What does Singapore do after work? A walk through any neighbourhood reveals the answer: people spill out of offices, loosen their ties, find somewhere to drink and eat, then drink, then eat again. In the evenings, the air is slightly cooler and lighter, and Singapore is lively, relaxed, hungry, curious, and in no hurry to get home.
A good place to see this up close is Ann Siang Hill and Duxton, where a simple stroll is a series of small discoveries and decisions—it feels like there is a restaurant or bar every few steps. On Amoy Street, not far from the charming Ann Siang Hill Park, cheek-to-jowl with hordes of dining and drinking options, is two-year-old Fura (74A Amoy Street, Level 2), ranked 42 on Asia's 50 Best Bars. Here, the philosophy and the framework behind food and drink is sustainability at its most creative. In practice, this means employing low-carbon-footprint ingredients that are available in abundance to make dishes such as ceviche with invasive spotted coral jellyfish, and homemade fruit wines from fruits and veggies that would otherwise go to waste, on the drinks menu called Ugly Delicious. (Pro-tip: arrive early in the evening for bar seats; they fill up stat post office hours.)
From Fura, the possibilities are vast and varied. A short walk away, unmarked, easy to miss, and behind a cafe curtain, is Cat Bite Club (75 Duxton Road), a worthy next contender. The cocktail menu is spun around artisanal distillates—agave and rice spirits, all serious and spirit-forward, carefully prepared and sparely garnished, like the Straight Outta Scallion with Tumugi Koji spirit, black garlic, scallion oil, and green walnut. (Pro-tip: choose your base spirit and let the bartender steer for an always happy surprise.)
Also, in Duxton is Rappu (52 Duxton Road), a handroll sushi bar with sake pairings and a solid rap (‘rappu’ is Japanese for rap) and hip-hop playlist. Not far, for a belly-laugh breather, we have Comedy Masala, which hosts well-programmed stand-up nights, attracting working-day crowds who prefer punchlines to playlists before heading to their next destination. (Pro-tip: sets often sell out midweek, so check show timings in advance).
On Purvis Street nearby, Nutmeg & Clove (8 Purvis Street) is dressed in a delicious shade of pink, down to the uniforms on its very friendly waitstaff, and the water glasses have clever lines printed on them. Here classic cocktails get elevated with local Singaporean ingredients, like the Pasar Punch built with flavours of a Singapore wet market, including beef stock, milk and passion fruit.
Upstairs, Last Word is quieter, and the name is a hint that classic cocktails are the hero here, with food that leans Japanese with furikake fries and tonkatsu. Bras Basah nearby has colonial-era architecture worth looking up for, as well as The Raffles and lifestyle-hub Chijmes. Vibrant Bugis with its markets, eateries and souvenir shops makes a fun detour. As do the bowling lanes at K Bowling Club with their office crowds still in work shoes in cheerful competition.
For a more deliberate night, there is Laut (#03-05, Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Rd)—the door of which takes some looking to find—on the third floor of Fortune Centre, an old Singapore mall that feels a bit like time travel with its many fabric and tailoring shops. Laut's 10-seater chef's table offers a seafood-forward tasting menu early in the evening, and à la carte later. Laut means 'the sea' in Malay, after all. (Pro-tip: for the best experience, book the chef’s table, then linger on for drinks and slow conversation.)
Savoury drinks are trending all around the world, and no one tilts harder into them than The Elephant Room (33 Tanjong Pagar Road, #01-02). There is Biryani, Chicken Curry, and Spiced Crab Rasam, and these are all libations. To get a more diverse sense of the burgeoning creative cocktail culture in the city, head to Origin Bar in the Shangri-La Hotel (Lobby Level, Tower Wing, 22 Orange Grove Rd). It’s on Tatler Asia and the World’s 50 Best Bars lists for good reason—this is not just a bar, but also a creative studio where a diverse team, with women leading, push flavour through attention to technique in a room inspired by trade. Do try the Glassberry which is a dry and potent, non-sweet strawberry drink.
After a few drinks, everyone thinks they can sing. HaveFun Karaoke (Cineleisure Orchard, 8 Grange Road) is where this theory can be tested. There are private rooms with proper acoustics, glossy interiors, and songbooks spanning from Mandopop to Madonna. HFK is polished enough to make tipsy visitors get away with singing badly thanks to a good sound system.
Or in between tables, do as Singaporeans do, and walk. The Esplanade sees free performances, and there's always music drifting through its open spaces. Breaking the glimmer of Marina Bay on the horizon are bikers on Night Cycling Tours, pedalling softly by the river, or the whizzing vespa scooters of Singapore Sidecars passengers in tow. Properly late into the night, gaming arcades like Timezone stay bright and busy, providing dopamine before and after dinner.
In Geylang, walking is rewarded with a variety of local and community plates, red lights co-existing with food. Indie Singapore’s Hush Night Food Tour (starts at Aljunied MRT Station), makes a good introduction to the back lanes and their stalls. There is always a crowd at Michelin-recognised Eminent Frog Porridge & Seafood (323 Geylang Road, Lorong 19), which serves exactly what it says, with a few iterations. (Pro-tip: going with a group means you can try all of them.) If it's durian season, every nose knows. Geylang’s San Shu Gong showcases Teochew cuisine from China’s Chaoshan region via delicious, braised seafood and vegetables.
After a really big evening out, when the city wants to put its feet up, it has g.Spa, award-winning, open 24 hours, with steam rooms and snacks in equal measure. Because, in the middle of the night, after consuming, imbibing, and strolling, few pleasures match a deftly delivered foot or head massage. Only so, in Singapore, we can drink, eat, walk, sing—and wake up the next day, ready to do it all over again.
