In no particular order or preference, here's a rundown on some of the clubs/bars you may wanna visit while you're here ...
ORCHARD
1. Alley Bar. The fact that it spills out onto an open alley is apt for the Alley Bar. The L-shaped bar is a favourite haunt for regulars at Emerald Hill. Just off Orchard Road, the entire hill is dominated by charmingly restored pre-war houses. Hanging lamps from from the high ceiling and a striking gilt-framed mirror lends a contemporary yet old world charm to the water-hole. There's also tasty local fare quite unlike any pub grub you've had eg. Pandan Chicken and Scallop Dumplings to go with your beer.
2. Thumper. Night owls headed for Thumper know they can party al fresco at the terrace or go through its iconic tunnel to hit the dance floor. The party picks up on Thursdays when it's Ladies' Nights - themed "Alice in Thumperland". For the ladies, cheers to the free flow of vodka from 9pm till late! Aside from cocktails and and music, the dress code is smart; setting the tempo for some stylish clubbing ...
3. Nude Supperclub + Bar. At Wisma Atria, clubbing at the Nude Supperclub + Bar is akin to chilling out in an underwater paradise, with a giant, floor-to-ceiling aquarium with special lighting effects (do look out for the sharks!). To add to the draw, there are not one, but three live acts from Tuesday to Saturday.
4. Bar None. Bar None (located in the basement of the Marriott Hotel) is where home-grown entertainer and live wire Douglas Oliverio heats things up. The repertoire of his new band includes numers from ol' blue eyes Frank Sinatra, Black Eyed Peas and everything in between.
Marina Bay
1. New Asia Bar. Located on levels 71 and 72 of the Swissotel Stamford, New Asia Bar offers clubbers a surreal, almost other-worldly sense of displacement and imbalance, 'coz its floors are deliberately designed to slope 20 degrees off-centre.
2. The Long Bar. The Long Bar at Raffles Hotel is so named, because of its bar counter that stretches from one end of the room to the other. It's also home to the Singapore Sling - concocted with gin, cherry brandy, pineapple and lime juice, Cointreau, and other ingredients by Hainanese arman Ngiam Tong Boon. The Long Bar sells up to 2,000 Slings a day! And you'll definitely enjoy eating your peanuts and throwing its shell onto the floor ('coz that's the unique culture of the Long Bar).
3. Insomnia. Insomnia is a 24-hour bar-restaurant that never sleeps, hence its name. Housed in CHIJMES, an old convent, it serves Asian and International cuisine. And it sports an al fresco setting that overlooks the beautiful lawns and the chapel. Stay on after dinner for drinks and only head back to the hotel when you feel like it, not when the bar closes ...
4. Balaclava. Balaclava takes the art of lounging to chic new heights with its intimate and cosy decor, fasionable cocktail bites and five different bands for every night of the week that they are open: David Frances & Rene on Monday, Soul Therapy on Tuesday, UnXpected on Wednesday and Friday, EIC on Thursday and Tabula on Saturday.
5. Atrium Bar. This bar found within Morton's The Steakhouse (Level 4, The Oriental hotel), is a chic place that serves up drinks with that famous Morton's panache, the bar's legendary Martinis that goes for approximately $8.50 during happy hours (5-7pm on weeknights), accompanied by filet mignon steak sandwiches. You can be sure its "Lycheetini" is definitely lip-smacking good!
Boat Quay / Clarke Quay
1. Bar Opiume. Offering spectacular views of the Singapore River and its central business district, this cool den features intoxicating brews and fast tempos for you to party till the wee hours of the morning!
2. Attica / Attica Too. Attica / Attica Too is a place to see and be seen at, with four different bar concepts: al fresco lounge, sofa lounge, hot dance-club interiors and a Balinese courtyard replete with a fountain. Club-goers are especially drawn to the club's unique Vanity Area - a huge dome-like setting covered with burgundy mosaic tiles and mirrors.
3. Forbidden City. Chinoiserie goes palatial at Forbidden City, whose doors are guarded by towering terracotta warriors. No themed restaurant-club comes more complete with Chinese artefacts, paintings and antiques than this one. Whether you're feasting on the modern Chinese cuisine or taking in the grand views outdoors and intoxicating ambience within, you'll be travelling back in time to an imperial past of grandeur and opulence.
4. Home Club. A small club in the Riverwalk shopping center. Usually they have Indie events and the crowd reflects that. Not too many teenagers and a nice cross section of friendly unpretentious party people.
5. Barfly. Lounge club in The Cannery near the Ministry of Sound. This bar was set up by the Buddha bar which should say enough. sophisticated food and people but laidback enough to walk in with T-shirt and jeans. Nice Mojito.
Mohamed Sultan
1. Dbl O. Dbl O is pronounced as "Double O", all pointing to the humongous dance floor and a lighted wall to reflect its "big club" feel offering a mix of disco, house, retro and garage. Small wonder it has now become the preferred hangout of the sophisticates.
2. The Siam SupperClub. Get into the groove at The Siam SupperClub with good music, sushi, meat grills and more. Don't miss out on its house specialty - 18 Bronze Men (nine shots of house pours and nine shots of juice/soda).
3. En Lounge. En Lounge does not just deliver on the party front. It offers a wide selection of Western-Japanese fusion food and an extensive wine list. Get into the thick of the clubbing action on the dance floor, or chill al fresco.
Jiak Kim Street & Robertson Quay
1. Zouk. This is the club that puts Singapore on the party map - Zouk - as well as its stylish silings Wine Bar @ Zouk, Velvet Underground and Phuture. Its customised sound system, new bars and a dazzling, multi-coloured tunnel are simply mind-boggling!
2. The Liquid Room. Dance revellers swear by The Liquid Room at the Gallery Hotel for music with an alternative edge. For some al fresco chilling and down-tempo tunes, head to its Sound Bar.
Holland Village
1. Lorong Mambong. The groovy stretch of Lorong Mambong boasts Wala Wala - which features a live band and whose crowd gets so big that it spills onto the pavement - and Tango and Harry's, with jazz and blues.
Club Street
1. Beaujolais Wine Bar. This is the perfect setting for connoisseurs. Enjoy a French Bordeaux with the smell of cheese pervading the wooden interior. Or have a Carbenet Sauvignon on the palm and frangipani-fringed al fresco balcony.
2. Bar Sa Vanh. With the sweet scent of jasmine permeating the air and a three-storey waterfall, this is where you can lounge in luxurious long sofas and chill to down-tempo grooves that don't boom over your head.
