Heritage Trail

Raffles Arcade & Purvis St

Have your cab drop you off at the iconic Raffles Hotel, and pop into the Raffles Hotel Arcade. At #01-28 is Lotus Arts de Vivre / 6334 2085 / with OTT Asian bijouterie and wares; Jim Thompson / #01-07 / 6336 5322 / may have gotten lost in a forest, but his silk empire remains; upstairs at #02-08 is Front Row / 6224 5501 / for fash-forward garms (m/w); at #01-19 are Elliott’s Antiques / 6337 1008 / with classical Chinese furniture – if you’re lucky the chatty charmster Elliott will be in situ. Exit Raffles at the opposite side onto Seah St, barrel past Naumi (see Accom.), left at Beach Rd and left again into Purvis St. Chicken rice stalwart Yet Con is opp. at #25 / 6337 6819 / 11.30am-8.30pm; and Gunther’s (see Rest/smart) is at #36. Opposite is elegant French furny at #9 Christian Liaigre / 6333 9388. If it’s that hour, skip on to meet North Bridge Rd, turn left and on the right is Odeon Towers (directly opp. Raffles) home to laidback bar and deck Loof / #03-07 / 6338 8035. Cheers!