Tea
Tea Chapter
Try this excellent tea house and shop for a spot of tea drinking Chinese style. A basic pot of tea and an introduction on how to brew it right starts at $8, although some of the fancier brands how about some Phoenix's Shrubbery? cost much more. Plain seats on the open 3rd floor are free, raised and partitioned seats on the 2nd cost an additional $5 per head. Be warned, although the setting is gorgeous, the tea is mediocre.
Yixing Xuan Teahouse
The shop is divided into two: there is a dining area set up like a simple Chinese restaurant, and a separate area where lessons on tea are held, and tea leaves and paraphernalia are sold. The ambience is not really there, but the tea is of the very highest quality. Ask to try the house tea: Beauty of the East.
Bars and pubs
Beaujolais Wine Bar
Cozy, romantic yet unpretentious shophouse with friendly staff, a huge wine list and generously sized eats ranging from cheese platters $10-16 to chili con carne $14. Wine by the glass from $10.
Breeze
True to its name, this outdoor bar atop the Scarlet offers cool breezes and is an oasis of lush foliage, only with peeping skyscrapers to remind you that you're in the heart of Singapore. Remarkably long drink list and the self-proclaimed best mojitos in town.
O'Bama's Irish Pub
Singapore's only Irish owned and operated pub. Just like a pub back home in Ireland. Thursday is happy hour all day long. Great live music and full GAA sports coverage.
The Toucan
Archetypal Irish pub complete with garden teleported straight out of Ireland, including even a wishing well. The $7.50 lunch deal 11 AM-3 PM daily is great value: try their famous fish & chips or lamb shank. Pint of Guinness from $11.10
Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar have a vibrant nightlife. As you'd expect, karaoke boxes and their dodgier cousin the KTV lounge predominate, but the area around Club St and Ann Siang Hill has many upmarket wine bars catering to expats and moneyed locals. Many of the second-floor bars and clubs in the area cater to Singapore's gay community, so look out for the rainbow flags.