From red-light district to one of Singapore’s top spots
© 2017 The New York Times
It morphed from a residential area in the early 20th century to a famous red-light district in the 1960s, with many of its three-story art deco shophouses doubling as brothels.
Lately, the road has become one of the city’s trendiest places, especially humming between Kreta Ayer Road and Neil Road. The stretch is full of au courant bars, stores, hotels and restaurants.
Hints of yesteryear remain, however, including a few discreet brothels identified only by bold red street numbers next to their doorways.
Now two years old, this industrial-chic space with irreverent touches – exposed pipes, marbled concrete floors, giant murals of pigeons (one with Mike Tyson) – is perpetually packed and serves contemporary izakaya-style (think tapas) dishes.
It is one of th emost popular eateries in the district and booking is advisable. 1 Keong Saik Road; 65-6222-3623; neonpigeonsg.com
For the good bar food at this speak-easy-style cocktail bar with no sign or number, you’ll need a password to enter through the secret door. (Tip: The password, which changes monthly, is available on the bar’s Facebook and Instagram pages). 47 Keong Saik Road; 656221-8338; thelibrary.sg
Helmed by Sun Kim, a South Korean chef who has worked at Singapore’s venerated Waku Ghin, this sleek spot debuted in late 2015 with an Asian-infused French menu. Get a front-row view of the kitchen fireworks at the 16-seat granite bar. 9 Keong Saik Road; 65-6513-0898; metarestaurant.sg
Uniting five well-preserved shophouses built in 1929 – hence the name – this stylish property with 32 individually decorated rooms mixes contemporary technology (smartphones with free data and free international calls to a number of countries) with vintage furnishings including Eames and Arne Jacobsen chairs, and old barber seats for a bit of whimsy. The two Terrace suites have decks with outdoor bathtubs. 50 Keong Saik Road; 65-6347-1929; hotel1929. com
Opened in July 2015, the 1 400-square-foot, dimly lit shophouse is an intimate stage for the chef-owner Andrew Walsh’s lunch- and dinner-tasting menus. These focus on seasonal ingredients, procured near and far, presented in dishes like scallop ceviche and Irish beef cooked and raw. 21 Keong Saik Road; 65-6221-2189; curesingapore.com