[UPDATED] Drink without going broke: Singapore's cheapest happy hours
Living in the world’s most expensive city doesn't mean you have to take out a loan every time you drink.
8 years ago
When your depleting wallet cries out for mercy, drown your sorrows and drink. Our guide has made it possible to indulge without feeling the pinch, just the booze.
From $15-10
Aura
The terrace lounge at this National Gallery Italian restaurant has some surprisingly good deals on weekdays from 5-8pm, especially considering you get a top-notch view over the Padang. (Just call and make sure they aren't closed for a private event, though, as it's quite the hot ticket these days.) Well spirits are as low as $8, as in the case of the Beefeater gin, the Jim Beam White Label and others, and the nicer stuff hovers around $14. Prosecco starts at $11.
Bochinche
Have a pre-dinner tipple at this elevated Argentinean restaurant. From Tue-Sun (5:30-7:30pm), a selection of cocktails, wines or beers start from $10. The bar serves up fruity concoctions Lily & Vine (tequila, vermouth, malbec, lemon, agave and mezcal) as well as classics like Chimichurri Bloody Mary and Mr Hendricks. Planning to extend your party beyond happy hours? Just on Tuesdays (5:30-8:30pm), order the chimichurri steak burger with Provenzal chips from $29, and get a beer on the house.
Tanuki Raw
Happening from 5-8pm daily, this popular happy hour offers $10 martinis and cocktails, and $12 pints. Need we say more? Yes we do: freshly-shucked oysters go for $2 each and from 5-7pm, there are free katsu-crust beef sliders with every purchase of a cocktail or mocktail.
Cuscaden Patio & Chips Pub
Beer deals don't get better than this. $18 gets you a 1.5-liter jug of beer on most days, except Tuesday when it is only $12. This no-frills bar in Ming Arcade is a popular hangout as they screen live football matches and serve simple bites like chicken wings and potato wedges.
Jibiru
Happy hours are practically an all-day, everyday occurence at this Japanese craft beer stall. From 12-6pm, all pints are at a flat rate of $10.50 and from 6-8pm, it's at $12.50. If you haven't already been to the 313@Somerset joint, the menu is a curated list of Hitachino Nest ales, Sapporo premium pale lager, St Austell tribute Cornish pale ale and Van Den Bossche Livinus beers.
Prince of Wales
The pub's happy hours stretch from 5-9pm daily. It's a no-frills joint but the place has tons of draft beers and huge jugs of flavored margaritas. The focus is on beers like Speights Gold Medal Ale and Pure Blonde Lager for $11.50; Magners Cider from $12.50, cocktails from $9 and shooters at $8.50. And from Sun-Mon, spirits like vodka, gin and rum are at $6 all day.
The Mad Men Attic Bar
Giving us more reason to swing by this Boat Quay bar after work is its extensive menu of housepour spirits, wines and Champagnes going from $12 at 5-8pm daily—there is a wide variety of whiskies and New and Old World wines, with a curated collection of gins, bourbons and cognacs.
Below $10
Highlander
Happy hour deals at its Clarke Quay outlet lasts till 9pm from Sun-Thurs, with 50% off all house pour beers, spirits and selected wines. The cheapest beer pint (Heineken, Tiger and SOL) will set you back a mere $8 and it goes up to $21 for a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
No. 5 Emerald Hill
This Orchard Road staple is one of the best, because happy hour is all-day, every day with $8 housepours (mind you, it’s a gentleman’s pour, which is 45ml instead of the standard 30ml) and $10 house wines until 9pm daily. The fun doesn’t stop there; from 9pm-1am daily, continue imbibing 1-for-1 martinis. If that isn’t enough, they just rolled out a new premium martini menu using spirits like Roberto Cavalli vodka for a mere 2 for $25. Did we mention they have great prawn paste chicken wings, too?
Five Izakaya
Everyone knows this place is great for the CBD after-work drinking crowd. So, this place needs no introduction for its killer $5 happy hour deals on Kronenberg beer, wines and house pours. You're not getting any top of the line things but the price is still second to none. They also have a bunch of locations, so you can always opt for something near you.
KPO Cafe Bar
Happy hours happen daily till 8pm at this former post office-turned-sexy Killiney Road haunt, and day-time revellers will rejoice knowing that housepour wines and spirits go from $10-11, with beers on tap from $12. And for the ladies—martinis are at $8 on Wednesday nights.
Loof
What's better than leaving the office early? Drinking on the cheap while the sun is still up, that's what. Loof's "beat the clock" concept is simple: housepours, wines and beer are $5 a pop from 5-6pm, $6 from 6-7pm and $7 from 7-8pm. Skiving off doesn't get more rewarding than this.
The Exchange
Okay, this one is just for the ladies, but it's still worth a mention. Every Wednesday, they give away free flow martinis from 6-10pm. There aren’t even any obligations to buy anything! So just pop down to load up on cosmopolitans, apple, lychee, or orange martinis.
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