It’s been a year of ups and downs in the Singapore nightlife scene. Promising clubs like Mao and Peaches closed, while bars like Crackerjack and Tap at Capitol Piazza (they still have their Robertson Quay one) shuttered even though business was (seemingly) brisk.

But there’s more good than bad. 2018 saw the birth of many cool places with some offering concepts we’re only seeing the first time. And come early 2019, we already know we’re gonna get Marquee Nightclub, a massive venue located in Marina Bay Sands featuring a full-sized indoor ferris wheel. For now, here are the year’s new openings that granted us some of the best nights we’ve had.

Brass Lion Distillery

Singapore’s first micro-distillery and bar is an effort and a triumph, not just for founder Jamie Koh, but for the local craft spirits scene as a whole. Right now, they’re serving up three of their own gins – Singapore Dry, Butterfly Pea and Pahit Pink – at a few cocktail spots in town plus at their own classy bar space found on the second floor (where a gin school also resides) of the distillery. They’re doing a lot already, but we know they’ll only wow us further in 2019.

Fish Pool

One of the openings at the revamped NCO Club, this Champagne and raw bar is a luxurious and cozy place to sip on bubbly while savouring fresh oysters, slices of salmon and spoonfuls of caviar. But the real treat is the mermaid that makes her rare appearance in the deep pool right beside the bar. Even if she isn’t around, peer through the glass and await as countless air pockets rise up the waters, creating a dreamy canvas of bubbles for your viewing pleasure.

Fung Kee Hotdogs

Being located in a building often associated with vice and sleaze is part of the charm of this surprisingly sophisticated hideout – the juxtaposition just works. It’s sophistication lies not in elegance, but in its on point delivery of simple but good Scandi-Asian hotdogs paired with Champagne, beer or their well-concocted Negronis that are actually better than some of Singapore's established cocktail joints. It's fuss-free done right.

Le Bon Funk

Opening a natural wines concept is a gamble – consumers can be skeptical, the sourcing is laborious and logistics is a nightmare. But the gamble has paid off in this case, with an ever-changing offering of quality wines bound to delight both avid and more casual wine drinkers. A selection of orange wines and beer-wine hybrids only give us more reason to come back again.

Nineteen80

It may not be the first arcade-themed bar in Singapore, but this Tanjong Pagar newcomer punches above its weight with plenty of the right kind of retro games available for play. You’ll spend your first hours sipping old-school cocktails and jostling with friends for a turn on the machines, then end up dancing to sick beats late into the night, courtesy of DJs who know how to really work a crowd.

Origin Bar

A good in-house bar is any hotel’s bragging right. And deserving to be named alongside some of Singapore’s best is Shangri-La Hotel Singapore’s own craft cocktail space. Enjoy Southeast Asian-inspired concoctions here, such as their eponymous Origin cocktail that pays homage to Orchard Road’s past as a district filled with nutmeg and pepper plantations. The thoughtful menu just piques you to keep going for one more drink.

Pandora’s Garden

Rose wines, British picnic grub, a garden courtyard setting almost enclosed by four walls and fairy lights hanging overhead. It’s easy to fall in love with a place as charming as this, but it’s really the unique yet casual vibe that has turned many customers into regulars at this Ann Siang haunt. And as Singapore’s first rose wine bar, they currently house the largest collection of roses one can find in a single venue here.

Pink Blossoms Brewing

While primarily distributing to craft beer bars in town, this months-old brewery is currently Singapore’s newest label and the only one to offer a bar set-up at its production facility. Don’t be fooled by the name; local founder Teo Hong Han offers up impactful flavours with his two signature brews: the rich and textured Hundred Years Milk Stout and the hoppy and fruity Lean on Me.

Tuff Club

The only nightclub on the list isn’t even one with a permanent space. It’s actually a regular pop-up club at where Chinese restaurant Myo Restobar is located, and is named as a cheeky nod to the TAF (Trim and Fit) Club we all know from primary school days. The organisers (The Council) want to achieve only one thing with this novel concept, and that is to bring back what’s most important to the clubbing experience: good music.

White Label Records

Part record label store, part performance space and part cocktail bar, this multi-concept store is the brainchild of hit social e-commerce company #vinyloftheday. Fans of analog music will find plenty to enthuse about at this place, including finding fellow lovers of the music format almost forgotten in this digital age.