Lulu's Lounge

What this place is and who it is for

Lulu's Lounge sits in the basement of the Mandarin Oriental Singapore at Marina Square, accessed through an unmarked door beside the basement-level bathrooms. The room is a 1970s disco speakeasy: 70 seats across crushed-velvet banquettes, a 12-seat counter, and a small dance floor that opens at 10pm. The bar opened in 2023 as the hotel's late-night programme under bar director Alex Pulford.

It works for a 9pm reservation for a couple before the dance floor opens and for a 1am Saturday Marina Square nightcap with a hotel-key card. Skip the Sunday to Tuesday visit because the bar is closed. The Straits Times 2024 bar feature called Lulu's “the most committed speakeasy concept in Singapore in five years and the late-night Marina Square room the city has been missing.

What the space feels like

A 1970s basement disco with three zones. The main lounge holds about 40 across crushed-velvet banquettes under a mirrored ceiling; the counter on the south wall fits 12; a small dance floor with a disco ball opens at 10pm and runs until 2am. Tatler Asia's 2024 bar feature described the room as “the closest Singapore comes to a Studio 54 basement, the most committed 1970s revival on the island.” The lighting drops to red at 11pm and the playlist runs to disco and funk.

What to order, what to skip

Order the Dirty Martini with house caviar (32 SGD), the bar's most-photographed build and the bartender pick for a first visit. Skip the disco-era cocktail card without a recommendation; The Infatuation Singapore's 2024 cocktail bar feature called the printed programme “a 12-build menu where five are great and seven are tourist photo bait.” The Stinger on a high-proof rye (30 SGD) is the off-menu request the bartenders pour when guests want a sharper closer.

Who shows up and when

Two shifts. From 7pm to 10pm the lounge pulls a Marina Square hotel-guest crowd and a small Promenade after-work mix for the early cocktail and the banquette seating. After 10pm the dance floor opens and the room turns to a younger Singapore weekend crowd and a 30 percent hotel-key-card late-night mix. Drinks International's 2024 Asia bar feature called Lulu's “the only Marina Square room that runs a real dance floor until 2am on a Friday night.

When to walk in

Lulu's runs two shifts and the right one depends on the goal. From 7pm to 10pm the lounge is the spot for a reservation for a couple before the dance floor opens; the banquettes are the right seat for a 90-minute drink. After 10pm the dance floor opens and the room turns to a younger weekend crowd; the counter is the right seat for a 1am Marina Square nightcap. Wednesday is the easiest reservation; Friday and Saturday require the seven-day booking window. The bar is closed Sunday to Tuesday.

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