Need a solid cocktail after a (really) late night at the office? This British bar has you covered.
Past a certain age and income bracket, people don’t need to party harder; they want to party better. Drinks should have more than two ingredients (that don’t include cola), be served by staff dressed in tailored suits, and in a sophisticated setting that plays music not featured on current Top 40 lists. The Monarchy Cocktail Bar & Ultra Lounge promises all of that.
Its founders have party pedigree. Robbie Hoyes-Cock was the CEO and founder of The Podium Lounge, while Steve Yallop was the former executive director of Pangaea at Marina Bay Sands. Together they’ve put together a concept inspired by the optimistic Cool Britannia era of the UK. This means classic British cocktails with a twist, all named after songs by British bands, in a space filled with paintings of prominent British figures by artist Alex Wakefield. There’s even a display window for the wares of local bespoke tailor Kevin Seah, who designed The Monarchy team’s dapper uniforms.
The lounge area opens from 10pm on weekends and the eve of public holidays with all the usual trappings: bottle service, a DJ console, VIP table, dance platforms and reinforced chesterfields for those want to re-enact Footloose on the furniture instead. But you come here for the well-crafted cocktails, speedy service and the fact that it’s the only bar on the street that opens till late (3am for Tuesdays to Fridays, 4am on Saturdays).
Even the paintings are for sale, and the last customer who bought one of them enjoyed a limousine ride home and next-day delivery. If you’re happy to just admire them from your leather booth, do so with a “Message in a Bottle” (whisky, Dubonnet, sweet vermouth, orange liqueur and maraschino) or even the cheeky “Mr Churchill Says” (gin, more gin and green olives). 56 Tras Street.
02 IN THE PINK
03 CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA
04 FULL HOUSE
Even if winter never arrives in Singapore, drink in solidarity with the characters stuck in Westeros with a Game of Thrones-inspired single malt scotch collection. To celebrate the eighth and final season of the acclaimed HBO series, Diageo has released a set of eight bottles from the distilleries of Dalwhinnie, The Singleton of Glendullan, Cardhu, Lagavulin, Oban, Talisker, Royal Lochnagar and Clynelish, dedicated to the seven clans of Westeros and the Night’s Watch. Even those who aren’t fans of the show may want to consider getting their hands on the set for unique bottlings like the Talisker Select Reserve (House Greyjoy), Dalwhinnie Winter’s Frost (House Stark) and Lagavulin 9 Year Old (House Lannister).
TEXT CHARMIAN LEONG
