Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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centrally located kiosks at The Centrepoint, Millenia Walk, Plaza Singapura, Raffles City
Shopping Centre, VivoCity, or Wisma Atria.
HOURS
Theater and dance performances can begin anywhere between 7:30 and 9pm.
Don't be late—at Esplanade, they turn latecomers away . M any bars open in the late
afternoon, a fe w as early as lunchtime. D isco and enter tainment clubs usually open
around 6pm but generally don 't get lively until 10 or 11pm. Closing time for bars and
clubs is at 1 or 2am on w eekdays, 3 or 4am on w eekends. A fe w have extended hours
until 6am.
DRINK PRICES
Because of the government's added tariff, alcoholic beverage prices are
high everywhere, whether in a hotel bar or a neighborhood pub . “House pour” drinks
(made with inexpensiv e brands of alcohol) ar e betw een S$8 and S$14 (US$5.35-
US$9.40/£3.60-£6.30)—this is consider ed cheap . A glass of house wine will cost
between S$10 and S$15 (US$6.70-US$10/£4.50-£6.75), depending on whether it 's a
red or a white. A pint of local draft beer ( Tiger, brewed in S ingapore) is ar ound S$10
(US$6.70/£4.50). Hotel establishments are, on average, the most expensive venues, while
standalone pubs and cafes ar e better value. Almost every bar and club has a happy hour
in the early ev enings, and discounts can be up to 50% off for house pours and drafts.
Most of the dance and enter tainment clubs charge co vers, but they will usually include
one or more drinks. Hooray for ladies' nights—usually Wednesdays—when those of the
feminine persuasion get in for fr ee and sometimes even drink for free, too.
DRESS CODE
Many clubs will r equire smart casual attire. Feel free to be tr endy, but
avoid dressing too casual or you may be turned away. Local clubbers dress up for a night
on the town, usually in fashionista threads.
SAFETY
You'll be fairly safe out during the w ee hours in most par ts of the city , and
even a single woman alone has little to worry about. You can always get home safely in a
taxi, which, fortunately, isn't too hard to find even late at night, with a couple of ex cep-
tions: When clubs close, there's usually a mob of revelers scrambling for cabs. Also, after
midnight, a 50% sur charge is added to the far e, so it 's become common for driv ers to
disappear from 11pm until midnight, when they can r eturn to wor k and earn mor e in
fares.
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THE BAR & CLUB SCENE
Singaporeans love to go out at night, whether it's to lounge around in a cozy wine bar or
to groove on a dance floor until 6am.This city has become pretty eclectic in its entertain-
ment choices, so y ou'll find ev erything from live jazz to acid jazz, fr om polished co ver
bands to internationally acclaimed guest DJs. The nightlife is happening. Local celebri-
ties and the young, wealthy, and beautiful are the heroes of the scene, and their quest for
the “coolest” spot keeps the club scene on its toes.
BARS
Brix
In the basement of the Grand Hyatt Regency, Brix hosts a good house band and
international visiting music groups as well. A pickup joint of sorts, it's a bit more sophis-
ticated than others. The Music Bar features live jazz and R&B, while the Wine & Whis-
key B ar ser ves up a fine selection of wine, Scotch, and cognac. H ours ar e Sunday to
Wednesday 9pm to 3am, Thursday to Saturday 9pm to 4am. Happy hour nightly, from
