AT THE BAR

We scour the island’s bar scene to bring you the new and the noteworthy – it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it. This month, an Expat Living reader visits a revamped favourite.

CLUB 5

Parkroyal on Beach Road 7500 Beach Road 6505 5699 | @parkroyalbeachroad What’s New: Club 5 on the first floor of Parkroyal on Beach Road is an oldie but a goodie. Established in 1986 as a dance club for ballroom dancing enthusiasts, it completed a tasteful revamp in November 2020, transforming it into a cocktail bar exuding glamour and opulence from the 1920s. Under the plush lounges and intimate setting, you can still see remnants of the parquetry floorboards from the original ballroom. It’s a bit of a hidden gem this one, as Club 5 had a soft reopening and its following has grown purely by word of mouth.

The Chosen One: Head Bartender Jun Han Ong lives and breathes the essence of Club 5, enthusiastically explaining the components to the wickedly delicious concoctions and the inspiration behind each drink. The entire cocktail menu is themed around the culturally rich areas of Beach Road, Arab Street and Bugis Junction. The Nasi Lema’rgarita ($20) from the Arab Street theme – coconut tequila, citrus, aromatic pandan, dry Curaçao, cucumber, ikan bilis and peanut – is not too sweet, and has some subtle notes of pandan. Boogie Street ($22) is a crowd-pleasing gin sour featuring London Dry Gin, mezcal, citrus, apricot brandy, agave and violette. To make sure everyone has fun, the Calm Waters Mocktail ($15) is refreshing, with a touch of tropical spiciness delivered via its pineapple, citrus, galangal and Thai ginger beer.

Bite on this: The bar nibbles continue the Singapore multicultural theme, with the likes of an eat-in-one-bite Peranakan chicken kueh pie tee with buah keluak dressing, and a nice mouth-sized deep-fried soft shell crab with Singapore chilli crab sauce. For something a bit more familiar, the crispy lamb ribs go down a treat with the chef’s homemade Thai green mint sauce. Nibbles cost around $15 and are quite generously sized. The homemade wagyu satay with hazelnut dip is a signature dish and sells out fast!

Happy Hour at Club 5 is from 4 to 7pm, Mondays to Thursdays.