28 HongKong Street
The bar that rewrote Singapore's cocktail story. A hidden door in Clarke Quay, 30 seats inside, and 14 years of relentless quality behind the stick.
The bar that rewrote Singapore's cocktail story. A hidden door in Clarke Quay, 30 seats inside, and 14 years of relentless quality behind the stick.
In 2011, when the first bar teams returned from apprenticeships in New York and London and opened a small, reservation-only room on a quiet stretch of HongKong Street, Singapore's cocktail scene changed permanently. Before 28 HongKong Street, the city had nightclubs, hotel bars, and tourist-facing venues doing serviceable approximations of classics. After it opened, a generation of bartenders had a local reference point for what serious cocktail hospitality actually looked like.
The bar sits behind an unmarked door. You ring a bell. A host opens the door and checks your name. Inside, 30 seats wrap around a central bar and a handful of booths. The cocktail list is seasonal and handwritten. It changes every few months to reflect what the team is working on, and it is rarely predictable.
The menu at 28 HongKong Street groups drinks loosely by base spirit and profile rather than by classic or signature. The team leans toward acid-forward builds, clear and focused flavours, and unusual ingredient combinations sourced from around Southeast Asia. The Scotch and smoked pineapple highball that appeared a few years ago has become something of a legend. More recently, shiso, galangal, and pandan have featured prominently. Order two or three drinks across different profiles and ask the bartender where things are heading that season.
The bar is also notable for its beer selection, which is quietly excellent. If the night calls for less intensity, the draught options are well curated and treated with the same care as the cocktail programme.
28 HongKong Street draws industry professionals from across Singapore and visiting bartenders from around the world on research trips. It also has a loyal local following of regulars who book the same monthly slot and treat the bar like a private club they are very pleased to have access to. The best time to visit is a Tuesday or Wednesday, when the room breathes more easily and conversation at the bar is possible. Weekend sittings are often fully booked two weeks in advance. Book on their website the moment you know your dates.
For a full night, pair with Tippling Club for a drink before or Atlas in the Grand Hyatt lobby for a grand gin experience afterwards. The Singapore bar guide maps the full drinking landscape.
Address is 28 HongKong Street, Singapore 059667. Clarke Quay MRT is a 5-minute walk on the North-East Line. Reservations are essential and open 14 days in advance. The bar does not accept walk-ins. Dress code is smart casual. Price per person for 3 to 4 cocktails runs SGD 90 to 140. The bar accepts all major cards. No corkage, no BYO. The experience here is the cocktails, the conversation, and the craft. Arrive on time, and stay as long as the seats allow.
Also read: best cocktail bars in Singapore and the hidden gems Singapore guide.
One email every week. The bars our editors are recommending right now, across 60 cities worldwide.
Sponsored listings, newsletter placements, and city guide partnerships across 60 cities. Contact us to get your bar in front of the right audience.