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Monday 6 May 2013
Nights livelier with opening of new bars and a lounge club at Dempsey Hill
Swing by Dempsey Hill on a weekend and you can spot trendy carousers sipping Tsingtao beer from Chinese porcelain cups at the posh 1920s Shanghai-era bar Jiu Zhuang.
Nights livelier with opening of new bars and a lounge club at Dempsey Hill
By Melissa Kok 03 May 2013
Swing by Dempsey Hill on a weekend and you can spot trendy carousers sipping Tsingtao beer from Chinese porcelain cups at the posh 1920s Shanghai-era bar Jiu Zhuang.
At kitschy, laid-back bar The Green Door, just a two-minute walk away, patrons order up cocktails mixed using fresh herbs grown in the backyard.
Inside Asian-inspired bar Tigerlily, 88 cascading birdcage lights hang above the bar. The animal allusions continue nearby, at Chameleon lounge club, where clubgoers hit the dance floor or chill at an outdoor bar.
Singapore revellers are apparently not over the Hill. Known for its restaurants and chic watering holes, nestled among art galleries and furniture shops, the Dempsey Hill enclave is getting brighter with the addition of new bars in the past two months - and even its first nightclub.
Bosses of the new venues tell Life! they hope to attract more executives and professionals in their 20s to 40s, who are after a chilled ambience to have pre- or post-dinner drinks and light nibbles.
The Green Door, an eclectic 2,000 sq ft indoor and outdoor garden bar, opened last month. Set up for about half a million dollars, it is owned and managed by the Prive Group, which also runs establishments such as the Prive Restaurant at Keppel Islandand FoodBar DaDa at Robertson Quay.
The group’s chairman Yuan Oeij, in his 40s, says that despite the proliferation of dining venues, “there aren’t enough bars in Dempsey”. Bars such as The Green Door will draw a larger and more varied crowd to the area, he hopes, and improve its vibe. “With diners moving on to the drinking holes around, this will keep Dempsey vibrant later into the night,” he adds.
Meanwhile, two-month-old premium pour bar Jiu Zhuang is counting on being up on the hill to create a fusion hideaway.
A spokesman for the Old Shanghai-themed joint tells Life!: “We like the fact that it is in Dempsey, which is a popular lifestyle spot, yet offers such a high level of privacy. There is no high foot traffic here, which could be a problem for most F&B spots, but we wanted to create a concept that leverages on this unique aspect.”
At the 1,600 sq ft bar, one can toast with Shao Hsing wine (Chinese rice wine) and nibble on dim sum with a twist, such as xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) infused with whisky. The owners of the bar declined to reveal how much they have invested in it.
Mr Alistair Christie, 43, one of the owners for three-week old Asian-inspired bar Tigerlily, is upbeat about the opening of new outlets in the area.
His $750,000 bar, which takes over the 3,500 sq ft space formerly occupied by the restaurant Dempsey Brasserie, is inspired by Tiger Beer advertisements from the 1990s. It serves Asian-style tapas influenced by Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.
He says: “I think it’s great, Dempsey is on the rise. You can’t go to the same place every night, so if we can be a pre-drink place to club Chameleon for example, then great. The more the merrier.”
As for nightclub Chameleon Lounge Club, its owners are aiming to be the dance venue of choice for trendy clubgoers in their 20s and 30s.
The 4,200 sq ft commercial dance club with an outdoor bar, located at 22 Dempsey Road, officially opened last month at a cost of about $1 million.
Mr Silas Rabi 45, managing director of the Chameleon Leisure Group, and one of the owners of the club, says that while Dempsey is “an uptrend, fashionable place”, it is “a little bit more fine dining” and devoid of clubs.
The idea, he says, is to attract those who dine in the area, and then stay on to dance the night away - “if you’re here, then obviously there’s a catchment of people we can cater to”.
Existing restaurant and bar operators welcome the change, saying that it gives patrons more variety in food and entertainment offerings.
Says Mr Andrew Ing, 45, chief operating officer of The Lo & Behold Group, which owns five-year old restaurant The White Rabbit and its bar The Rabbit Hole at Dempsey Hill: “It’s fantastic that new spaces are consistently opening up at Dempsey Hill.”
With fresh clubs, lounges and restaurants popping up in Singapore almost every week, the new neighbours will keep Dempsey Hill on customers’ minds, adds Mr Ing, “which is beneficial for all”.
Personal trainer Gaston Ng, 31, who frequents Dempsey at least once a week to dine and drink with friends, was down to check out Chameleon club last weekend. He says: “I think it’s good, it keeps the area alive with so many new places coming up. Most people want to check out new things.”
What: An Asian- inspired indoor and outdoor tapas bar serving a wide selection of Asian bottled beers such as Asahi, Chang and Tsingtao and food influenced by Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine.
Vibe: Unwind to current and retro chart-topping classics spun by its in-house DJ as you enjoy the breeze in its outdoor patio. Inside, the vibe is more intimate. Owners plan to introduce a live resident band soon.
Must try: Its signature Tigerlily Pimms cocktail with lemongrass ($15). For food, go for the sizzling prawns with garlic, lemongrass and fresh chilli served with deep-fried mantou buns ($16) and sesame-coated pork strips with sweet and sour sauce ($12).
Prices: Beers from $13 a bottle and cocktails at $15. Wines from $58 and champagne from $140 Where: Block 7, Dempsey Road, tel: 6473-4500 Open: 5pm to 2am (Mondays to Fridays), noon to 2am (Saturdays and Sundays)
THE GREEN DOOR
What: An indoor and outdoor garden bar decked in kitsch furnishings, serving cocktails and nibbles made using fresh herbs grown in its backyard garden.
Vibe: Loud and vibrant. The patrons are young - mostly in their 20s. The rustic atmosphere extends to the lush greenery around. Dress code is “anything goes” as the owners want customers to feel as comfortable as possible. Spot the place by finding its namesake: a tiny emerald green door in a white picket fence.
Must try: Popular cocktails include the Terrible Tyler’s Threesome (vodka, lychee liqueur, fresh passionfruit, apple juice, lemon juice, $19) and Marilyn Chambers’ Tipple (gin, triple sec, fresh grapefruit, apple juice, parsley, $19). For food, give the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Drumlets (five pieces) with a flame thrower dip ($14) or the Mexican Catfish Salad ($14) a go.
Prices: Cocktails from $17, housepours from $12 and bar nibbles from $6 Where: Block 13A, Dempsey Road, tel: 6476-2922 Open: 5pm to midnight (Sundays to Thursdays), 5pm to 1am (Fridays and Saturdays)
JIU ZHUANG
What: A premium-pour bar inspired by 1920s Shanghai. With a name that is Mandarin for “drinking house”, it carries an interesting selection of sake, Chinese wine and whisky and dim sum.
Vibe: Quiet and intimate. Good for conversations with friends, while listening to modern chilled-out remixes of Shanghai jazz tunes. The crowd here are mostly in their late 20s to 40s.
Must try: Onnajoshu “Lady Of The Castle” premium Japanese sake with gold flakes from the Iwamura Brewery ($120/$70 for a bottle) and Recheers Shao Hsing Chinese wine served in porcelain cups ($40 a bottle). Try its xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) infused with whisky ($10 for four) and guo tie with minced pork and foie gras ($12 for four).
Prices: Drinks by the bottle from $40 and up. Food from $6 for small plates Open: 5pm to 1am (Mondays to Saturdays) Where: Block 6D, Dempsey Road, tel: 6471-1711
CHAMELEON LOUNGE CLUB
What: A commercial dance club spinning retro and current chart-topping R&B, pop and electro-house numbers with an outdoor bar area.
Vibe: The dancefloor gets packed whenever an international guest DJ “womans” the decks - the club brings in only female guest DJs such as Britain’s Melissa Reeves who spins later this month. Sit outside if you want to relax, whisky or cocktail in hand.
Prices: Premium champagne and whisky by the bottle from $220 and up. Admission: $35 at the door from 9pm Where: 22 Dempsey Road, tel: 6479-9929 Open: 7pm till late (Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays)
3 comments:
Nights livelier with opening of new bars and a lounge club at Dempsey Hill
By Melissa Kok
03 May 2013
Swing by Dempsey Hill on a weekend and you can spot trendy carousers sipping Tsingtao beer from Chinese porcelain cups at the posh 1920s Shanghai-era bar Jiu Zhuang.
At kitschy, laid-back bar The Green Door, just a two-minute walk away, patrons order up cocktails mixed using fresh herbs grown in the backyard.
Inside Asian-inspired bar Tigerlily, 88 cascading birdcage lights hang above the bar. The animal allusions continue nearby, at Chameleon lounge club, where clubgoers hit the dance floor or chill at an outdoor bar.
Singapore revellers are apparently not over the Hill. Known for its restaurants and chic watering holes, nestled among art galleries and furniture shops, the Dempsey Hill enclave is getting brighter with the addition of new bars in the past two months - and even its first nightclub.
Bosses of the new venues tell Life! they hope to attract more executives and professionals in their 20s to 40s, who are after a chilled ambience to have pre- or post-dinner drinks and light nibbles.
The Green Door, an eclectic 2,000 sq ft indoor and outdoor garden bar, opened last month. Set up for about half a million dollars, it is owned and managed by the Prive Group, which also runs establishments such as the Prive Restaurant at Keppel Islandand FoodBar DaDa at Robertson Quay.
The group’s chairman Yuan Oeij, in his 40s, says that despite the proliferation of dining venues, “there aren’t enough bars in Dempsey”. Bars such as The Green Door will draw a larger and more varied crowd to the area, he hopes, and improve its vibe. “With diners moving on to the drinking holes around, this will keep Dempsey vibrant later into the night,” he adds.
Meanwhile, two-month-old premium pour bar Jiu Zhuang is counting on being up on the hill to create a fusion hideaway.
A spokesman for the Old Shanghai-themed joint tells Life!: “We like the fact that it is in Dempsey, which is a popular lifestyle spot, yet offers such a high level of privacy. There is no high foot traffic here, which could be a problem for most F&B spots, but we wanted to create a concept that leverages on this unique aspect.”
At the 1,600 sq ft bar, one can toast with Shao Hsing wine (Chinese rice wine) and nibble on dim sum with a twist, such as xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) infused with whisky. The owners of the bar declined to reveal how much they have invested in it.
Mr Alistair Christie, 43, one of the owners for three-week old Asian-inspired bar Tigerlily, is upbeat about the opening of new outlets in the area.
His $750,000 bar, which takes over the 3,500 sq ft space formerly occupied by the restaurant Dempsey Brasserie, is inspired by Tiger Beer advertisements from the 1990s. It serves Asian-style tapas influenced by Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.
He says: “I think it’s great, Dempsey is on the rise. You can’t go to the same place every night, so if we can be a pre-drink place to club Chameleon for example, then great. The more the merrier.”
As for nightclub Chameleon Lounge Club, its owners are aiming to be the dance venue of choice for trendy clubgoers in their 20s and 30s.
The 4,200 sq ft commercial dance club with an outdoor bar, located at 22 Dempsey Road, officially opened last month at a cost of about $1 million.
Mr Silas Rabi 45, managing director of the Chameleon Leisure Group, and one of the owners of the club, says that while Dempsey is “an uptrend, fashionable place”, it is “a little bit more fine dining” and devoid of clubs.
The idea, he says, is to attract those who dine in the area, and then stay on to dance the night away - “if you’re here, then obviously there’s a catchment of people we can cater to”.
Existing restaurant and bar operators welcome the change, saying that it gives patrons more variety in food and entertainment offerings.
Says Mr Andrew Ing, 45, chief operating officer of The Lo & Behold Group, which owns five-year old restaurant The White Rabbit and its bar The Rabbit Hole at Dempsey Hill: “It’s fantastic that new spaces are consistently opening up at Dempsey Hill.”
With fresh clubs, lounges and restaurants popping up in Singapore almost every week, the new neighbours will keep Dempsey Hill on customers’ minds, adds Mr Ing, “which is beneficial for all”.
Personal trainer Gaston Ng, 31, who frequents Dempsey at least once a week to dine and drink with friends, was down to check out Chameleon club last weekend. He says: “I think it’s good, it keeps the area alive with so many new places coming up. Most people want to check out new things.”
melk@sph.com.sg
TIGERLILY
What: An Asian- inspired indoor and outdoor tapas bar serving a wide selection of Asian bottled beers such as Asahi, Chang and Tsingtao and food influenced by Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine.
Vibe: Unwind to current and retro chart-topping classics spun by its in-house DJ as you enjoy the breeze in its outdoor patio. Inside, the vibe is more intimate. Owners plan to introduce a live resident band soon.
Must try: Its signature Tigerlily Pimms cocktail with lemongrass ($15). For food, go for the sizzling prawns with garlic, lemongrass and fresh chilli served with deep-fried mantou buns ($16) and sesame-coated pork strips with sweet and sour sauce ($12).
Prices: Beers from $13 a bottle and cocktails at $15. Wines from $58 and champagne from $140
Where: Block 7, Dempsey Road, tel: 6473-4500
Open: 5pm to 2am (Mondays to Fridays), noon to 2am (Saturdays and Sundays)
THE GREEN DOOR
What: An indoor and outdoor garden bar decked in kitsch furnishings, serving cocktails and nibbles made using fresh herbs grown in its backyard garden.
Vibe: Loud and vibrant. The patrons are young - mostly in their 20s. The rustic atmosphere extends to the lush greenery around. Dress code is “anything goes” as the owners want customers to feel as comfortable as possible. Spot the place by finding its namesake: a tiny emerald green door in a white picket fence.
Must try: Popular cocktails include the Terrible Tyler’s Threesome (vodka, lychee liqueur, fresh passionfruit, apple juice, lemon juice, $19) and Marilyn Chambers’ Tipple (gin, triple sec, fresh grapefruit, apple juice, parsley, $19). For food, give the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Drumlets (five pieces) with a flame thrower dip ($14) or the Mexican Catfish Salad ($14) a go.
Prices: Cocktails from $17, housepours from $12 and bar nibbles from $6
Where: Block 13A, Dempsey Road, tel: 6476-2922
Open: 5pm to midnight (Sundays to Thursdays), 5pm to 1am (Fridays and Saturdays)
JIU ZHUANG
What: A premium-pour bar inspired by 1920s Shanghai. With a name that is Mandarin for “drinking house”, it carries an interesting selection of sake, Chinese wine and whisky and dim sum.
Vibe: Quiet and intimate. Good for conversations with friends, while listening to modern chilled-out remixes of Shanghai jazz tunes. The crowd here are mostly in their late 20s to 40s.
Must try: Onnajoshu “Lady Of The Castle” premium Japanese sake with gold flakes from the Iwamura Brewery ($120/$70 for a bottle) and Recheers Shao Hsing Chinese wine served in porcelain cups ($40 a bottle). Try its xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) infused with whisky ($10 for four) and guo tie with minced pork and foie gras ($12 for four).
Prices: Drinks by the bottle from $40 and up. Food from $6 for small plates
Open: 5pm to 1am (Mondays to Saturdays)
Where: Block 6D, Dempsey Road, tel: 6471-1711
CHAMELEON LOUNGE CLUB
What: A commercial dance club spinning retro and current chart-topping R&B, pop and electro-house numbers with an outdoor bar area.
Vibe: The dancefloor gets packed whenever an international guest DJ “womans” the decks - the club brings in only female guest DJs such as Britain’s Melissa Reeves who spins later this month. Sit outside if you want to relax, whisky or cocktail in hand.
Prices: Premium champagne and whisky by the bottle from $220 and up.
Admission: $35 at the door from 9pm
Where: 22 Dempsey Road, tel: 6479-9929
Open: 7pm till late (Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays)
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