The Horse's Mouth

The Horse's Mouth opened in 2012 in a basement at 583 Orchard Road, hidden inside Forum The Shopping Mall and reached by slipping through Uma Uma Ramen and down a staircase. It became one of the venues that defined Singapore's hidden-bar era. The original Forum room has since closed, the concept later reopened as a gastrobar at Millenia Walk, and that location shut in 2025. We keep this page because the name still gets searched and the bar mattered to the city's drinking history.

The pitch, while it ran, was a refined Japanese drinking den. Punch profiled it as a speakeasy that took its cues from the izakaya, and Time Out Singapore listed it among the Orchard area's better hidden bars. The room was dim and low-key, built for a small group rather than a crowd.

The format mixed bespoke and craft cocktails, made to order at around S$25, with a notably deep selection of sake and a Burgundian wine list that ran beyond what most cocktail bars bothered with. Japanese plates, including ramen and donburi, came from the kitchens above. Local guides such as SethLui consistently grouped it with the city's best izakaya-style bars for that pairing of serious drinks and proper Japanese food.

For the same hidden, Japanese-leaning cocktail register today, the closest match is Maison Ikkoku in Singapore, the tucked-away bar in Kampong Glam where bespoke builds are the house style. For another deep-craft Singapore room, Native in Singapore works regional spirits into its program, and Operation Dagger in Singapore keeps the basement-speakeasy feeling alive on Ann Siang Hill. Browse the full Singapore cocktail bars guide or the wider Singapore bar guide for more.