PUBLISHED November 19th, 2014 10:00 pm | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:31 pm
D.Bespoke is the new hip cocktail contender in the Singapore market, located at 2 Bukit Pasoh.
With a very inconspicuous entrance, you may have some difficulty finding D.Bespoke, but when you arrive, believe me you’ll know. Step outside the heat of Singapore into a bar that exudes luxury, style and a splash more than an air of pretence. . You may immediately feel like you are underdressed.
I’m not going to lie, it’s not usually my sort of place, and I didn’t want to like D.Bespoke. Too posh…too ‘atas’ for my taste… but that soon changed once I entered the bar itself.
Where should I even begin? The endless bar counter than lines the entire shophouse? The uber comfortable leather chairs? The meticulously curated selection of spirits that lined the shelves including some super rare Japanese whiskies direct from the distilleries? Maybe it was the Japanese glassware that I can only describe as ‘glassware pornography’? Or was it the classy yet welcoming you receive from the staff here?
All I can say is that as soon as soon as I took my seat, all of the above quietly escorted any lingering notion of pretence out the front door..
Leading the immaculately dressed bartenders is Daiki Kenataka, the owner and head bartender. He also insists on making every fist customer’s drink. In my case, I started out with a classic Manhattan….
I don’t think I have ever watched a bartender take so much care and finesse in preparing a cocktail. I was watching an artist at work.
And indeed this artist produced one of the finest Manhattan’s I have ever drank. A perfect balance of flavours, served in an exquisite glass.
D. Bespoke just oozes Ginza cool. Everything is just utterly meticulous. From the impeccably dressed (and stylish) bar staff, the superb collection of spirits from across the world on their shelves, to the glassware and drinks themselves.
When it comes to fine dining and cocktail making, there’s a fine line between extreme pretentiousness and clear passion, skill and an appreciation for their art. Despite my first impressions, D.Bespoke easily falls into the latter category. We cannot recommend D.Bespoke enough. It just offers so much…an unforgettable experience, for one!
Cocktail prices start at $27++.