What this place is and who it is for
Sum Yi Tai sits on Pekin Street in Telok Ayer in a 1920s shophouse styled to look like a 1980s Hong Kong triad-era nightclub. The ground floor is a dim sum bar with a 30-seat dining room and a 16-seat cocktail counter. The first floor is a 44-seat hidden speakeasy called The Last Supper, accessed through a back-of-house door and a code from the host.
It works for a Saturday group dinner that needs both food and drinks under one roof and for a hidden upstairs reservation that lands somewhere between a cocktail bar and a 1980s karaoke room. Skip the Sunday visit because the bar is closed. The Straits Times 2023 bar feature called Sum Yi Tai “the most committed theme bar in the city and the smartest dim-sum-and-cocktail concept on Pekin Street.
What the space feels like
A 1920s shophouse with two personalities. The ground floor is a dim sum bar with red lacquer walls, vintage Hong Kong cinema posters, a 30-seat dining room, and a 16-seat cocktail counter. The first floor is The Last Supper speakeasy, a 44-seat room with crushed-velvet booths, a karaoke microphone, and a curtained back nook. Tatler Asia's 2024 bar feature described the upstairs as “the closest Singapore comes to a 1980s Tsim Sha Tsui after-hours club without the actual triads.” The lighting drops to candlelight after 9pm.
What to order, what to skip
Order the Mistress Dior (24 SGD), a chrysanthemum gin and longan build that has been on the menu since opening and remains the bartender pick for a first visit. Skip the upstairs karaoke without a reservation; The Infatuation Singapore's 2023 bar feature noted the speakeasy is “100 percent booked Thursday to Saturday and a walk-in is not the right strategy.” The Empress Wu, a Chinese-tea-infused mezcal build at 26 SGD, is the off-menu request the bartenders pour when guests want a smokier closing drink.
Who shows up and when
Three shifts. From 5pm to 7pm the dim sum bar pulls Telok Ayer after-work professionals for the early cocktail and shared plates. From 7pm to 10pm the ground floor runs at peak dining service and the upstairs speakeasy opens at 7pm with a reservation list that fills three days out. After 10pm The Last Supper turns to a karaoke shift and a younger Telok Ayer weekend crowd. Time Out Singapore's 2024 bar feature called Sum Yi Tai “the only Telok Ayer bar that pulls a 60 percent local Singapore crowd on a Friday night.
When to walk in
Sum Yi Tai runs three shifts and the right one depends on the goal. From 5pm to 7pm the dim sum bar is the spot for a walk-in cocktail and a shared plate of har gau. From 7pm to 10pm the ground floor runs at peak dining service and a reservation is recommended for a four-top. After 10pm the upstairs speakeasy turns to a karaoke shift; book three days out for a Friday or Saturday booth. Monday and Tuesday are the easiest nights for a walk-in upstairs; Sunday is closed. The Last Supper opens at 7pm sharp and the host requires a code from the printed dim sum menu.
What regulars say
Pick this if
- A 7pm dim sum bar reservation for a group of four with cocktails
- A 9pm upstairs Last Supper booth with a three-day-out booking
- A 11pm Friday karaoke session with a group of six in the speakeasy
- Avoid the Sunday visit when the bar is closed
Three siblings in Singapore
Sum Yi Tai official site and Instagram (2026-05); The Straits Times 2023 bar feature; Tatler Asia 2024 bar feature; The Infatuation Singapore 2023 bar feature; Time Out Singapore 2024 bar feature; Google Maps reviews (n=890).