Editorial
Singapore is Asia's most consistent cocktail city. Five Singapore bars have won World's Best Bar (Atlas, Manhattan, Jigger & Pony, Native, Operation Dagger). The 10 below span the rooftops, the speakeasies and the Asian-ingredient-led modern cocktail rooms. Most are walkable from each other in the central business district or Tanjong Pagar.
The Exchange sits at the foot of Asia Square Tower 1, a roomy Marina Bay bar that fills with the banking crowd at clock-off. The fit-out is sleek and open, with modern Australian food and a long cocktail list. It keeps weekday hours, so make it an after-work stop.
The Public House works a British pub format on Circular Road, just behind the Boat Quay strip. The food covers fish and chips through to pizza, and there is a pool table for the long sessions. It is a reliable after-work pint stop in the CBD.
Singapore's combination of strict regulation, deep talent and serious money has produced the world's most consistent high-end cocktail scene. Native, Operation Dagger and Atlas Bar exemplify three different approaches: hyper-local Southeast Asian, modernist-experimental, classical-encyclopaedic. Most bars peak between 9 and 11 PM; some run later in Tanjong Pagar.
Global Cities Editor — Bangkok to Buenos Aires. Cultural context, not just cocktail tourism.