has you covered – from set lunches on the rooftop to dancing until as late as 4am.
What: Local classics remixed on the rooftop, with a nostalgia-fueled club downstairs
Where: #05-02 and #06-01, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road
When: Sun–Tue 11am–1am, Wed–Fri 11am–3am, Sat 11am–4am
How: Instagram (Sky) | Instagram (Lounge) | Website
BOP (Bartenders of Pony)
Somaek, soju poured into beer, is a staple of a Korean night out. BOP’s signature is the Iced Somaek, where Cass draft lager is topped with shaved ice made from the house soju blend. It’s also emblematic of Jigger & Pony Group co-owner and creative director Uno Jang’s founding desire: to build a bar around how Koreans actually drink.
Thirteen specials play on Korean flavors and drinking habits, with seasonal options available as well. The BOP Martini mixes Ilpum Andong soju and gin with seaweed and cloudy takju. The olive is pickled jangajji-style in soy and served like the side dishes known as banchan. Monkey Shoulder whisky meets buldak sauce, honey, and yuja in the distinctive Buldak Penicillin. Drop in from 6–7:30pm for happy hour cocktails at S$16. Hungry? Pair the Iced Somaek with ‘Culinary Class Wars’ alum Chef Jason Oh’s fried chicken to replicate chimaek, Korea’s classic chicken-and-beer combo.
The bar’s name stands for Bartenders of Pony, a nod to the Jigger & Pony team’s cute habit of calling themselves ‘ponies’. It opened on January 31 this year, after a sold-out pop-up at Offtrack earlier that month. Having trained in car mechanics first, Uno likes to compare building a drink to fixing an engine.
BOP sits on the first floor of a conservation shophouse on buzzing Tras Street, in what locals and expats alike know as Singapore’s unofficial Koreatown. Gabriel Tan of Studio Antimatter designed it around obangsaek, Korea’s traditional five-color palette. The Bojagi Room at the back features crimson sofas behind a curtain inspired by patchwork wrapping cloths, and ’80s and ’90s hits on vinyl seal the vibe.
Drinkers caught on fast, starting with that sold-out pop-up, and the industry soon followed. BOP took home Best New Bar at the SGCX Singapore Bar Awards in June, while Uno won Bartender of the Year. No. 52 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 extended list (51–100) made it the highest new entry. Uno had a vision, and Singapore seems to be buying it.
What: Korean drinking culture, reworked by Jigger & Pony
Where: 76 Tras Street, Tanjong Pagar
When: Sun–Thu 6pm–1am, Fri–Sat 6pm–2am
How: Instagram | Website
The Singapore Martini Club
At the door, the staff will greet you with a cheery “welcome on board.” It makes sense once you realize you’re entering a martini bar built like a vintage luxury train carriage.
If you’ve booked in advance, a retro mini suitcase with your name on it awaits on your table, along with lucky-draw tickets. These guys have fully committed to the bit, with carriage-style booths, overhead luggage racks, pleated lamps, and red velvet.
Accordingly, the menu runs like a train journey, stop by stop, all the way to the end of the line. Start at Main Station and work your way through five numbered stops, each with a handful of martinis, then Final for the dry classics. Early on, there’s the Santorini Martini – amusingly phrased as a “Greek Salad as a drink!” – comprising gin, bell pepper, feta, oregano, and cucumber. The Blue Cheese Dry Martini is a classy choice at Final, accompanied by a spoon of caviar.
Surprise, you’re not at the end of the line just yet. Next comes ‘Reversal’, the Sub-Zero Dirty Martini, constructed at your table and checked with a thermometer until it hits a clean –10°C. The side platter of olives, cheese, and pickled peppers is a welcome refuel. Last comes ‘The Terminus’: the ‘Guanciale’ Sinful Martini, finished with rendered oil from the Italian salt-cured pork jowl. In their own words, “savory, dry indulgence.”
Founder Dario Knox has 25 years of bar experience. He’s the man behind The Other Room, which made Asia’s 50 Best Bars, and The Backdrop, the cabaret-themed sister bar a few doors down at the upscale Voco Orchard.
Food is served until 2am. Choose from a caviar bump with a sake shot or five kinds of olives, including Gordal with feta. No matter which stop you get off at, the bar has you covered.
What: A vintage train-carriage bar with more than 50 martinis on the line
Where: #01-01 Orchard Rendezvous Hotel, 1 Tanglin Road
When: Tue–Sat 6pm–2am
How: Instagram | Website
Players Table
Stroll through beer pub WitBier, pass the pool table, and you’ll spot a black door with a red ‘Players Only’ sign marking the entrance to a 21-seat room. Every signature cocktail pairs two key ingredients, the ‘players’ referenced in the name.
Inside, everything feels sleek and mid-century: a soft golden glow, seven seats at a stainless-steel bar, and low-slung seating at the back. As the team puts it, ‘Minimalist space. Maximalist flavor.’
The bar offers 12 specialties, each named after its pairing. Bell Pepper x Melon is made with aged Topanito reposado, while Osmanthus x Cognac (Martell VSOP, osmanthus, Dolin Blanc, Italicus, rose water) is served straight up, with a carafe on ice on the side so it stays cold without watering down. If you opt for the founders’ picks, Jasper’s go-to is Pandan x Coconut, while Sencha x Yuzu is Marcus’s shout.
Co-founders Jasper Tan and Marcus Liow met while working at award-winning MOGA, though their respective industry experience runs much deeper, from Cin Cin for Jasper to Anti:Dote and Barbary Coast for Marcus. Even WitBier, the pub out front, belongs to Marcus’s family.
And they’re not the only ones recommending drinks. One-night guest shifts are a key feature here. One recent example: Vinc Pow from Shui in Malaysia headlined ‘Cocktails & Techno’ in September. There’s food too, from a humble cheeseburger to gyoza-stuffed chicken wings.
Regulars can often be seen grabbing a beer at WitBier before heading through the door to step up and play.
What: A hidden 21-seat bar behind a beer pub, built on two-ingredient cocktails
Where: Level 1, inside WitBier, 14 Aliwal Street, Kampong Glam
When: Tue–Sat 6pm–12am
How: Instagram | Facebook
Bar Kap
Inside the House of Tan Yeok Nee, an 1885 pepper merchant’s mansion and the last of Singapore’s Four Grand Mansions, sits one of the city’s hottest new draws, which we took a deep dive into last month.
The cocktail menu, the Kapitan’s Archives, opens with “There is no correct place to begin.” But let’s give it a bash.
From the Kapitan chapter, Manifest builds on a base of gin with palo cortado, nashi pear, toasted purple rice, and sesame oil. For something more tropical, try Order’s Censer, a blend of mezcal, Ancho Reyes, charred pineapple, and grapefruit soda. The right note to end on could just be a proper nightcap from the Dynasty chapter. Black Lacquer combines coconut rum, cherry wine, kopi, molasses, black sesame, and biscuit.
On the food side, the Chilli Pork is worth a look, a simple but effective combo of slow-cooked pork jowl and coconut chili sambal. The Bar Kap Bao offers up flatbread with homemade beef rendang and pickled mango. Or for something sweet, the Sesame Pot Sticker is right there with its peanut and black sesame dumplings.
After all, when there’s no correct place to begin, there’s even more reason to come back and take a different route next time.
What: A heritage mansion’s history, told in cocktails, chapter by chapter
Where: The House of Tan Yeok Nee, 101 Penang Road
When: Daily 5pm–12am
How: Instagram | Website
Your Mother’s House
Where else would you go to be fed and fussed over without drama? Your mother’s house, of course. Co-owner Bryan Bonifacio brings Filipino hospitality to the bar. Back home in Manila, the everyday greeting is “Kumain ka na?” – “have you eaten yet?” Here, that care shows up as speed, with your drink typically arriving within a minute of sitting down, thanks to most of the menu being batched in advance.
Bryan and co-owner Shaheera ‘Sheera’ Rahman both came from the renowned Singapore bar Employees Only. It’s their first venture, and the offer to take on the old No Sleep Club space came almost by chance. They grind in every area: behind the bar, in the kitchen, on the floor. So when Bryan says, “It’s just like you’re coming to your friend’s house,” it lands right.
When the pair’s initial choice of designers fell through, they redid the space themselves. Out went the prior industrial look and traditional back bar. Now, it’s defined by home touches: cabinets, decorative objects, and communal seating. Glass doors, no hidden entrance. A doormat reading ‘Your Mother’s House’ simply welcomes you in. Make yourself at home and enjoy.
The 12-drink menu has six ‘signature classics’, each merging two classics into one. And it’s still very personal, as Bryan puts it: “We’ll just serve what we like drinking.” The Dirty Tommy’s is a Tommy’s Margarita crossed with a dirty martini: tequila, mezcal, French vermouth, house olive brine, and a tagine rim. For food, it’s all rooted in the comfort vibe. Think Indomie with chicken, two eggs, and house chili oil, or patis wings with garlic and calamansi.
Happy hour runs 3–7pm and operates in a familiar tone: ‘Come home early. Your mother said so.’ The menu is a collaboration with Kyoto speakeasy Bee’s Knees, and framed as pasalubong, or a gift you bring home from your travels. Cocktails start from S$16+, and one standout is the Umami Sea Mary, a medley of Wheatley vodka, chili, katsuobushi, tomato water, and scallop.
It’s a fitting place to end, because there’s no better last stop than home.
What: A house-party bar with comfort food and rapid-fire drinks
Where: 20 Keong Saik Road, Tanjong Pagar
When: Tue–Sun 3pm–12am
How: Instagram
