Designs On Asia: Glam And Grunge Collide At Barbary Coast, Singapore’s New Dual-Concept Bar

PUBLISHED March 6th, 2020 06:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 05:42 pm

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of anarchy, it was the age of opulence. The mid-1800s Gold Rush swept through San Francisco‘s Barbary Coast like a riot, with motley floods of sailors the world over coming to seek their fortune. Fuelled by booze and bravado, San Francisco’s first red light district sprang up almost overnight, with a seedy array of dive bars and brothels crammed cheek by jowl with glam saloons and dance halls.

Two centuries on, Singapore’s newest watering hole Barbary Coast pays tribute to its colourful namesake with an equally eclectic space. Housed amongst Boat Quay‘s historic shophouses, this dual-concept bar flaunts a rough-and-tumble face on the first floor, but oozes sensual sophistication up above. Bridging a hodgepodge of worlds – the glam and the grungy, old-world San Fran and maritime Singapura – is no ordinary design feat. If anyone could pull it off, though, it would be industry veterans Celia Schoonraad and Michael Callahan – the folks behind celebrated concepts like 28 HongKong Street.

At street level, Deadfall welcomes one and all with an outdoor bar right at the front of the space. The original deadfalls of Barbary Coast were little more than rough planks laid atop barrels – put together with scraps, castaway wares, and a hefty helping of creativity.

Something of this makeshift charm is captured in our Boat Quay rendition. Much of the decor, Celia and Michael tell us, was scavenged from “chance encounters on Carousell, or a dark corner in an old uncle’s hardware shop”. The bar is cobbled together with upcycled shipping pallets and furnished with vintage Kopitiam bar chairs; red Chinese lanterns pop with brash colour overhead. One can almost imagine merry bands of sailors jostling on the sidewalk, cheap drinks in hand.

For a little more quiet, there’s an indoor lounge tucked deeper within. Here, the stripped-back style of the space appears to full effect: exposed ceiling beams, raw brick walls, and concrete floors. Look closer, however, to discover a multitude of subtle details that strike just the right balance between ramshackle and snazzy. Historical documents wallpaper a section of one wall in artfully haphazard style, while twisted ropes and ship’s wheels add a dash of maritime chic. The cheekiest touch? A gilded picture frame that’s left empty, offering a striking contrast between the ornate gold and the peeling brick beneath.

Slip through the velvet curtains at the very back and you’ll find a portal to a completely different world – the rarefied realm of the nouveau riche. Designed as a waiting area for guests heading upstairs, this antechamber has the air of a gentleman’s study. The faux fireplace is surmounted by an imposing deer’s skull, while a small cabinet displays curios like taxidermied critters and cigarette packs – some sourced from the owners’ personal collections.

Upstairs, however, the vibe shifts into elegance of a more feminine kind. A homage to the glittering ballrooms run by the ‘madams’ of yore, Barbary Coast Ballroom has all the plush trappings of a lady’s parlour – floral wallpaper in nine different patterns, vintage velvet couches arranged in intimate groups, and glimmering chandeliers overhead. At once brash and subtle, this riot of colours and textures echoes the unique style developed by Barbary Coast’s well-to-do, shaped by the challenges of living in a port city far from easy access to fine fabrics and silverware.

Though ‘pretty waiter girls’ no longer frolic about the bar, celebrations of the female form still take center stage here. 19th-century beauties smile coquettishly out of gilt frames; one unusual frame features a miniature sculpture of the Three Graces. On the bartop, a winged nymph holds aloft a dainty water dispenser. Even the bar itself curves sensuously, stretching across half the room in undulating waves.

Barbary Coast’s dual concept might seem a tad convoluted, but the whole thing hangs together with panache thanks to a thoughtful curation of materials and knickknacks. The space alone is worth the voyage – from there, let the cocktails take you on another marvellous trip altogether.

Barbary Coast is located at 16 North Canal Rd, Singapore 048828, p. +65 8869 4798. Open Mon 4pm–1am, Tues-Wed 4pm–2am, Thurs-Sat 4pm–3am. Closed Sun.