Concealed behind doors or discreet passageways, these bars offer an exciting blend of storytelling and cocktails.
SINGAPORE – Nestled behind unassuming facades and secret doorways, Singapore’s speakeasies whisk patrons away to hidden worlds with their design and storytelling.
Despite their hidden nature, speakeasies punch above their weight in Singapore’s nightlife scene. Two of Singapore’s three entries in The World’s 50 Best Bars list for 2023 were speakeasies Sago House and Jigger & Pony. Here is a look at four speakeasies that have opened their doors in the past year, and their owners who explain why they decided to create these hidden nightlife venues.Chandu is hidden behind an unassuming black facade with a moon emblem – a beacon for those in the know. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Mr Low explains that the bar’s concept draws inspiration from historical figure Dr J. Murray Robertson, a municipal councillor after whom the quay is named, and how he might have envisioned a surreptitious space for carousing and rubbing shoulders with underworld elements of the bygone era, such as triad members and opium traders.
“The secrecy and exclusivity is part of the point,” says Mr Low, who adds that creating a speakeasy starts from curating a guest’s journey well before they arrive at the venue. Each cocktail is presented with a story, delivered in hushed tones reminiscent of rumours and secrets one might exchange in an opium den.
The drink blends the Dutch spirit Bols Genever with tropical fruit and pink peppercorn, and is presented with a spray of cheap perfume, edible rice paper imprinted with Mata Hari’s visage and a lipstick-stained glass – an ode to the femme fatale.The outer facade of Lou Shang consists of a custom-made lift door. Pressing the button unveils the bar-cafe’s HDB corridor-like interior.
Mr Sebastian Ang, one of the co-founders of Lou Shang and Mama Diam, says his speakeasy’s hidden nature was secondary to telling a story of coming home, through nostalgic interior design. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR Many of Lou Shang’s tables and glassware were sourced from Carousell, including its glass mugs and vintage coffee cups. Custom-made replicas were commissioned when originals could not be found – including the stickers advertising tuition and plumbing services, the door frames and metal gates, and an old-school utility meter.
Lou Shang’s bar counter was inspired by the tables one might find at HDB void decks, and features a menu that draws heavily on nostalgia. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR “Raspberry Ripple is inspired by my fond memories of going down with my pocket money when the uncle came. Back then, it was just 80 cents.” The man behind it, bar industry veteran Dario Knox, says getting lost is part of the experience: “When you come into the building and try to find it, even when you have a booking, you’re gonna walk around going, ‘What the heck, where are we going?’ That’s the build-up to The Backdrop,” says Mr Knox, an Italian who has spent the past 13 years working in Singapore’s bar scene.
The experience is made possible by The Backdrop’s tech and design. Those seeking entry must either book in advance or figure out the riddle on the scroll at the door. Doing so means being rewarded with a QR code which, when scanned, grants access through the concealed door.
For instance, the menu’s second act is dedicated to fat-coated drinks that combine animal or vegetable fat with spirits, which are then brought below freezing point. Meanwhile, the third act is dedicated to milk punched cocktails, a technique dating back to the 1700s which mixes alcohol with citrus juice and milk.
Owner Ian Lin says that Close Shave’s design was guided by a desire to create a space that a customer could envision having a post-trim drink at. Able to seat just over 30 people, the 500 sq ft bar aims to emulate the smoky intimacy of an English gentleman’s club, he says.
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