We look at some of the more interesting news in Singapore’s drinks, dining and hospitality scene that have captured our attention this month in Spirited Dispatches #2.
The year may be coming to an end, but Singapore’s nightlife and dining scene never ceases to evolve with exciting openings – from bars and cutting-edge restaurants to luxury hotels – sprouting across the Lion City. Looking to do a staycation at a newly-opened lifestyle boutique hotel? Want to be among the first to check out a new restaurant in town? Here are some ideas.
But first, some news.
News
-
Spirit of Craft (SOCraft) Awards launched
The organisers behind the Singapore Cocktail Festival (SGCF), FoodNews Creative Marketing Agency, has announced the inaugural Spirit of Craft (SOCraft) Awards, which looks to recognise and honour artisanal craft spirits and provide them a platform to connect to Asia markets. Submissions for the SOCraft Awards 2024 opens on 1 January 2024 and closes 31 March 2024.
-
50 Best Bars has new Academy Chair for Southeast Asia & Korea
50 Best has named a new Academy Chair heading up its voting panels for The World’s 50 Best Bars and Asia’s 50 Best Bars in Southeast Asia & Korea. Marketing professional Rachel Tann – who currently works for Coravin and has served stints in Rémy Cointreau and Campari – replaces long-serving Vivian Pei, who has since relocated to the United States. Will we see some shakeup in the bar rankings in Asia soon?
-
67 Pall Mall announces Melbourne outpost
Members of 67 Pall Mall will be glad to know that they’ll yet have another outlet to visit when the London-born wine-focused private members’ club opens an offshoot in Melbourne come 2025. Located on Spring Street in the heart of Melbourne’s Central Business District, the new 21,500-sqft venue will offer member facilities and possibly the largest wine list with some 5,000 wines by the bottle and 1,000 by the glass. We’ll need someone to invite us there when it opens, though. Please?
Drinks & Dining
-
Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants heads to Seoul for its 2024 awards edition
50 Best has announced that the city of Seoul in South Korea will be hosting Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024. To be held on 26 March 2024, residents and visitors can expect an extensive event programme – organised in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs – that will showcase Korea’s rich culinary heritage and cultural history culminating in the much-anticipated awards ceremony. Time to pencil in a trip to Seoul!
-
Multi-concept lifestyle destination HighHouse opens at One Raffles Place
Life has once again returned to the uppermost floors of One Raffles Place. What was 1-Altitude is now nightlife and culinary destination HighHouse, a double-storey venue that combines art, music, cocktails and food in a single transcendent space. Revellers can expect edgy house, techno, and disco music programming to gyrate to while they lounge over some creative cocktails, or dine on Pacific coastal cuisine while gazing over unparalleled views of the Singapore skyline. Party time!
-
Maison Boulud to open in Singapore early next year
Celebrity chef Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro & Oyster Bar in Marina Bay Sands will evolve in Maison Boulud Singapore in early 2024. The new restaurant spans across two floors in the mall of the integrated resort, and is set to offer a “soulful reinterpretation of French classics, steeped in rich culinary tradition and inspired by the rhythm of the seasons” that’s inspired by Chef Daniel’s childhood memories growing up in Lyon. Farewell, DB Bistro.
-
Contemporary European restaurant HEVEL opens on Keong Saik Road
Newly-opened HEVEL on Keong Saik Road looks to inject some vibrancy into Singapore’s competitive dining scene with chef-owner Stefan Liau’s playful riffs on contemporary European fare. Expect an inventive tasting menu – combining individual and communal dishes – from the ex-Mandala Club chef, as well as a curious beverage programme that champions fortified wines. We’ll be checking HEVEL out soon, so watch this space.
Product Releases
-
The Glen Grant Devotion 70 Years is a noble drop
Scotch single malt distillery Glen Grant recently issued its oldest-ever release, the Glen Grant Devotion. Sourced from a single French oak butt seasoned with Oloroso sherry, the 70-year old whisky is a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. A total of seven decanters were released, with the first auctioned off by Sotheby’s at the price of £81,250 with the sum donated to the Royal Scottish Forestry Society in support of the preservation of local woodland within the Speyside area. Oh, but for a taste!
-
Jack Daniel’s and Coca Cola ready-to-drink now available in Singapore
Jack Daniel’s and Coca Cola has announced the official launch of their canned Jack Daniel’s & Coca Cola alcoholic ready-to-drink (aRTD) pre-mixed beverage here in Singapore. First launched in the US in March this year, this canned cocktail makes official of the world’s most popular drink combinations in a bar or club ever. Find this at your nearest convenience store. Or not.
Hospitality
-
Artyzen Singapore opens its doors
Singapore’s premier Orchard Road shopping precinct sees the addition of yet another hotel as Artyzen Singapore officially throws opens its doors over at Cuscaden Road. Inspired by the culture, colours, and flavours of Singapore’s Straits heritage, the design-led 142-room contemporary lifestyle property targets the sophisticated traveller with the allure of a lush urban oasis steeped in heritage and local culture. We like the sound of that already.
-
EDITION Hotels starts a Singapore chapter with The Singapore EDITION
Another new hotel entrant to the Orchard Road district, also on Cuscaden Road, is The Singapore EDITION. This new 204-room property combines the verve and energy of an major metropolis with the style and sensibility of a tropical resort, and comes with its own collection of restaurants, bars and other amenities, including seafood-focused signature restaurant FYSH by award-winning Australian celebrity chef Josh Niland (which we hope to check out real soon).
-
Hotel Faber Park Singapore officially opens
Handwritten Collection opens its first property in the Lion City with Hotel Faber Park Singapore. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Faber, the lifestyle hotel offers unparalleled access to guests looking to explore Singapore’s rich natural heritage such as the nearby Mount Faber or Labrador Nature Reserve, or visit the nearby iconic landmarks Sentosa and Singapore Cable Car. Except we’re not exactly the nature sort.
Follow us on Telegram to get updated on events and other spirited announcements!
