PUBLISHED April 9th, 2014 01:40 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 03:27 pm

Ok, before we get started… you ‘non-Gentlemen’ out there, this is not a guide to KTVs, dodgy massage places etc etc. I’m talking about classy joints for good food, cocktails, wine and a solid atmosphere to set the mood for your romantic or bromantic date, or just picking a great venue for a night out with the fellas in Tanjong Pagar.

As a true gentleman, your time is short…you have important things to worry about like working hard, treating your Mrs right and keeping up appearances at home. You don’t have time to spend hours planning dinners and other follies. So my friends, if you live or work in the CBD, here’s a (relatively) brief and trusty guide to the top places that you can rely on in your time of need.

The Bro-mance

C’mon fellas, nothing to be embarrassed about here. No need to quiver in shame as you bromance your buddy over a rockin’ brunch or a jug of ale. A real man loves brunch! The issue is getting the place right. You want somewhere you can be a bit loud, gte a bit sloshed and just generally talk sh*t without upsetting the surroundings. More importantly, you don’t want to have to worry about the table next to you telling you to pipe down.

Eat:

Burnt Ends

The head Chef has a beard big enough to make a Chassidic Rabbi jealous, and meat plays a serious part on the menu. Not only is their food top notch, they have a superb collection of craft beers, whiskies and some decent cocktails. What’s great about this place is that it’s always buzzing and crowded so you don’t need to worry about talking in whispers. Great for a man-date or catch up with your chum.You can check out our full review of Burnt Ends here.

Burnt Ends is located at 20 Teck Lim Road, 088391. Opening Hours: Monday – 6pm to Midnight. Tuesday to Saturday – 11.45am to 2pm, 6pm – Midnight. Closed on Sundays.

The Public Izakaya

The Public Izakaya at AM100 is a bit more of a casual option and a great place for bro-dates. It’s not too expensive and you get really good value for what you order. The menu itself is versatile and has something for everyone, though I cannot stress enough that you should order some yakitori and sashimi. Their quality is excellent, and c’mon, who doesn’t like ending the work day with some delicious yakitori and a few bottles of cold sake to cool you down in this sauna that is Singapore?

The Public Izakaya is located at # 01-09, 100AM, 100 Tras Street, 079027. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday – 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 1am. Saturday & Sunday – 5.30pm to 1am.

Luke’s Oyster Bar & Chop House

The Menu is exactly as the restaurant name suggests. This is the kind of place you’d come post-work, dressed nicely and take a ‘topdown’ approach to ordering. I mean, let’s face it, you didn’t come to a place with ‘Oyster Bar’ and ‘Chophouse’ in the name to order non-alcoholic drinks and salad. Whilst it could absolutely work as a date place too, Luke’s is a prime venue to catch up with your bro and get your jaws round some tasty steaks.

Luke’s Oyster Bar & Chophouse is located at 20 Gemmill Lane, 069256. Opening Hours: Monday to Wednesday: 12pm to 10.30pm. Thursday to Saturday: 12pm – Midnight. Closed on Sundays.

Drink:

The Cufflink Club

Ah The Cufflink Club. Whilst TCC could easily fall in to any of the three categories, to me it is still is a place for the chap. There’s just something about the colour scheme, the vibe…or maybe it’s just the Alan Partridge bathroom soundtrack messing with my subconscious. In any case, this remains one of the best drinking joints in town, hands down. Read more about The Cufflink Club here.

The Cufflink Club is located at 6 Jiak Chuan Road, Singapore 089262. Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday – 5pm to 1am. Friday – 5pm to 2am. Saturday: 6pm to 2am. Closed on Sundays.

PS. Café

Perhaps a surprise choice…but have you ever been up to the bar on the top floor of PS. Café? It’s actually very cool. The food here is always a reliable standard and whilst you’re not going to get wowed with bespoke cocktails, their beer and wine selection is decent. It’s also not overly noisy making it a great place to have a chat. You can even step out onto their lovely terrance for some air and a smoke.

PS. Café – Ann Siang is located at 45 Ann Siang Rd, Singapore, 069719. Opening Hours: Open Daily – 9.30am to Midnight.

Special Mention:

Truefit & Hill

It would be an extreme misdemeanour of the worst kind to not mention Truefit & Hill in this article. A bro-date here is essentially the man’s equivalent of getting a mani-pedi. Get a good shave, haircut, massage and enjoy a classic cocktail while you’re at it. Slick, my friends.

Truefit & Hill is located at 9 Ann Siang Road, Singapore, 069690. Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday – 10am to 8pm. Sunday – 11am to 4pm.

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The Romance:

Ok, bromance over. Feel better? Good. On to ‘romance’. Whether it’s a first date or your regular date night, a gentleman should never let down his game when choosing a date spot. You need somewhere impressive, romantic, chic and with a bit of ‘cool’ factor to impress that special lady.

Eat:

Restaurant Labyrinth

One of Neil Road’s newest dining destinations, this restaurant showcases some quirky variations on traditional Singaporean cuisine. It’s perfect for intimate dates as seating is minimal and you’ll most likely be dining at the bar counter watching the Chefs cook up a storm in front of your very eyes. Great entertainment.

Restaurant Labyrinth is located at 5 Neil Road, Singapore, 088806. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Mondays.

BAM!

BAM! is a sexy and fashionable place. It’s tapas, it’s a sake bar, it’s just cool. And of course the open kitchen means you have a great visual stimulus which can be a great talking point with your lady if conversation isn’t flowing too naturally. The single-line bar seating also makes it an ideal choice for patrons in pairs.

Bam! Tapas Sake Bar is located at 38 Tras Street, 078977. Opening Hours: Monday – 6pm to 10.30pm. Tuesday to Friday – 12pm to 2pm. Friday & Saturday – 6pm to 11.30pm. Closed on Sundays.

The Flying Squirrel

Tucked away down a side alley on Amoy Street is the very popular TFS (The Flying Squirrel). This place is perfect for dates. The food is modern Japanese, sushi etc with a few funky cocktails thrown in. It’s very ‘sexy’ food, plated very nicely and it works well if you’re starving or just want to have some light nibbles. Also, who doesn’t like sushi!?? If you can, get a seat at the counter for a bit of food theatre to see it all being prepared it front of your eyes.You can check out our full review of The Flying Squirrel here.

The Flying Squirrel is located at 92, Amoy Street #01-02, 069911. Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday – 11am to 11pm. Friday – 11am to Midnight. Saturday – 3pm to Midnight.

Drink:

The Library

The Library is a great place to take your lady friend. It’s cool, slightly hidden and the bar itself serves up some awesome drinks. Moreover the lighting is always soft so it’s perfect for having a bit of privacy. Just remember to find out the password via their Twitter before you attempt a visit otherwise you’ll look like a tool. They’ve also just changed their bar manager and drinks are better than ever in our opinion.

The Library is located at 47 Keong Saik Road, Singapore, 089151. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday – 6pm to 1.30am. Closed on Weekends. To find out the password, follow their Twitter at https://twitter.com/shh_49.

Vida Vino

One of Tanjong Pagar’s new tapas and wine bars is a great option. Yes, their tapas is definitely worthy of mention but what makes Vida Vino such a good spot is its atmosphere. Having only minimal seating (and very comfortable) yet a lot of open space, this is a great place to get have a deep and meaningful over a glass of superb wine selected from their curated menu. You can read our full review of Vida Vino here.

Vida Vino is located at 29 Keong Saik Road, Singapore, 089136. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday – 12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to Midnight. Saturday – 6pm to Midnight. Closed on Sundays.

L’Aiglon

With a Superteam of bar staff behind this venture, not only will you impress your date with awesome beverages and cool ambience. But you’ll also get bonus points for being ‘in the know’ about funky new places (well you do read City Nomads after all!). Probably not for all situations, but if the date is going well, they have some super comfy sofa-seats near the back of l’Aiglon. These seats are not only cozy, but they also seem to be eluded by the venue’s light. Perfect for a bit of mid-drink canoodling. You can check out our full review of L’Aiglon here.

L’Aiglon is located at 69 Neil Road, 088899. Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday – 5pm to 1am. Friday & Saturday – 5pm to 2am. Closed on Sundays.

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Groups:

We’ve all been there…planning a group dinner but have no idea where is suitable. You know you’re going to be a loud group, you know you’re going to be hungry and you don’t want to upset the other diners. Well, here’s a few places you just might be able to do that at:

Eat:

Senso

Aside from having generally good Italian fare here, the restaurant itself is quite spread out so you don’t need to worry about cramping the style of other tables. Failing that, they have two private dining rooms which are perfect for groups over 16. You can check out our full review of Senso here.

Senso is located at 21 Club Street, 069410. Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm. Saturday – 6pm to 10.30pm. Sunday – 11.30pm to 3pm, 7pm to 10.30pm.

Taratata Bistrot

For casual bistro dining, Taratata is a great spot. Ideal for groups of 6-12, this is the kind of place you can order a load of wine, steaks, foie gras…the works. Not only will it be very tasty but the bill won’t destroy you. Moreover, this place is a quite buzzy so you can be a bit loud and not have to worry too much about being ‘that group’. You can check out our full review of Taratata here.

Taratata Bistrot is located at 35A Keong Saik Road, Singapore, 089142. Opening Hours: Tuesday – 5.30pm to 11pm. Wednesday to Friday -11.30am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 11.30pm. Saturday – 5.30pm to 11pm. Sunday: 10.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 11pm.

Kko Kko Na Ra

For a night out with the boys, this one is a great option. No frills, Kko Kko specialises in spicy Korean fried chicken. There are other tasty items on the menu but the main draw is definitely the huge buckets of chicken to polish clean while you wash it back with some Korean Hite beer. Booths are good for 6-8 people comfortably. Oh, and don’t wear white..this is messy, delicious dining.

Kko Kko Na Ra is located at 57 Tras St #01-01, Singapore, 078996. Opening Hours: Open Daily – 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 3am.

Drink:

Lucha Loco

We love the vibe here. It’s cool inside, and the outdoor seating has a great atmosphere…Moreover, this is the kind of place you could easily have a few cocktails or beers, or just go all the way and order a bottle of one of their excellent tequilas and get the team liquored up. And for the love of Mexico, order some tacos. They’re pricey but just wonderful. A perfect bit of savoury spice to go with your cold drink. Read more about Lucha Loco here

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Lucha Loco is located at 15 Duxton Hill, 089598. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Thursday – 5pm to Midnight. Friday – 5pm to 1am. Saturday – 6pm to 1am. Closed on Sundays & Mondays.

Buyan

Having just gone through something of a redesign, we are very happy to see Buyan reopen this March 2014. Buyan is one of the friendliest bars you will find in Singapore. The staff are amazing here and service is top notch. As for the drinking side, get something by the bottle and enjoy. They have a superb selection of vodkas (it is a Russian bar after all!) and other spirits. The bar occupies the ground floor and is quite spacious so it’s great for big groups of 10+ to rock the night away. Read more about Buyan here.

Buyan is located at 9/10 Duxton Hill, Tanjong Pagar, 089593. Opening Hours: Monday: 6pm to 10.30pm. Tuesday to Friday – 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10.30pm. Saturday – 6pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Sundays.

Jigger & Pony

Jigger & Pony offers some of the best drinks you will find at a bar in Singapore. What makes it so good for groups though is that it is one of the few cocktail bars that has large tables and standing areas too without compromising on atmosphere or quality of drinks. Take one of the big booths or the large wooden tables occupying the central area. Just be sure to book a table in advance as they can get very busy. Read more about Jigger & Pony here.

Jigger & Pony is located at 101 Amoy Street, 069921. Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday – 6pm to 1am. Friday & Saturday – 6pm to 3am. Closed on Sundays..

And so that is all for now. Good luck gentlemen, may this guide be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out (yep we just quoted Tolkien).

Have you tried out any of these spots in Tanjong Pagar? Let us know what you thought in the comments.