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The Old Fashioned has survived Prohibition, cocktail revolutions, and countless drink trends. Somehow, it still refuses ...
02/06/2026

The Old Fashioned has survived Prohibition, cocktail revolutions, and countless drink trends. Somehow, it still refuses to get… old.

Now is giving the whisky classic a fresh lease of life with Monkey Old Fashioned Month, a citywide celebration running across more than 35 bars in Singapore through 30 June.

The idea is simple: take one of the world’s most enduring cocktails and let bartenders interpret it their own way.

At .hawk.sg, the Sunday Sensation channels the nostalgic indulgence of an ice cream sundae. The Monkey Mango goes tropical with coconut fat-washed whisky, mango tea and a playful Thai look chub garnish. Over at .sg, passion fruit brings a bright, fruit-forward lift to the classic template.

Beyond the featured bars, you’ll also find Monkey Old Fashioned Month pours at venues ranging from and to , and outlets across the island.

The celebration culminates at the .sg festival (13–14 June) at , where Monkey Shoulder is offering up a showcase of classic and contemporary Old Fashioned interpretations.

Monkey Old Fashioned Month runs across multiple venues across Singapore now till June 2026. Which version will you try first — classic, tropical or dessert-inspired?

Read more on our site.

Celebrity tequila brands are all the rage these days, but serious tequila drinkers, however, aren’t an easy lot to impre...
31/05/2026

Celebrity tequila brands are all the rage these days, but serious tequila drinkers, however, aren’t an easy lot to impress.

Pantalones Tequila arrives at an interesting moment in Singapore’s agave scene, one which has over the past few years evolved from salt-and-lime shots to sipping spirits thanks to progressive bars like and .tersg. Co-founded by Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey, the organic tequila brand joins a market that has increasingly embraced additive-free tequila, artisanal production and premium agave experiences.

Produced from 100% Blue Weber agave at a family-owned distillery in Amatitán, Jalisco, is available in three expressions — Blanco, Reposado and Añejo — and carries USDA Organic certification alongside a commitment to donate 1% of revenue to environmental causes through the 1% for the Planet initiative.

The brand’s motto? “100% Premium Organic Tequila. 0% Organic Pretentiousness.”

Yet beneath the tongue-in-cheek marketing sits a tequila that appears less interested in exclusivity than accessibility. Would you try a celebrity-backed tequila if the liquid was good enough?

Available in Singapore and Malaysia through .

📷:

Speakeasies are a thing of the past… or are they, really?Hidden behind a nondescript door within beer bar on Aliwal Str...
29/05/2026

Speakeasies are a thing of the past… or are they, really?

Hidden behind a nondescript door within beer bar on Aliwal Street is Players Table, one of the more recent hidden bars to open in Singapore.

The minimal yet intimate speakeasy builds every signature cocktail around just two key ingredients — the “Players” — with everything else designed to support that central pairing. The result is a menu that is focused without sacrificing technical precision.

Highlights include Strawberry x Hojicha, a bright whisky highball balancing roasted tea and strawberry shrub; Mango x Bird’s Eye Chili, a tropical Margarita riff with a gentle kick; and Hazelnut x Earl Grey, a richly nutty take on the Old Fashioned. Meanwhile, Osmanthus x Cognac offers a floral, Martini-esque interpretation lifted by Italicus and rose water.

What makes truly interesting isn’t that it rejects modern cocktail techniques. It doesn’t. Careful flavour-building remains very much part of the programme. They just don’t beat you over the head with it. They simply understand that cocktails are ultimately meant to be enjoyed rather than decoded.

If you’re looking for a bar that feels more like a quiet, private watering hole, this might just be the place.

Full review on our site.

: Players Table ::
📍14 Aliwal St, Singapore 199907
⏱️ 6pm to 12am Tuesdays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays and Mondays 

French cuisine has survived every dining trend imaginable because it understands one simple truth: people like comfort. ...
28/05/2026

French cuisine has survived every dining trend imaginable because it understands one simple truth: people like comfort. And at a time when Singapore’s dining scene is awash with chef’s counters, escalating tasting menus and increasingly performative dining experiences, Bouillon Gavroche at feels almost counter-revolutionary in its simplicity.

The newer — and considerably rowdier — sibling of introduces the concept of the Parisian bouillon to Singapore: a 19th century French dining concept built around hearty, affordable meals served quickly in lively communal dining rooms.

Think less polished brasserie glamour, more democratic comfort. And honestly? Singapore could use more restaurants like this.

The room leans heavily into Parisian nostalgia without becoming costume theatre — red banquettes, vintage French posters, tightly packed tables and an atmosphere that encourages repeat visits rather than special occasions.

But it’s the food at that sells the idea best.

The Bouillon de Volaille et Vermicelle recalls the broth-first origins of bouillons themselves, while the Oeufs Mimosa delivers creamy devilled eggs with unapologetic simplicity. The Boeuf Bourguignon with elbow pasta may well become the signature order — rustic, hearty and deeply comforting in the way French food often is when stripped of ceremony.

Most surprising of all? The prices.

Starters from S$6++, mains below S$30++, and French wine by the glass or carafe at prices that feel almost suspicious by Orchard Road standards.

Guess we’ll be seeing you there.

: Bouillon Gavroche ::
📍333A Orchard Rd, Mandarin Gallery 01-16/17, Singapore 238897
⏱️ 11.30am to 11pm daily

Singapore doesn’t exactly lack places to drink late into the night. But finding one built around serious wine rather tha...
26/05/2026

Singapore doesn’t exactly lack places to drink late into the night. But finding one built around serious wine rather than edgy cocktails? That’s rarer.

Enter Bonsoir by Ma Cuisine, the after-hours alter ego of Singapore’s only Michelin-starred gastro wine bar. Every Friday and Saturday from 10pm, the Craig Road space sheds its dinner-hour formality for something softer: low lighting, hypnotic house music, rotating themed wine programmes, and bottles drawn from one of the city’s deeper cellars.

Expect weekly deep dives spanning outsider producers, women winemakers, Burgundy discoveries and more — designed as much for curious drinkers as seasoned collectors. The mood is intentionally relaxed, the wines less intimidating than their labels might suggest.

And because late-night drinking generally benefits from food: truffle caramel popcorn arrives for grazing, while the ever-popular Croque Monsieur at makes a persuasive case for staying longer than planned.

We love our cocktail bars for sure, but this late-night wine rendezvous calls to us as well.

This and other early- and late drinking rituals in our recent Drinkspotting roundup.

:: Bonsoir by Ma Cuisine ::
📍38 Craig Rd, Singapore 089676
⏱️ Fridays & Saturdays | 10pm till late

GastroBeats is back for its 5th edition this June! What began as a celebration of food and music has along the way becom...
24/05/2026

GastroBeats is back for its 5th edition this June!

What began as a celebration of food and music has along the way become more than just another festival, somehow morphing into a much-anticipated fixture in Singapore’s social calendar.

And this time round it promises to be even bigger and better.

Running from 5–28 June 2026 at Bayfront Event Space, GastroBeats returns with over 40+ food vendors — including the likes of , , , & more — along with live music from local acts including , and as well as various brand activations and drinks experiences.

In a city known for being (too) highly curated, GastroBeats’ enduring appeal may lie in creating that most unlikely of spaces, one where food, music, nightlife, emerging brands and communities comfortably collide.

Five years in, we think increasingly feels rather like a snapshot of contemporary Singapore itself — multicultural, food-obsessed.. and forever chasing the next shared experience.

See you there?

📍 GastroBeats 2026
🗓 5–28 June 2026
📌 Bayfront Event Space, Singapore
🎟 Free admission
🐶 Pet-friendly!

Would you travel all the way to Mandai for dinner?We’re talking about Forage, the signature restaurant at where Chef de...
22/05/2026

Would you travel all the way to Mandai for dinner?

We’re talking about Forage, the signature restaurant at where Chef de Cuisine Marcus Tan builds menus around rooftop herbs, local produce and sustainability practices that feel genuinely embedded rather than pay mere, well, lip service.

Singapore has spent years talking about farm-to-table dining. Forage makes a stronger case for it than most. Highlights included Katsuo with soy and coriander that let the skipjack tuna’s umami do the heavy lifting, alongside White Asparagus accented with nori and tonburi. The Poulet Farci was another standout, revealing Chef Marcus’ classical French grounding through a richly satisfying stuffed chicken breast with jus and wild mushrooms.

Not everything landed perfectly — the King Salmon leaned slightly over our preferred doneness — though the improbably sweet petit pois nearly stole the show.

Still, perhaps the biggest draw here isn’t the cooking. It’s the journey.
sg is destination dining. You don’t end up at Mandai by accident after work. The drive north, reservoir views and rainforest setting become part of the ritual — turning dinner into something closer to excursion.

Will you make the trip?

Full review on our site.

:: Forage ::
📍60 Mandai Lake Rd, Level 4 Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, Singapore 729979
⏱️ 12-2.30pm (lunch), 12-4pm (tea) and 6-10pm (dinner) daily

Not all happy hours are created equal.At Firangi Superstar, “Officers Only: Happy Hour” trades rushed post-work pints fo...
20/05/2026

Not all happy hours are created equal.

At Firangi Superstar, “Officers Only: Happy Hour” trades rushed post-work pints for something altogether more cinematic. Think six different gin & tonics inspired by the restaurant’s British India leanings, bar bites designed for grazing, and an atmosphere that encourages staying longer than intended.

Between 5.30pm and 7.30pm, sip on creations like the citrusy Laverstoke Mill with premium Premier Cru, orange and bay leaf, or Konkan Railway, built around the layered Cygnet 22 from . Pair with pani puris — from chickpea to caviar — or gunpowder-spiced wagyu beef tartare if one drink leads to another and then suddenly it’s dinner.

Because sometimes the best evenings begin before sunset.

This and other early-evening and late-night drinking rituals in our newest Drinkspotting roundup.

:: Firangi Superstar ::
📍20 Craig Rd, #01-03, Singapore 089692
⏱️ 6pm to to 10.30pm Mondays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays

HappyHourSingapore

Some cocktail menus ask you to decode obscure references. Others hand you one that looks entirely like a Lego instructio...
17/05/2026

Some cocktail menus ask you to decode obscure references. Others hand you one that looks entirely like a Lego instruction manual.

We’re talking about Sora, located high on the 37th floor of with stunning views of the city, whose latest menu ‘Build & Sip’ by Director of Bars and his team turns cocktails into miniature constructions inspired by the world’s most iconic building bricks — complete with Lego pirate ships, Japanese landscapes, vintage typewriters, and drinks that arrive looking more like playsets than serves.

Think [Khmer Colada], a Piña Colada reimagined with Cambodian curry spices, sansho pepper and chilli… delivered aboard a Lego pirate ship. Then there’s [Cherry Lady Punch], a clarified milk punch made with cashew nut whiskey, sakura tea displayed in a full Lego-built Japanese scene.

You also have the [Kiichigo Cosmo], a Cosmopolitan meets holy basil, lemongrass, raspberry, red wine and umeshu, inspired by a floral typewriter set. And if that’s not enough, the [Nihon Gimlet] is Japanese gin, matcha and kaffir lime leaf served in ceramic inspired by tea rituals complete with a Lego diorama.

Playful? Yes. But beneath the brick-built theatre is a serious cocktail programme that continues Sora’s knack for blending Japanese aesthetics with Cambodian ingredients.

In a city where cocktail culture is still evolving, ‘Build & Sip feels’ at is a lovely cocktail invitation that lowers barriers, sparks curiosity, and reminds us that drinking well can also be fun.

Would you order a cocktail served in a Lego pirate ship?

:: Sora ::
📍Vattanac Capital Mall, Rosewood Phnom Penh, 66 Level 37, Phnom Penh 12202, Cambodia
⏱️ 5pm to 12am daily

Northern Vietnam’s Ninh Binh has long played understudy to destinations like Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. But with its dramati...
16/05/2026

Northern Vietnam’s Ninh Binh has long played understudy to destinations like Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. But with its dramatic limestone landscapes, UNESCO-listed sites and rising tourism investment, that may be changing.

The recent opening of Pullman Ninh Binh too marks a notable milestone: the province’s first internationally branded hotel, and perhaps the clearest sign yet that Ninh Binh is evolving from a day trip into a destination in its own right.

The 283-room property occupies the tallest building in the city, with views stretching across karst mountains and rice fields. Expect private balconies in every room, three swimming pools, a rooftop Champagne bar, extensive meeting facilities and dining concepts including FoodConneXion, Lumi Lounge, with Mad Cow Wine & Grill and Cantonese restaurant Hoa Thuy Tien arriving later this year.

Just 90 minutes from Hanoi, Ninh Binh is home to attractions including the UNESCO-listed Trang An landscape complex, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and Cuc Phuong National Park — places increasingly drawing both domestic and international travellers.

Maybe it’s time to Ninh Binh on your travel plans? If so, be sure to check out too.

Fuller story on our site.

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