Hidden bars in Singapore
We’ll admit: we love to be in on a secret – be it a lowkey park or a hidden cafe. But when the secret spot turns out to be a hidden bar that serves tasty cocktails and requires a bit of searching to locate, then we’re all ears.
And since sharing is caring, we’ll let you in on these secret spots. From drinking holes with concealed entrances to establishments with no signs, here’s a list of hidden bars in Singapore.
1. The Bank – Diner-style burgers & craft beer behind ATM
Image credit: Eatbook
An ATM in the middle of the CBD doesn’t seem very out of place, until you try to withdraw money from it that is. Go ahead and give the machine a push though – it’s a door that’ll lead you straight to The Bank.
Image credit: Eatbook
The restaurant and bar are reminiscent of old-school diners you might find in America, and the menu is quite similar. Expect signature cheeseburgers (from $18.80) you can upgrade with toppings (from $1) like bacon and jalapeños. There’s also a vegetarian option – a portobello burger (from $18) topped with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and housemade sauce.
Image credit: Eatbook
As for tipples, The Bank has 12 craft beers on tap (from $15). But if you want something to sip on all night, there are classic cocktails like Manhattan ($19), old fashion ($18), and lychee martini ($18) available.
Address: 46 Craig Road, Singapore 089684
Opening hours: Mon-Thu 11.30am-11pm | Fri-Sat 11.30am-12am | Sun 11.30am- 8pm
Contact: 6980 6875 | The Bank website
2. Mama Diam – Concealed entrance inside a mama shop
Unlike most hidden bars that go for the dark and mysterious vibes, Mama Diam wants to be found.
This speakeasy’s colourful and elaborate shopfront that resembles a traditional mama shop will easily catch the attention of those wandering down Prinsep Street. Once you’re here, seek out a magazine shelf, step inside, and hit up the bartenders for a few dranks.
While the Chai Tarik Brew ($18) is like an upgraded teh peng, the Childhood Delight ($20) is reminiscent of rabbit milk candy.
Address: 38 Prinsep Street, Level 1, Singapore 188665
Opening hours: Sun-Thu 4pm-10.30pm | Fri-Sat 4pm-12am
Contact: 8533 0792 | Mama Diam website
3. Lou Shang – HDB-themed cafe & bar behind Mama Diam
Just because you found the bar at Mama Diam doesn’t mean that’s the only hidden watering hole here. Look for a lift behind the first-floor bar and press the button to go up. You’ll exit into Lou Shang, Mama Diam’s sister bar located just upstairs.
Image credit: @sebastianang via Instagram
Don’t be fooled into thinking you’ve just entered someone’s house corridor by mistake. The bar has been designed to look like an HDB estate – complete with laundry poles drying “Good Morning” towels, wrought iron gates, and bamboo racks holding shoes and flip flops.
By day, this place serves cafe bites like ba chor dumplings ($13) and Sarsi pok pok keh ($13) – chicken wings dipped in a root beer glaze. Come night, Lou Shang turns into a bar that serves locally-inspired drinks.
Image credit: Lou Shang 楼上 via Google Maps
We particularly like Raspberry Ripple ($24), named after the popular ice cream flavour available at roving ice cream carts, and Kopi & Dream ($22), a rum and coffee liqueur-spiked cold brew kopi.
Address: 38 Prinsep Street, Level 2, Singapore 188665
Opening hours (cafe): 9am-5pm, Daily
Opening hours (bar): Tue-Thu 6pm-11pm | Fri, Sat & Eve of PH 6pm-12am (Closed on Mondays & Sundays)
Contact: 8714 0012 | Lou Shang website
4. The Dragon Chamber – Hidden bar behind kopitiam fridge door
On the buzzing stretch of Boat Quay, The Dragon Chamber combines 2 beloved Singapore staples: a bar and a restaurant.
Enter the space through a beer fridge inside a kopitiam and you’ll find yourself in a retro Chinese-styled speakeasy. Besides shaking up unique cocktails such as the fruity Concubine Cooler ($21), this 93-seater space also carries a robust menu of Chinese fusion dishes.
A few stars of the show include the Wagyu Truffle Beef Hor Fun (from $32), the Dragon Mountain (from $98), and the Dragon Claw ($66). The dishes are priced on the higher side but that’s because they’re all good for sharing between 2-3 people.
Address: 2 Circular Road, Singapore 049358
Opening hours: Tue-Thu & Sun 11am-3pm, 5pm-10.30pm | Fri-Sat 11am-3pm, 5pm-11.30pm (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: 6805 8181 | The Dragon Chamber website
5. Taylor Adam – Classy bar inside a tailor shop
Escape the hustle and bustle of CBD and hit up this tailor for a boozy retreat.
Image credit: @eileenleeck via Instagram
Both the outside and inside of Taylor Adam look like a regular suit shop. But enter the fitting room and what you’ll get is an intimate speakeasy. Black marble walls line the space and well-dressed bartenders are always ready to shake up some seriously unique cocktails.
Image credit: @rain.travelonearth via Instagram
The bar regularly switches up their cocktail menu, so repeat visits are warranted to try out new concoctions. Right now, you can get drinks inspired by East Asia, such as Drink Of “Immortality”, a tequila cocktail with lemon and aloe vera juice. There’s also Becky’s Orchard, a gin-based drink perfumed with flowers like butterfly pea, rose, chamomile, and elderflower.
That said, the mixologists here aren’t afraid to get creative and improvise a drink that matches your mood, so feel free to call the shots.
Address: 1 Raffles Place, #01-03, Singapore 048616
Opening hours: Mon-Wed & Sat 5pm-12am | Thu-Fri 5pm-1am (Closed on Sundays)
Contact: 8878 3395 | Taylor Adam Facebook
6. Set Of Six – Retro speakeasy with Great Gatsby vibes
Retro is a description that’s been thrown around often, but Set Of Six is a true 1920s Great Gatsby-style step back in time.
Image credit: @thegatedreverb via Instagram
Get ready to sip on creative rum and whisky-based concoctions, sink into the plush velvet couches and groove to the uplifting disco tunes. The interior is just as sleek and polished as the drinks, and they’re both worthy for your IG feed.
Image credit: @fergwcm via Instagram
The space at Set Of Six is compact which makes it sort of exclusive – something that’s exacerbated by the fact that it’s almost always fully booked on the weekend. So, plan ahead and make a reservation in advance. It also takes dinner reservations and serves a selection of Spanish tapas.
Address: 20 Craig Road, #01-01, Singapore 089692
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 4pm-12am (Closed on Sundays)
Contact: 8181 1829 | Set Of Six website
7. Stay Gold Flamingo – Neon lit bar inside a coffee shop
If you’ve never heard of a speakeasy inside a coffee shop, you can change that and pay Stay Gold Flamingo a visit to see it IRL.
Image credit: @studioging via Instagram
From the street, all you’ll see is the facade of a regular cafe. But by 5pm, the back of the coffee shop takes on a neon-lit glow and turns into an eclectic cocktail den.
Image credit: @40bars40yrs via Instagram
They have a menu of cocktails ($25 each) like the peach and grapefruit-based Rosa Paloma that’s topped with popping candy, and Gingerlily that’s flavoured with ginger flower. These go great with their heady food menu. Think spicy Nahm Prik Wings ($18) and juicy Sambal Matah Fish Tacos ($20). Swing by early to catch its Happy hour from 5pm-7pm every day.
Address: 69 Amoy Street, Singapore 069888
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-12am | Sat 5pm-12am (Closed on Sundays)
Contact: 8876 7364 | Stay Gold Flamingo website
8. Here Kitty Kitty – Japanese red light district-themed bar
Not every nondescript flight of stairs and dark alleyway lead to boozy hideaways. But if you climb the steps behind The Cannery in Clarke Quay, you’ll find an opulent speakeasy.
Image credit: @jasjiak via Instagram
Here Kitty Kitty, as it’s called, is adorned in hanging sakura branches, Japanese lanterns, and vintage paintings – all that scream Tokyo red-light district. The intimate space hits capacity quick on weekends so it helps to book in advance, be it seats at the bar, booths, or private themed rooms.
Image credit: @slivingbaby via Instagram
The team behind Zouk runs the bar and the DJ booth here, which means you’ll be getting some of the stiffest drinks and sickest beats.
Image credit: @herekittykittysg via Instagram
The cocktails list is definitely on the sweet and fruity side, with must-try signatures such as the spicy THC ($24) and passionfruit-flavoured Only Fans ($24). But we’re not complaining. Come hungry, because we hear the Japanese small plates here are legit.
Address: 3E River Valley Road, #02-01, Singapore 179024
Opening hours: Tue-Thu 6pm-11.30pm | Fri-Sat 6pm-1.30am (Closed on Mondays & Sundays)
Contact: 9489 8357 | Here Kitty Kitty website
9. Barbary Coast Ballroom – Upstairs bar with old-world charm
Barbary Coast might not be hidden, but the upstairs Ballroom bar deserves to be on this list for its intricate interior, 12 unique cocktails, and lack of signage. Creep up the stairway to see it for yourself.
Image credit: @hnworth via Instagram
Unlike the casual feel of the bar on the first floor, the Ballroom has more swank vibes, with velvet sofas, chandeliers, and vintage floral wallpapers. Rum, bourbon, and gin drinks are the main focus here but you can still try your luck at the bar for a personalised vodka-based cocktail.
Image credit: @foodytiff via Instagram
We’re suckers for anything novel so you’ll most likely find us sipping on No Sleep Coast ($25), that uses green coffee and mace in the tequila and campari cocktail. But other items like the Raspberries & Cream ($24) and Getting Figgy With It ($23) are also crowd’s favourites.
Address: 16 North Canal Road, Singapore 048828
Opening hour: Mon 7pm-12am | Tue 7pm-1am | Wed 7pm-2am | Thu-Fri 7pm-3am | Sat 7.30pm-3am (Closed on Sundays)
Contact: 8869 4798 | Barbary Coast Singapore website
10. The Other Room – Vintage bar via unmarked entrance
The Other Room is probably not the most hidden bar on the list since it’s located at the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel. But you might miss it if you don’t know where to look.
Image credit: @klutzyberry via Instagram
Tucked behind a plain black door in the hotel lobby, this classy bar specialises in aged spirits. Smoky rum and whisky-based drinks such as the Old Cuban ($55) and the Great Garibaldi ($48) take centre stage. And don’t worry about the price tag, these drinks are perfect for sharing.
The Reversed Gin & Tonic is also another must-try.
Image credit: @sip_sensei via Instagram
Besides the astonishing menu of over 150 handcrafted cocktails, the mysteriously dark interior and sultry feel of the place are what keep the booze nerds coming back for more.
Address: 320 Orchard Road, Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, Singapore 238865
Opening hour: Tue-Sat 6.30pm-2.30am (Closed on Mondays & Sundays)
Contact: 6100 7778 | The Other Room website
Get boozy at these hidden bars in Singapore
Singapore’s teeming with amazing bars and it’s not difficult to track down a good drinking spot. In fact, there’s probably a great bar right around the corner of your apartment.
But when you’re in the mood to sneak through unmarked doors and venture down darkened paths to locate a mysterious watering hole, have a look at this list. And don’t underestimate how hidden these bars actually are. Even if you know the address, you might still have a hard time finding them.
For more drinking places in Singapore:
Cover image adapted from Eatbook, @eileenleeck via Instagram
Originally published 30th June 2022. Last updated by Raewyn Koh on 22nd August 2023.
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