Oxwell & Co.

This fun, refreshingly non-elitist gastrobar has a stripped-down drinks list with a local touch. Think indigenous spices and botanicals—like leaves plucked fresh from nutmeg trees around Ann Siang Hill—in their housemade sangria and G&T ($12 each). And their house beer, the Oxhorn Lager ($12), is a collaboration with local brewer Jungle Beer. All of these, plus rotating wines ($12 per glass), come out of actual plumbing-style taps mounted on the wall behind the bar.

Napoleon

Looking and sounding like a stylish friend’s apartment with black leather, exposed brick, iPad menus and an indie-dance playlist, this wine bar is perhaps the unstuffiest of them all. The centerpiece is a long row of enomatic machines holding 32 (count ‘em!) wines sorted by flavor. You get a little “credit” card, insert it and press the right button to dispense however much of each wine you want into a glass (from $1.50 for a sampling portion). Self-service intoxication!

Ding Dong

This hip Southeast Asian small plates joint isn’t exactly the place to go for classy eats—bright pink lighting and Asian motifs lend the place a kitsch ‘70s vibe, except with thumping drum & bass rather than disco tunes—but it’s fun for drinks. Apart from an innovative cocktail list, they also serve red and white wine on tap (from $9); you can opt for a glass or go straight for a carafe of the good stuff.

For Beer Hounds

Aquanova
Draft beers (Tiger, Heineken, Erdinger and Kirin) at $8 nett per half pint and $13 nett per pint. Daily, 6-9pm. Tiger, Heineken and Kirin at $8 nett per pint. Erdinger at $10 nett per pint. Sunday to Thursday, 6-7pm.

Bayang
Tiger jug at $25++. Daily, 5pm onwards.

Fremantle Seafood Market
Tiger and Heineken tower at $140++ for two. Daily, 10pm onwards.

Hot Stones
Tiger and Heineken tower at $140++ for two. Daily, 10pm onwards.

Le Noir
Bucket of five Tiger or Heineken bottles at $50. Monday to Friday, 5-7pm.

Paulaner Singapore Clarke Quay
Two hours free flow of 0.5L lager beer at $48++. All 0.3L draft beers and housepour selection at $8 nett. Sunday to Thursday, 5-10pm.

Rasputin
Nemiroff vodka bottle at $98 nett. Daily, 6-11pm.

Renn Thai
Housepour spirits at $9++. Mojito and bloody mary at $10++ each. Daily, 6-11pm.

The Chupitos Bar
Housepour spirits, bottled beers and shooters at $6 nett each. Daily, 6:30-9pm.

The Highlander Bar & Restaurant
50% off wines by the glass, beer pints, bottled beers and housepour spirits. Sunday to Thursday, till 9pm.

The Pump Room
15% off all bottles. Saturday to Thursday, 5-9pm; Friday, 5-8pm.

TongKang Colonial Bar & Restaurant
Housepour beer and wine at $5++. Daily, noon-3pm, 5-8pm.

Verve Pizza Bar
One shooter at $12, $20 for two and $50 for six. Daily, normal operating hours.

Vintry at Royal Selangor
20% off any wine for drink in or take away. Sunday to Thursday, normal operating hours.

Wings Bar
50% off all draft beers, housepour spirits and cocktails from 5-6pm, 25% off all draft beers, housepour spirits and cocktails from 6-7pm daily. Eight shooters for $50++. Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday, 5pm-2am; Wednesday and Friday, till 4am.

If you’re in the mood for food

Beer Market
Wings, grilled sausage or cheese nachos at $3 nett. Monday to Thursday, 6-8pm; Sunday, all day.

Muchos Mexican Bar & Restaurant
Free salsa with nachos (choice of one salsa) with every purchase of margarita jug or Tiger jug. Daily, 5pm onwards.

Shuffle
Buy any pizza, pasta, mains or asian delight and get a complimentary glass of housepour spirit, wine, beer, soft drink or juice. Monday to Thursday, 6-8pm.

The Chupitos Bar
Wagyu beef sliders (3pcs) at $6 nett. Daily, 6:30-9pm.

The Pump Room
Receive a $20 return spending voucher with a minimum spend of $100 (before GST) in a single receipt. Saturday to Thursday, 5-9pm; Friday, 5-8pm.

Verve Pizza Bar
Any pizza slice with one Heineken, Corona or Tiger at $15++; any 12” pizza with two Heineken, Corona or Tiger at $35++; any 12” pizza with two glasses of house wines at $40++; any 12” pizza with four Heineken, Corona or Tiger at $50++; free 12” pizza with order of six housepours at $60++. Daily, normal operating hours.

Vintry at Royal Selangor
Choice of nibbles at $7++ (Vintry roast pork, fries, caramelized roast pork, spicy caramelized roast pork, wedges, chicken bites, tomato bruschetta, cheese quesadillas, five-spiced chicken wings). Daily, 4-8pm.

Half-priced tipples

District 10
One-for-one housepour liquors, Stella Artois and house wines. Daily, 6-8pm.

Le Noir
One-for-one beer of the day. Monday to Friday, 5-7pm.

Mad for Garlic
One-for-one house red or white wine, draft Tiger and Heineken pint and all bottled beers. Daily, 7-10pm.

The Arena
One-for-one housepour and Tiger glass or jug. Daily, 9-10pm.

The Forbidden City by Indochine
One-for-one housepour spirits, house wines, draft beers with complimentary crispy Laotian chicken wings with straight-cut fries for IndoChine members. Sunday to Thursday, 5-9pm.

The Pump Room
One-for-one beers, housepour spirits and house wines at $10++ per glass. Saturday to Thursday, 5-9pm; Friday, 5-8pm.

Vintry at Royal Selangor
One-for-one house wines, draft beers, bottled beers, house pour spirits. Daily, 4-8pm.

28 HongKong Street

One of Singapore’s best-kept secrets, 28 HongKong Street looks completely nondescript to passers-by. But walk through its doors and you’ll discover a buzzing cocktail bar serving up concoctions with cheeky names and innovative flavors.

Brewerkz

From reliable standards like golden ale and oatmeal stout to experimental seasonal and limited edition beers, they’ve got it all. Brewerkz also has great food and attractive happy hours.

Izy

Redefining the traditional Japanese-style izakaya is chef Kazumasa Yazawa, formerly of award-winning establishment Waku Ghin. Order sake, craft beer, or bespoke cocktails to go with the amazing small plates.

Kyō

Slick underground club Kyō plays host to fine DJ acts and boasts a 24 meter-long bar. Be spoilt for choice with an endless list of liquors, wines and Champagne, as well as fine Japanese whiskeys and sakes to choose from.

LeVeL33

The world’s highest urban craft brewery with stunning views of Marina Bay, LeVel33 has beers that stay true to European brewing traditions, top-class food and settings to suit any occasion.

Oxwell & Co.

This lively British gastrobar helmed by UK celebrity chef Mark Sargeant and Aussie barkeep Luke Whearty serves up beers, wines and even cocktails on tap. Expect drinks (and dishes) that contain handpicked herbs from their rooftop garden, and house-made gin crafted from cloves and nutmeg foraged locally in the vicinity.

Praelum Wine Bistro

Host to a feisty crowd of Duxton Hill regulars, Praelum (meaning “wine press” in Latin) carries a mix of Old World and New World labels. If you like the element of surprise, you’ll be glad to know the variety of wines available by the glass changes regularly.

RedDot BrewHouse

Take in scenic views of the iconic Singapore River while you sip on one-of-a-kind craft beers like Monster Green Lager and RedDot Lime Wheat at RedDot BrewHouse.  

Verre Wine Bar

Located in a refurbished warehouse on the quieter side of Robertson Quay, Verre has over 750 labels made up mostly of bottles from small, family-owned artisanal vineyards in its walk-in cellar.

Wine Connection Cheese Bar

It’s the perfect marriage of wine and cheese at this 190-seater contemporary bar. Choose from a selection of more than 40 matured farm cheeses flown in from Europe and over 250 exquisite vino labels, with plenty available by the glass.

Keong Saik Snacks

A joint project by British celeb chef Jason Atherton and famed local hotelier Loh Lik Peng, this casual eatery serves up a selection of simple, if sometimes underwhelming, bites like shaved asparagus, beet and radish salad ($18) as well as grilled bone marrow with London gentleman’s relish ($19). They’ve also just launched a weekend Punch Brunch menu (Saturday-Sunday 11am-4pm).

The Library

Right next to Atherton’s casual Western spot is this password-only bar. You can get the secret phrase off their Facebook page or from the eager servers at the restaurant. Armed with it, you’ll be able to enter through a mirrored door to find serious drinks care of Canadian bartender Stefan Ravalli who’s done his time at Pollen Street Social. Tiki fans will dig Piscotheque ($21), with passion fruit, pineapple, mint leaves and BarSol Pisco. The sake-spiked Moshi Moshi Umeboshi ($21) is a nice refreshing drink, too.

Taratata Bistrot 

Charming Parisian bistro decor, an impressive wine list, and French classics like escargots ($24) rich with butter and garlic as well as Burgundy-style beef simmered in red wine ($37) make a meal here a special treat.

Provence Le Restaurant 

The food here is inspired by the cuisine of Reine Sammut, a one-Michelin-starred chef who helms destination restaurant La Fenière in the hills of Luberon. Expect rustic dishes like rabbit and foie gras terrine with fig chutney and mache salad ($28).

The Retrospective Restaurant and Bar 

This themed restaurant is a throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s eras with old-school stools, a memorabilia collection, vintage illustrations by British designer Fran Holden and even working Pacman and Galaga arcade game machines. The grub is decidedly retro as well with British dishes such as corned beef ($12) and steak Diane with chips ($29). If you’re feeling thirsty, there are revamped classic tipples named after movies from the era like the Ferris Bueller ($18), a mixture of five kinds of rum, a dash of absinthe, tropical juices and a maraschino cherry.

Mariko’s 

By the same folks behind the Retrospective comes this ramen bar and izakaya inspired by a fictional manga character—a prostitute named Mariko—by renowned Japanese illustrator Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Order up classics such as wagyu tonkotsu ramen ($25) and yakitori like chicken heart with salt ($12) and wash it down with a range of warm and cold sakes (from $12/glass, $66/bottle) or Japanese whisky including Nikka Black ($12/glass, $$170/bottle).

The Cufflink Club

Headed by owner-mixologist Joel Fraser, who’s an alum of both award-winning Melbourne bar Der Raum and Tippling Club, this sleek space serves around 20 cocktail concoctions such as Walking Dead ($24), a riff on the Zombie made with spices and a secret blend of 13 different rums and garnished with a candy eyeball. Nibbles like the charcuterie tartine ($18) with pastrami, chorizo and saucisson round out the offerings.

Esquina

Jason Atherton’s other Chinatown eating establishment, shoebox-sized tapas joint Esquina needs no introduction (and takes no reservations). This corner-spot spills out onto the street and serves up a host of Spanish small plates like beetroot salad with honeycomb burrata ($18) and roast lamb rump with black olive polenta ($27). They’ve also recently introduced a three-course set lunch for $39.

Bistro Soori

Put away your preconceptions about “fusion” food, for Bistro Soori is a delight. Here you’ll find east meets west dishes like slow roasted pork belly and yuzu gastrique ($18) and karaage prawns with kaffir lime and Russian dressing ($17).

Nicolas Le Restaurant

After a trip to Japan (to train and search for inspiration), cult favorite chef Nicolas Joanny is back at his new digs. At lunch, he offers a three- ($42) and five-course sets ($68), and at dinner, a six-course tasting menu ($98), which changes every two weeks. Head here for a convivial atmosphere and expertly crafted seasonal French fare.

More restaurants from the Keong Saik Road and Jiak Chuan Street area: 

Oriole Coffee Roasters
Featuring a dedicated roasting facility, a research laboratory for experimenting with new beans and new methods, and a training lab, the place also offers a boutique café on-site. Coffees start at $4.

Restaurant Ember
Even after a decade, it still gets really busy here, especially during lunchtime, thanks to their affordable set lunches ($42 for three courses). Dinners are calmer affairs, and we highly recommend chef and owner Sebastian Ng’s homemade crispy tofu with delish foie gras-mirin sauce ($17).

Tong Ah Coffeeshop
36 Keong Saik Rd., 6223-5083.
This historic kopitiam with a distinctive red and white facade is still a great standby for thin crispy char grilled kaya toast ($1.20) and kopi-o ($1).