Nightclubs
Attica
Popular "New York style" club complex split into four zones: the outdoor 'lilypad' bar by the river, the main dancefloor R&B, funk, the inner chill-out courtyard and Attica Too, the members-only club upstairs house/trance. Picky bouncers, so dress sharp.
Home
Opened in June 2005, this nightclub decorated in a strange mix of modern and retro attempts to plug the gap between Boat Quay and Clarke Quay. Drinks $12, 1-for-1 happy hour between 6 and 9 PM.
Zouk
Singapore's best-known nightclub and in fact a complex of 4 spaces: Zouk itself for harder dance music, Velvet Underground for loungier stuff, Phuture for experimental edge and the outside Wine Bar for chilling out. A full-entry ticket will set you back a rather pricey $35, but two drinks are included and the place is happening especially when foreign DJs are in town — which is more often than not!
At all clubs listed below, arrive early or very late because otherwise you may be stuck in line for a while. ID is theoretically required but rarely checked.
Bars and pubs
Bar 84
Better known by locals as the Magic Bar, you can watch Ginza-trained manager-bartender-magician Hashi-san dazzle and astonish his guests nightly except Sunday. Dim lighting, smooth jazz, and stylish decoration makes this the perfect place of a quiet drink — although beware that, in addition to the $10 cover and $15 drinks, any props used for your amusement will also magically find their way onto your bill.
Hideout
Hideout is tucked away on the third storey of an old Chinese shop house. The central theme of the bar is a warm pink and burgundy hue, with distinct mismatched second-hand furniture, along with walls hung with paintings from local artists. The key to Hideout's popularity is its music. With local indie bands regularly playing on Wednesday nights and DJs playing funk, rare hip hop, soul, jazz, house, breaks, and techno on other nights, what is always evident is that the crowd loves music and is willing to experiment with new genres.
Em by the River
Formerly Soundbar, this supremely chilled out place by the river is a cafe by day and a happening bar at night.
Eski Bar
If the tropical heat starts to get to you, pop into the coolest place in town — a steady -6°C, to be precise, although the chill-out area is a comparatively toasty 18°C. Try the grapefruity Eski Blue or coconut sweet Sleeping Polar Bear $15 each. Open 5 PM to 1 AM or later daily.
Brewerkz
Singapore's first microbrewery, still going strong after ten years and now brewing up no less than 12 types, available in handy 6-glass sampler sets $10.49. Indoor and outdoor seating, with a wide range of pub grub in huge portions. Lunchtime prices can go as low as $3.50 for a pint.
Long Bar
The birthplace of the Singapore Sling, a syrupy sweet pink concoction of pineapple juice, gin, cherry liquor and many mysterious ingredients. The two-floor bar is large and a bit of a tourist trap, but drinking a Sling at the beautifully decorated wood-paneled bar and throwing the accompanying peanut shells on the floor should be on every visitor's agenda — if you can stomach paying $30 for a premixed drink poured out of a pitcher.
Marrakesh
The slick faux-Moorish decor inside is pleasant enough, but the thing to do here is to grab one of the hotly contested outdoor tables, fire up an expertly prepared shisha water pipe and watch the endless parade of Singapore's nightlife unroll before you. $12-15 for drinks.
Pump Room
Very popular microbrewery/bistro at the heart of Clarke Quay. Full menu. Indoor and outdoor seating. Live music nightly except Mon.
Harry's Bar
The favorite watering hole of Nick Leeson, the "Rogue Trader" who brought down the 233-year-old Barings Bank and was once arrested here for indecent exposure. There are now franchises all over town, but this is the original. Try the Bank Breaker, an unlikely shot of whisky and Midori, which like Leeson's escapades goes down smooth but leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Live music most nights.
Timbre
In a beautifully renovated colonial house opposite Boat Quay formerly occupied by Q Bar, this has some of the best views in town and is one of only a few places in Singapore specializing in local live music. Indoor and outdoor seating.
Equinox
The five bars and restaurants here offer the best nighttime views of the city, but prices are correspondingly expensive $15 and up for a drink. For a cigar and live jazz, head to CitySpace floor 70, while New Asia is a more casual place for a drink. Entry is through the Swissotel entrance on Stamford Rd.
Cosafe Maid Café
Singapore's first maid café another is in Funan Centre, modeled on the ones in Tokyo's Akihabara: waitresses dolled up in short-skirted French maid outfits greet you with Okaerinasai Welcome home in Japanese and pose obligingly for pictures. No hanky-panky, and the food and drinks are nothing special, but it doesn't cost any more than Starbucks and alcohol is served too.
Singapore's nightlife is almost entirely concentrated near the river. The main party zones are Boat Quay, on the south of the river next to the financial district MRT Raffles Place, exit G and Clarke Quay (http://www.clarkequay.com.sg) on the north bank a few blocks inland MRT Clarke Quay. Less well known but also worth a look are Circular Road, parallel to Boat Quay just behind it, and Robertson Quay, an up-and-coming nightlife/restaurant zone at the western end of the river. Bars and pubs come and go with dizzying speed, so just head out and find today's hip spot. In particular, superclub Ministry of Sound and topless revue Crazy Horse have both folded. All four are within crawling distance of each other. Mohamed Sultan Rd, inland from Robertson Quay and until recently the place to be, has been severely eclipsed by newer upstarts and most bars have been replaced by restaurants and furniture stores.