CBD: 31 places for happy, happy hours

Livin’ large in the CBD can catch up with you quickly. Not to promulgate alcoholism, gluttony and wanton indulgence in overpriced bars but sometimes there is a need to cut yourself some slack. Here are 31 bars to check out.

P.S some happy hours run for like.. days.

1864

1864 on the fifth floor of Sofitel is spacious and outfitted in snazzy art deco furniture. Sneak out of work early for their 5pm to 7pm happy hours, Mondays to Thursdays. There, you can drink your fill of their selected house beers, wines and spirits for ($12).

Come March 2, French Friday will kick in, so, an order of selected tapas between 5.30 to 7.30pm comes with free-flowing Barrel-aged cocktails ($48).

Sofitel Singapore City Centre, 9 Wallich St., Fifth Floor.

360 Lounge

Smack in the middle of CBD, this place is brand-spanking-new and perched on the 20th floor of Oxley Tower. They’ve made the most out of the space they’ve got, and you can expect great views. For the month of Feb, Mondays to Thursdays every week at 5.30pm to 7.30pm sees free free-flowing house pours, including bourbon, whiskeys, wines, vodka and bourbons. Yes, completely free. Now you’re privy to that info, use it wisely.

Otherwise, happy hours are Mondays through Saturdays between 5.30pm to 8.30pm when beers and house pours are ($6 nett) and you also score 20% off all bottles.

Oxley Tower, 138 Robinson Rd., #20-01.

Adrift Bar and Lounge 

Tucked behind an imposing panelled wall, Adrift is almost an Izakaya, with small plates and grilled meats. No one thinks to go to the bay area for some relaxing drinks because no one wants to sober up to a hefty bill. But on Tuesdays from 6pm to 9pm, it’s 50% off all nine cocktails. A choice few have Japanese elements to them, like Japanese gin, blossom tea, umeshu and nashi pear.

Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Av.

Alter Ego

A spot with a sleek storefront and innovative nosh to boot, Alter Ego has this peculiar but delightful concept, that happy hour should be anytime, everyday. True to their word, walk in and enjoy bottled beers, vodka with mixers and gins for ($5); ($9.90) pints and an all-day liquid buffet ($29.90).

This runs till the end of the year.

Esplanade Mall, 8 Raffles Ave., #01-13D.

Atrium Bar @ Morton’s Steakhouse

Morton’s Atrium Bar is another well-kept secret of the well-heeled and those in the know. The bar opens at 5pm and for two hours, selected martinis ($15.99) of veritably huge portions come with free flowing complimentary steak sandwiches. Daily. Seriously.

Morton. Is. Giving. Out. Free. Steak (sandwiches). Here’s one for you and one for you and everybody gets a steak sandwich! Walk-in basis only; and fair warning, that sandwiches do get snapped up very quickly.

Mandarin Oriental, 5 Raffles Ave., Fourth Floor. 

Bakery and Bar (previously Muffinry)

Cheery cozy space by day, by night, this one transforms into a place for inebriation. Round up some friends to cozy up with because it just feels like one of those great places for a casual sesh. Wednesday is of course, ladies night, and ($35) will get you free-flowing pizza and Prosecco. On Thursdays from 5pm, get two drinks for the price of one. Come Friday its ($5) off for food and drinks on a dedicated menu (psst date night).

Apart from that, Bakery and Bar does an all you-can-drink-in-two-hours thingamajid. Get your free-flowing Prosecco ($38); Tanqueray and tonic ($48) Tanqueray No. 10 and Tonic ($78) and more.

112 Telok Ayer St.

Bar on Chulia

To keep things exciting, Bar on Chulia does different daily promotions. Happy hours run from open until 9pm except on Fridays, when it stops at 8pm. In an essence, on Monday, the house pours are BOGO; Wednesdays, ladies get free-flowing reds and whites until 7.30pm; walk-in only. On Thursdays, spirits-loving guys are shown some love because you get one for one on your choice premium spirits. On Friday, from 8pm to 11pm, “crazy hour” grants you ($10) draft beers including Heineken, Guinness and more; and house pours for ($7).

67 Chulia St.

The Black Swan

The Black Swan is one of the many posh places dotting Cecil Street, that you walk past, stop for a double take, then continue on because, it looks like it can get a bit much for the wallet. It’s also far grander when you step in. But Tuesdays through Fridays from 5pm to 8pm sees ($9) house pours, wines and draught beers; 2 bucks oysters, limited to six apiece per drink. At the Black Swan, have your drink al fresco on the beautiful patio.

Oh, get the mini burgers too. They’re divine.

19 Cecil St.

Caffe Fernet  

At the beautiful Caffe Fernet which seats over 130, you get views of the bay and towering buildings from across. Restaurant owners have gone to New York—we are assuming NoLIta—to get inspiration for their Italian-centred menu. Daily, from 3pm to 7.30pm, certain delightful concoctions go for cheap and the wide variety fo drinks keeps the CBD crow returning.

A glass of Frose, or frozen rosé , goes for ($12), a pitcher for ($56); Spritz at ($13) a glass and ($60) a pitcher. The utterly gorgeous Amalfi Spritz comes with with prosecco, limoncello and mint. Cocktails are ($15) and wines ($13), including the Pinot Gris and Noir; and Prosecco.

Customs House, 70 Collyer Quay, #01-05.

Canvas

In a saturated space of bars and pubs and cafes-that-turn-into-bars by night, it’s incredibly hard to pick one. So let Canvas be your go-to when you feel like you’ve lost your sense of humour or will to carry on the slog in our soulless paper-chasing landscape. Not strictly a bar, Canvas sees a good number of comedic acts, and have in the past spotlighted international DJs.

Happy hours are 5pm to 11pm, Tuesdays through Fridays and 7pm to 11pm on Saturdays. Get a glass ($10) of house pours—tequila, gin, vodka, rum, bourbon and whisky—with mixers, or if feeling peckish, jugs ($35). There is a veritable list of cocktails, but we suggest going for the value-for-money Long Island Jug ($75). Three-litred beer towers go for ($88) for one or ($128) for two. Those with fancier palettes can grab their green grape or plum soju for ($15 nett).

The Riverwalk, 20 Upp Circular Rd., #B1-01/06.

Chupitos Bar

Slightly some ways from the CBD area, nestled in Clarke Quay, lies Chupitos bar. There, get funky with your sling shots; think laksa, peanut butter and even Paddle Pop sling shots, although you can feel free to order neat drinks if you want something that packs a punch. Happy hour, when everything is priced at ($6), runs until 9pm. This applies to selected house pours, six shooters, a highballs and their bottled beers. Hooegarden rosé  included.

Clarke Quay, 3B River Valley Rd., #01-05.

Club55

Love a good view with a lounge-like ambience and faultless service? Then you must try Club55, another sophisticated space in Marina Bay Sands. Like Adrift, Tuesdays only, from 9pm to 12am, enjoy signature cocktails for ($18) and that’s a short list of the Pinky Lady, the New York Whiskey Sour and the namesake Club55 with aged rum, basil, fresh sour mix and bitters.

Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Av.

Cook & Brew

At this 33rd floor gastropub with city views, grab house pours—vodka, whiskey, tequila, gin or rum at ($15 nett) from 5pm to 7pm daily. However, if you’re more a beer person, a bucket (of five bottles) sets you back by ($55) or, get your BOGO half-pint on all draught beers. Deal runs daily, save for Wednesdays and Fridays. For some beer accompaniments, go for the whipped buffalo milk ricotta cheese ($15) or get the black truffle fried chicken ($32 for half a bird), to share.

Cheers.

The Westin, Asia Square Tower 2, 12 Marina View, Level 33.

Eliza 

If this quaint little space feels a tad familiar to you, it’s because it’s the newest brainchild of the team behind Sum Yi Tai and Mona’s Lounge. Like it’s predecessors, it’s managed to be a strange combination of slick, posh and grungy all at once with suede chairs, pricey drinks and an accompanying and rather cheesy backstory to boot.

Mondays through Fridays, swing by for their happy hour from 5-8pm, and you can sit in on live performances. Choose your drinks from the usual suspects ($10+), including whites, reds, beers, house pours and cocktails. Menu has a Shanghainese slant and cold tapas include pork and wine jelly ($10); tofu with century egg ($10); and hot, shaomai with foie gras ($10).

113 Telok Ayer St.

Empire Sky Lounge 

Love a good view and don’t mind the humidity, booming music and a gyrating crowd of office peoples? Empire Lounge is niftily located on the 45th floor of Singapore Land Tower, a building that sees One-Altitude as an anchor, and both bringing the stately tower to life at night. Happy hours are 5pm to 9pm from Mondays through Fridays, during which, enjoy premium spirits like Hendrick’s Gin, Kraken Black Spiced Rum and Martell Vsop for ($12) and house pour wines for ($10). Beers also go for ($10) a pint.

50 Raffles Pl., Level 45.

The Exchange

A spare, open-concept, minimalistic space with an indoor that spills out to the outdoor seating, the Exchange is the main congregation spot for CBD workers. Ladies’ night Wednesdays from 6pm to 10pm see office workers plonked on the Chesterfield sofas, cramped shoulder-to-shoulder drinks in hand, paper straws included. Pick from a free, free-flowing, albeit curt menu of vodka mixers, lime margaritas and house pours red and white wines.

Otherwise, happy hour runs from 9am to 8pm everyday, during which you can get wines for ($12); pink gin with mixers ($14) and beers ($14).

Asia Square Tower 1, 8 Marina View, #01-05.

Freehouse 

Freehouse feels like a perpetual project waiting to be reinvented, and rediscovered. Here, a wall adorned with psychedelic images, there, nostalgically beige tiled walls with beer taps. Mondays and Saturdays see an all-day happy hour and you get ($3) off your drinks. Tuesdays through Fridays, happy hour runs until 7pm. Tuesdays though, ($29 nett) gets you a pint and bar grub.

21A Boon Tat St.

Graffiti Sky Bar @ Carlton City Hotel

For five long hours—3pm to 8pm—Graffiti Sky Bar will take ($2) off shooters, wines, draught, bottled beers and craft beers—that are locally brewed, by the way. Bringing the missus? Graffiti Sky Bar offers ($3) off cocktails, with a veritable list of classics like Pina Colada, Cosmopolitan, Long Island, Lychee Martinis and more. Apart from that, whiskeys and house spirits are included in the happy hour, priced respectively.

Carlton City Hotel, 1 Gopeng St., Level 29. 

The Guild

Here it’s quintessentially a French layout with the space split into three parts—outdoor seats; bar stools and a cafe, cafe proper. Rustic herringbone flooring and spare-ish rattan chairs craft a relax vibe. Great attention is paid to food, with a variety of craft beers as accompaniments. Between 5pm to 7pm, enjoy pints for ($10-$12), house pour G&T for ($12) and a choice of old-world and new-world white wines for ($65 per bottle). A bottle of Negroni will set you back by ($100). Nowhere else will you be able to score a deal like that.

55 Keong Saik Rd., #01-01.

J Bar

Few people know of the existence of J Bar because few places are bold enough to go by a single initial. This one is surreptitiously tucked away on the 9th floor of M Hotel. This spot is slick and understated with beautifully-priced alcohols to boot.So that’s ($5.80++) for the spirits and for beers—Kirin and Tiger—and wines, ($6.80++). All of which comes with live music, from Tuesdays to Saturdays, starting from 8.30-11pm, no cover charge.

M Hotel, 81 Anson Rd., Level 9.

Jekyll and Hyde

What can established stalwart bars all learn from Jekyll and Hyde? Tiptop service online-to-offline, particularly from the owners themselves (Ee Chien). Happy hours here last until 8pm, where you get ($5) off on all drinks. Load up on their best-sellers, including Mr. Bean with real Tao Huey, Butterscotch liquor, kaya and frangelico; and Sakura Spring with Umeshu, yogurt, strawberry jam and egg white.

49 Tras St.

Jigger & Pony

Jigger & Pony needs no introduction with the CBD crowd. Grab lounge seats at the side, overlooking the grand piano, for a bit of privacy; but if you’re with a bigger crowd, do call ahead to book. Happy hours run from 5pm to 8pm, where you can score ($15) cocktails. We recommend the citrusy Naked and Famous, with Campari, Prosecco and gold dust; or the Yuzu Whisky Sour with Yuzu Marmalade and Egg White. Another bestseller is the Sakura Martini with Japanese gin and sake vermouth, with preserved sakura. Also, wines go for ($14) per glass, including Shiraz, Prosecco and 2015 Chardonnay; and beers ($12).

Eats include the Korean Steak Tartare ($22) and the Bikini Sandwich ($16) with prosciutto and truffle butter.

Amara Singapore, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road.

KINKI

We’re all over this funky, contemporary chic restaurant bar, spread over two floors, a rooftop bar and bay views. It’s got a very cozy atmosphere, solid small plates to share and decent prices. And mostly, a fab happy hour, 5pm to 8pm daily, with a one-for-one on all hour pours including red and white wines, Carlsbergs, Coronas and Asahi Super Drys. Then move on to the gins, bourbons, rums and whiskeys. Although the wait for food can get a bit much, and it’s usually difficult to speak above the noise, if you score a rooftop seat—call ahead!—it’s well worth it.

LeVeL 33 Craft-Brewery Restaurant and Lounge 

What’s perf for those in finance, offers good grub, breathtaking views and a well-turned-out crowd? A place that wears many hats, of course. And that’s none other than the stalwart LeVeL33. This place is heaven-sent for craft beers aficionados, although food can be a bit pricey, so we suggest you take full advantage of the promo hours.

Promo hours run everyday, from opening til 8pm when all 0.5 bottles of craft beers go for ($14.33++); and from 8 onwards until closing, ($17.33++).

Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1, 8 Marina Blvd., #33-01.

Loof

Loof knows how to keep a crowd happy. There’s the outdoorsy space, impeccable service, alcoholic bubble teas and the attention poured into minute details, like its lunar-calendar looking menus. Mondays to Saturdays from 5pm tp 8pm sees Prosecco, beers and bubblys going at ($10). House spirits and wines though, are priced “according to the hour” and that will be ($6) before 6pm; ($7) before 7pm and ($8) before 8pm.

Odeon Towers Extension Rooftop, 331 North Bridge Rd.

Oakwood Premier OUE

OUE downtown features lesser-known gems, like boutique yoga studios, a communal kitchen with a social concept to boot; upscale Providore in the basement and a fab chicken stock ramen joint. These are mostly frequented by residents nearby, so The Bar is quiet and a complete respite from the urban mayhem, great for some boisterous post-work mingling, if you will. From 6pm to 9pm everyday order two bar bites, and you get free-flowing wines and beers for an extra ($29.90).

You on that liquid diet?

Oakwood Premier OUE, 6 Shenton Way, Level 7.

The Secret Mermaid

The Secret Mermaid does a good throwback to Prohibition era, only, mod-ish. Here, it’s all spare bar stools facing racks of bottles upon bottles.

Located at the basement of Ocean Financial Centre, happy hour starts at 5pm and for two hours, choose from a list of six cocktails ($14), all with a tropical theme. We recommend the Hula Hoopy, with spiced rum, drizzled with passionfruit syrup base and paired with vanilla bitters; or the Pinata, all spiced pineapple shrub, lime and black pepper. Craft beers and house wines at ($11). From 7pm to 10pm, enjoy fresh oysters for ($2) with every order of a regular priced alcoholic drink, limited to six apiece per drink. From 7pm to 10pm, oysters go for ($2) limited to six apiece per drink.

Ocean Financial Centre, 10 Collyer Quay, #B1-09.

Standing Sushi Bar

The four Standing Sushi Bars are packed with CBD workers day in, day out, but few know about their delicious happy hour. Every weekday from 5pm to 8.45pm and the deal—a food order will allow you to score a bottle of Asahi for $5, available at our Income at Raffles, Marina Bay Link Mall, and Marina One outlets.

Aside, for 2019, Sushi Bar is doing a a rotation of promotions everyday of the week, including 20 free slices of salmon sashimi for every group of four. For example, Hana nights see ladies enjoying free flowing sake, shochu and umeshu with a minimum spending of ($20).

Various outlets.

SQUE

At SQUE with its view of the river, and over 200 beers; their happy hour deal is pretty neat. Running from 11.30am to 7pm; and then 9pm to 11pm, its a one for one deal, buy one get the same one free. Yep, this applies to all of their draught beers and selected cocktails and mocktails.

Happy drinking!

Sum Yi Tai

A contemporary Shanghainese place, Sum Yi Tai is a bit of a beast, spread over three floors. It’s the sultry step-mama to Eliza bar, so expect it to be all dim with plush seats and nondescript with an aura of mystery. Naturally, Sum Yi Tai is competitive and happy hours are happiest here. Weekdays from 5pm to 8pm; and Saturdays from 5pm to 9pm, get you value for money on your tipples. A pint of Asahi Superdry goes for ($12), black ($14), house wines ($10) including Merlot, Chardonnay and Moscato. A bucket of 5 Golden Ales for ($50).

25 Boon Tat St.

Tanuki Raw at Kapok

Surprise surprise, Tanuki Raw falls under the same F&B group of that of Standing Sushi Bar and The Secret Mermaid. Being indelibly linked to the night scene, Tanuki Raw offers more than value-for-money healthful-ish rice bowls. On all weekdays, from 5pm to 8pm; and for the entire weekends, martinis and cocktails are priced at ($10); or pick up ($12) pints of beer. Eats for your drinks? ($2) per freshly shucked ousters, limited to six apiece per drink.

P.S, selected dons are ($10) every Monday to Thursday.

National Design Centre, 111 Middle Rd., #01-05.