Singapore has one of Asia's most sophisticated bar scenes, and the best after work bars in Singapore reflect a city that takes drinking seriously. The cluster around Tanjong Pagar and the CBD produces world-class cocktail bars within walking distance of each other — some of which consistently place on the Asia's 50 Best Bars list. The challenge isn't finding a good bar; it's narrowing down which one to choose on a given evening.
Tanjong Pagar — Singapore's After-Work Epicentre
The Tanjong Pagar area — the stretch of shophouses and office towers south of Chinatown — is where the city's serious cocktail culture concentrates. The bars here draw finance and professional workers from the CBD, and the competition keeps standards high. Arrive early; the good tables fill by 7pm.
01
Jigger and Pony
Amara Hotel, Tanjong Pagar$$$Cocktail / Asia's Best
Jigger and Pony has been one of Asia's best bars for years, and unlike some award-winners it has not coasted on that reputation. The cocktail list is methodical and well-sourced; the service is attentive without being overbearing. The Improved Whisky Cocktail — a riff on an 1860s recipe — is one of our standing recommendations across any bar we've visited in Southeast Asia. Book a table for Friday evenings.
Order: The Improved Whisky Cocktail or the current house seasonal creation
02
Tippling Club
Tanjong Pagar$$$$Gastronomic / Multi-Sensory
Ryan Clift's Tippling Club is where the boundaries between bar and restaurant and culinary laboratory get deliberately blurred. The cocktails involve flavour manipulation that most bars don't attempt — nitrogen freezing, distillation, ferments made in-house. It is one of the most technically ambitious drinking experiences in Asia. Coming here for after-work drinks requires a willingness to spend time with the menu rather than speed through it.
Order: The tasting menu of cocktails — five courses, each more interesting than the last
03
No Sleep Club
Tanjong Pagar$$24-Hour / Relaxed
No Sleep Club operates 24 hours and never seems to take itself too seriously, which is exactly the right energy for a place where people end up at 3am. The afternoon and early evening window is calmer — coffee transitions to cocktails without ceremony, and the menu moves between classic pours and creative specials. The bar's all-day format means the quality doesn't drop when the kitchen closes elsewhere.
Order: The house cold brew negroni if available, or a classic Espresso Martini to bridge the workday
Explore Singapore's rooftop bar scene
Our guide to the best rooftop bars in Singapore — from 1-Altitude to the Marina Bay Sands rooftop.
Central and Raffles Place — For Those Staying in the CBD
Not everyone wants to walk to Tanjong Pagar after work. These CBD and Bugis options are closer to the main MRT exchanges and deliver quality without requiring a detour.
04
Native
Amoy Street$$$Foraged / Southeast Asian
Native builds its entire cocktail programme around Southeast Asian ingredients — foraged herbs, local spirits, ferments sourced from regional producers. The result is a bar that tastes like nowhere else in the world. The Antz cocktail — made with rice wine and ant egg distillate — is the headline act, but the gentler serves on the menu are equally thoughtful. The shophouse setting on Amoy Street is one of Singapore's most atmospheric drinking rooms.
Order: The Antz if you want the full Native experience, or the current fruit-based seasonal
05
Atlas
Bugis$$$$Art Deco / Grand Hotel
The gin tower at Atlas — a floor-to-ceiling art deco installation holding over 1,300 gin expressions — is one of the great bar rooms in Asia. The cocktail programme is as serious as the architecture, and the bar team knows the list in depth. Tuesday to Thursday evenings before 8pm offer the best chance of getting a seat at the bar itself. This is where Singapore impresses visiting clients and out-of-town guests without effort.
Order: A Martini made with a house-selected gin, or ask what's worth trying from the single-malt gin section
06
Quinary
Central$$$Molecular / Five Senses
Antonio Lai's Quinary takes a five-senses approach to cocktail design — every drink addresses sight, taste, smell, sound, and texture in some configuration. The Earl Grey Caviar Martini, with its signature pearls that burst in the mouth, has been the bar's calling card since opening. The experience is more accessible than it sounds; this is not a bar that requires a science degree to enjoy.
Order: The Earl Grey Caviar Martini, then ask what's new on the tasting menu
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The View Bars — When the Skyline Matters
Singapore's skyline is one of the best in Asia, and a handful of bars use it properly. These options trade partly on the view, but the drink programmes hold up even when it's cloudy.
07
Smoke and Mirrors
National Gallery, Bras Basah$$$Rooftop / Marina Bay View
Smoke and Mirrors sits on the rooftop of the National Gallery with a direct view across Marina Bay. The cocktail list is contemporary and well-priced for the location. The building's heritage status means the rooftop itself is architecturally interesting — the contrast between the colonial facade and the modern skyline behind it is genuinely striking after dark. Arrive before sunset and stay through it.
Order: A sparkling cocktail for the sunset hour, then move to whatever spirit-forward serve interests you
08
Manhattan at Regent Singapore
Orchard$$$$Grand Hotel / Aged Cocktails
Manhattan at the Regent Singapore has been consistently ranked among Asia's and the world's best bars since opening. The house-aged cocktails — stored in American oak barrels on a shelf behind the bar — are unlike anything available elsewhere in the city. The room is properly grand, the service matches the setting, and the Prohibition-era menu is both scholarly and genuinely delicious.
Order: A barrel-aged cocktail — the Manhattan (naturally) or the aged Negroni
09
Employees Only Singapore
River Valley$$$New York / Late Night
The Singapore outpost of New York's legendary Employees Only — which has been running in the West Village since 2004 — brings the same formula to the city with some regional adaptations. The Billionaire Cocktail here uses Southeast Asian ingredients that the New York original can't source. The late-night kitchen is operational until early morning. The bar fills from 7pm and the energy never drops.
Order: The Singapore Billionaire Cocktail or any of the house Sour variations
10
Stockton
Central$$$Speakeasy / Hong Kong Style
Stockton is a Hong Kong-style bar transplanted to Singapore — a narrow, dark room with a long bar and a cocktail list that leans into flavour combinations drawn from both cities' culinary traditions. The service is quick and the bar handles volume without losing the quality of individual drinks. Thursday evenings draw a crowd from the neighbouring offices that knows exactly what it's there for.
Order: The house daiquiri variation with calamansi, or a stirred whisky cocktail from the back list
After work bars category — all cities
Our complete after-work bar guide across 60 cities worldwide, organised by occasion and neighbourhood.
Singapore's after-work bar scene operates at a consistently high level across a relatively compact geography. Jigger and Pony and Native are our first recommendations to anyone visiting for the first time — they represent what the city does better than most: technically precise cocktails using ingredients that reference the region without becoming a novelty act. For the evenings when you want scale and spectacle, Atlas and Manhattan deliver both.
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