‘I often say of Singapore’s wine scene that it’s actually not really different to London or New York or Hong Kong,’ says Richard Hemming, a Master of Wine who’s worked in almost every sector of the trade – from retail to writing to hospitality – for more than two decades. ‘These cities are the benchmark cities for wine appreciation, and Singapore has got enough options to rival any of them.’
Hemming has been championing the country’s wine scene since he first called the city state home in 2019, having moved to Singapore to take up post as head of wine for private members’ club 67 Pall Mall – a role he recently left to lead creative in Asia for JancisRobinson.com.
Measuring less than 750 sq km, making it one of the smallest countries in the world, Singapore may not be big, but at least when it comes to wine it is mighty. From five star hotels with world-class wine lists to independent neighbourhood bars with an intriguing range of quaffable bottles, there’s no denying that Singapore punches far above its vinous weight. So we had to ask Hemming for his take on the best places to drink wine in the Lion City. As well as hotel bars and members’ clubs, his recommendations span hyper-local food centres, rooftop spots and a dive bar nestled deep within a shopping mall on the outskirts of town.
Read on to discover the best of Singapore’s wine scene, as recommended by an international expert.
Which is the best hotel for wine lovers?
Raffles and Capella are the two best hotels, but are they the best for wine? No. The Pan Pacific Orchard has a wine bar called Park 90 with an incredible range, a really good team of sommeliers, great glassware – all the things you want from a top wine bar.
The other [best hotel for wine] is Mondrian. Part of the building is now home to Temper, a fairly new wine-led restaurant, which has been recognised instantly as one of the best newcomers. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the head sommelier, Roberto [Durán MS], left 67 Pall Mall to go to Temper. As soon as he was connected to Temper, that was the seal of approval; this was going to be amazing.
Where do you go for a standout by-the-glass offering?
You can’t compete with 67 Pall Mall, it’s got 1,000 wines by the glass. If you’re a serious wine lover, you need to be a member there, and the prices are still really good. Singapore is expensive for wine, so when you can get really good quality stuff at maybe half the price you might pay in a standard cafe, then there’s no competition.
Which bar has the best views of the city?
There are some really obvious ones; all the hotels have got amazing bars and restaurants, and if you go to Marina Bay Sands, obviously they’ve got rooftop bars. But a lot of those places don’t have to be very good. People will go there anyway because of the amazing view.
I was trying to think of where you get the view, prices that aren’t going to kill you and reasonably good service. One place is Level 33, which also has the weird accolade of being the world’s highest microbrewery. They brew their own beers which are pretty good, and they’ve got a very good wine list as well with this mad library of Mouton. It’s really random and unexpected to go up to a microbrewery and be handed a wine list with tonnes of Mouton. They also have an actual terrace. Usually, when you go up to the top-level restaurants, you’re just looking through a window. At Level 33, you are actually outside looking straight down onto the marina.
Which restaurant serves the top wine-and-food pairing menu?
Cloudstreet. It’s a small restaurant, very atmospheric, very stylish, serving modern Asian food with really good pairings – not just the obvious things, like the cliche of Riesling with spice. When I went, they had Nyetimber 1996 in Magnum. Those wines are so umami – very leesy and savoury, and not massively sparkling – so they’re really good with Asian flavours, which tend to have a lot of umami. I can’t remember exactly what the dish was, but I remember thinking: who would have thought that a super-old vintage English sparkling with Asian food would work so well?
Where should we head for a pre-dinner drink?
That’s an easy one. It’s a bit of a cliche, but especially for anybody who wants the full Singapore experience, go to a Hawker Centre and buy a Tiger beer. It really shows Singapore at its best because it attracts everyone from manual labourers to CEOs and celebrities. When Lady Gaga did a residency at the stadium she was pictured at Maxwell Food Centre. It’s a rite of passage.
Who serves the ultimate nightcap?
There’s a really good whisky place called The Auld Alliance. I’ve never seen anything like it in terms of the selection; just an absolutely mind-blowing array. They have Japanese, Taiwanese, Irish and American whiskey, but it’s primarily Scotch. It’s a very laidback kind of place where you just sink into a chair. You can spend a lot of time in there without realising it.
Can you reveal your favourite hidden spot?
In Bad Company. It started out as a craft beer place and then it really upgraded its food offering, so it’s semi fine-dining now but the vibe is still like a dive bar. The wine list is quite small but actually pretty good, and it’s got a natural leaning. It’s in the most unexpected, random, out of town mall surrounded by nail salons and after school tuition places. When you go for the first time, everyone’s like, ‘okay, this is definitely the wrong place’. But then you get to the fifth floor and hear the music. When you go through the door, you could be in a basement dive in Brooklyn.
Finally, where is your favourite place for a glass?
Some of the places I mentioned before can feel a bit like work if I’m honest, but there is a new wine bar called Barely Aged, which doesn’t feel like a trade hangout – it’s much more like a neighbourhood wine bar.
One of the troubles with Singapore is that you’re never too far away from a road. The nice thing about Barely Aged is it’s on the river in a pedestrianised area. It’s still buzzing, there’s still lots going on, but it feels like a little enclave.
