ARTERY
This richly‑colored lounge bar makes a good venue for both casual gatherings among friends and smart corporate events. On weeknights, lounge music is played. But on Thursday and Friday, get ready for awesome house music to welcome the weekend.

ASYLUM
Look out for hip French collective Surface to Air’s trendy mens and womenswear alongside edgier T‑shirts from Aussie brand Chronicles of Never. There are at least 15 brands stocked here, including Lyle and Scott, Tuesday Night Band Practice and Nakkna—a must for creative types looking for their fashion fix.

BARRIO CHINO
This is a hotspot for people-watching on Club Street. Sit back, relax with a drink in hand and enjoy the Latin beats.

BEAUJOLAIS WINE BAR
With smiling wait staff and tables draped in chequered linen, a rendezvous at this yellow shophouse is a quaint and romantic affair. The music is mostly jazz, blues and slow rock tunes, which adds to the dreamy atmosphere.

BOULEVARD
This is where yuppies congregate over pre‑dinner drinks and tapas. Boulevard has an outdoor island bar, which means the barkeep is always on‑hand to top up your martini while you chill in the courtyard.

BREEZE

This alfresco rooftop bar doubling up as a grill scores on ambiance. The food focuses on seafood and grilled items such as the Breeze platter (Portobello pizzetta; tuna bruschetta; garden fruits and blue mussels in spicy lemongrass coconut broth) and the oyster platter.

CLAY ABODE
Malaysian‑style clay pot rice is served here, with a twist. With dishes based on secret family recipes and slightly modified to create unique claypot fare, your trip will be a worthwhile one.

THE CLUB HOTEL
Designed and built by the Ministry of Design, guests are offered two room categories—Club and Signature. While Club is the standard room, Signature features a bigger space and aromatherapy facilities.

CUGINI RESTAURANT
This restaurant is known in the dining circuit for its hot Italian ownders besides the food. We say go for the black ravioli stuffed with lobster and roasted lamb chops with green pepper.

DA PAOLO IL RISTORANTE
All polished timber, stone statues and antique prints, this stylish Italian restaurant is still popular after all these years. There are tons of homemade pastas, seafood and meats to choose from, including the the spinach pasta with ham, mushrooms, and parmesan; and egg pasta with crabmeat, tomatoes, and vodka.

GEM BAR & LOUNGE
This little gem of a bar located on the corner of Ann Siang Hill has an elegant Victorian‑themed interior and high‑back armchairs, ottomans and even a faux fireplace. There’s a little alfresco area upfront where you can sit back and relax over an ice cold Stella Artois.

HQ KARAOKE AND BAR
The newly‑minted open concept karaoke and bar encourages social karaoke—a good thing too that the crowd consists mainly of models and celebrities. Sing your heart out while getting liquored up on Soju Oolong Tea, Mojitos and Apple Shooters. 13. ICHIDON RESTAURANT #01‑06 Maxwell Chambers, 32 Maxwell Rd., 6534‑8189. Disciple to six Japanese chefs, chef Jeffrey Choo definitely knows his stuff. Relocated from 6 Battery Road (previously called Six Restaurant) only in February this year, Ichidon is no newbie in the dining scene. Notable promotions include Donburi set meals ($7.90++) and buy 2‑get‑1 free set dinners.

K KI
With just four tables indoors, the space is indeed tiny, but that’s part of the appeal. The main draws here are the cakes such as the Antoinette (a white chocolate mousse with a mango center) and Little Red Riding Hood (dark chocolate mousse that conceals a tart raspberry center).

LE CARILLON DE L’ANGELUS
At this Parisian‑style wine bar on Ann Siang Hill, you can find an extensive list of premium wines and some great French fare.

LE CHOCOLAT CAFÉ
Located at the ground floor of The Club Hotel, the pastries and sandwiches here will certainly tantalize your taste buds. The Green Tea Opera Cake and Little Red Riding Hood are standouts.

THE LITTLE DRÖM STORE
Old memories come rushing back as you step in here: Tin toys, vintage fashion, retro knick knacks, old cameras, mini pots of glue from your old school bookshop and more. It also carries an eclectic range of illustration and photography books lovingly selected from all over the world.

OAKHAM MARKET
This is literally an underground vintage boutique. Green and white walls, parquet floors and neatly arranged racks of apparel bathed in warm lighting greet you at the bottom of two flights of stairs. The spacious layout of the store makes for a pleasant shopping experience, where items are conveniently sorted into three categories—Thrift, Premium and Vintage. All thrift goods are priced at a pocket‑friendly $16.95.

ONCE UPON A MILKSHAKE
It’s tough to find good milkshakes on our little island, so this is a real gem. They make ‘em just the way they’re meant to be: Thick as malt, and oh‑so‑creamy. Their Sir Cookies & Cream and Chocolate Truffle Castle are our picks. 20. OTTO RISTORANTE #01‑02 Red Dot Traffic Building, 28 Maxwell Rd., 6227‑6819. We dare say Otto is one of the swankiest restaurants in the area, what with the ambient lighting, plush seats and carpeting, and smooth piped‑in jazz music. The lard‑wrapped “asparagi,” soft egg with taleggio light fondue and osso buco with risotto are just some of the items you should try.

THE PATISSIER
It would be wrong to pass up on the Passion Fruit Meringue here—a generous serving of cubes of strawberry and mango, sandwiched between layers of crisp meringue and passion fruit‑flavored fresh cream.

PS CAFÉ
Nestled in a corner next to the entrance of Ann Siang Hill Park, this two‑story café serves up food for brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, desserts and booze. In the evenings, local DJs dish out smooth soul tunes to go with your food and drinks.

RED DOT DESIGN MUSEUM
This museum brings out the extraordinary in everyday things. The gift store and exhibitions are real eye‑openers, especially for aspiring designers and artists.

SAVANH BISTRO & LOUNGE

This establishment gives you a chill out lounge and a place to enjoy fusion‑influenced Indo‑Chinese fare. Think pink chandeliers, lounge‑y sofas, a koi pond and a three‑story waterfall—the place for you to wind down at after work.

THE SCARLET HOTEL
A personification of the warm and crowd‑loving hostess, this five‑star boutique hotel is as naughty as it’s sensual. Opt for any of the five themed suites (Lavish, Opulent, Passion, Splendour and Swank) specially designed to tease if you’re up for a hot and heavy night. A love hotel at its classiest.

SCREENING ROOM
This is one bright and modern bistro. The most unique aspect of this place is its film and food pairings, seeing the creation of set menus that complement whatever’s showing that week.

SENSO RISTORANTE & BAR
After 10 years, Senso still delivers a pleasant dining experience. They’ve got their own version of the Sunday brunch, and on weekends at dinnertime they’re still packed both indoors and in the courtyard. The food is a joy and the service is also impeccable.

SEVEN ON CLUB
Its prime corner location makes this elegant restaurant perfect for long meals and lazy coffees; you can’t go wrong with popular European standards such as lobster bisque; lobster angel hair pasta; roasted yorkshire pork rack; and chocolate fondue with vanilla ice cream.

SLING CONCEPTUAL DINING
At this two‑month old modern European eatery with no a la carte menu, Chef Tony Seah crafts a set menu that changes weekly, based on a philosophy that is focused on the freshest ingredients possible.

SPIZZA
Senso’s Spizza is Italian, right down to its wood‑fired oven, imported cheeses and olive oils. This flagship, with its rustic fittings, has some of the best thin‑crust pizzas in town.

STEVIE GENERAL STORE
This one‑year‑old collectibles store and fashion boutique is a treasure trove of arts and antiques, books, eyewear, lamps, tin toys, watches, silverware and every other item imaginable. The owners handpick all the stock themselves, sourced from all over the world including Japan, London and the US.

W WINE BAR
With its soft, soothing earth tones, clear glass and dark wood, W Wine Bar serves premium wines that go well with its chic and upmarket interior. An outstanding selection of over 200 vintage and non‑vintage wines are available here.

YING YANG
This rooftop bar has great service, amazing cocktails and a cool atmosphere. Decked out with extravagant furnishings such as wall to ceiling murals and lush couches, this hotel bar is definitely big on design.

ZAFFRAN RESTAURANT AND TEA ROOM
Injected with an energetic yet casual vibe, Zaffran specializes in palatable Indian fusion cuisine prepared with the freshest of ingredients. Order the Javan chicken masala and squid curry.

More in Chinatown:
Amoy / Boon Tat / Robinson / Stanley / Telok Ayer
Duxton / Gopeng / Hoe Chiang / Tanjong Pagar / Teck Lim
Bukit Pasoh / Keong Saik / Kreta Ayer
Smith / Temple / Trengganu