Nightlife

Introduction : After-hours drinking and dancing is not as diverse as in many big cities around the world - the range tends to be upmarket, trendy bars and clubs or alternatively karaoke lounges, with little room for an alternative music scene, but most venues are packed at weekends.

Certain areas and venues are popular with expats and tourists, like Boat Quay with its string of shop-houses converted into noisy bars and restaurants overlooking the river. The bars in the hotels along Orchard Road are a safe bet for a refined drink or to meet clients, and nearby Emerald Hill Road has a great collection of lively bars attracting locals and visitors.

The area with the best nightlife is around Mohammed Sultan Road, with nearby Robertson Quay offering several classy waterfront venues. The East Coast has a few respectable, expat-flavoured bars, and Tanjong Pagar attracts a mixed, trendy crowd to its English-style bars and karaoke lounges.

Most clubs are open 2200-0100 Sunday to Thursday and 2200-0300 Friday and Saturday. Dress code is generally smart-casual and the minimum age limit for drinking alcohol is 18 years, although some clubs have an over-21 policy. There is normally a cover charge, especially at weekends, usually around S$25 for the more trendy places. Drinks tend to be quite expensive, but most bars offer happy hours or two-for-one on drinks at certain hours of the evening.

IS Magazine (free), which has good local listings and review guides, is available at many food and drinks outlets island-wide.

Bars: Within the colonial grandeur of Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road, is Bar & Billiard Room, and the Long Bar for that famous Singapore Sling. The pretty Emerald Hill, with 19th-century Peranakan shop-houses, contains several bars, the liveliest of which is probably Ice Cold Beer, 9 Emerald Hill, famous for little else but its deliciously cold beers. For a civilised drink in an intimate, sophisticated setting. Bar Opiume, 1 Empress Place Waterfront, is a winner purely for its location, with a cool terrace facing the river, pulling in a chic crowd. For a chocolate martini, try the Mezza9 Martini Bar, Grand Hyatt, Scotts Road.

Casinos: Casinos and all other gambling activities are illegal in Singapore. The only legal alternatives are various lotteries and on-course betting on horseraces at Singapore Turf Club (see Sport).

Clubs: The huge Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim Street, is considered Singapore's pioneer clubbing institution, recently hosting notable DJs such as Sacha, Paul Oakenfold and John Digweed plus international bands, and predominantly attracting a young trendy crowd. Within its walls is the mellower Velvet Underground, to which the cool, mature clubbers flock, and Phuture, a small club with breakbeats and hip-hop. One of the slickest, swankiest clubs in the Mohamed Sultan Road stretch is dbl-O (pronounced double-oh), 11 Unity St, Robertson Walk, with its high ceilings, three bar areas and excellent sound system, music varies from dance hits, retro and Top 40s on various nights of the week.

Comedy: The best known venue for comedy is 1Nite Stand, 3A River Valley Road, a bar and comedy club hosting guest comics from around the world. Boom Boom Boom, 130 Amoy Street, Far East Square, is famous for its drag queen host, Kumar, and other cross-dressing comics - and reputedly the best Singapore Sling in town.

Karaoke: As in the rest of Asia, karaoke remains an inordinately popular evening's entertainment. Kabuki Deluxe Nite-Club, 15 Cairnhill Road, has no private rooms but audiences can be entertained with the efforts of others. JJ Mahoney's, 58 Duxton Road, has karaoke sessions in between the live music.

Live Music: Harry's Bar, 28 Boat Quay, housed in a renovated shop-house facing the river, is famous for its great live jazz, and popular with Singapore's power brokers and bankers. With an equally great reputation for its in-house band, Bar None, basement Marriot Hotel, 320 Orchard Road, attracts a mix of tourists, expats and locals, and is packed at weekends. Zouk (see Clubs) is the best venue for big names, and has recently hosted Kylie and M People. A friendly bar with live R&B and classic rock, Crazy Elephant, Clark Quay Trader's Market, 3E River Valley Road, is an informal venue which has attracted some music greats. 

    

      

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