New bars in Singapore this February 2022: Molecular gastronomy cocktails, sake spots and more

Wine and spirits retailer Bottles & Bottles opens a second drink-in concept that sells wine at bottle shop prices, lets you bring your own food and doesn’t add service charge. The offerings span both the Old and New World wines, lesser known varietals and sake. Glassware and ice buckets are provided without extra charge.

For food, either order from one of the mall’s many options and eat there at no extra cost, or from their partner Tajimaya. The Japanese charcoal grill restaurant has a QR code menu on each table, and dishes are delivered straight to your seats.

Live out your “Emily in Paris” fantasies at Aether House, a new wine bar and bistro along Robinson Road. Inspired by Parisian sensibilities, the chic all-day-dining venue offers lunch sets (S$32 to S$38) that include a salad, sandwich and eclair, while dinner spans bar bites to five- or eight-course omakase menus including wine (S$138 to S$168).

This being an extension of retailer Aether Wine & Spirits, the wine list is extensive. There’s a strong Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy presence, as well as Alsace and Rhone. If you’re laying off the booze, wine-inspired teas like Riesling Tea or Pinot Noir Tea are a guilt-free indulgence.

Mondays to Saturdays, 11am to 10.30pm

You might be hard pressed to find the entrance to Entrance, a hidden restaurant and bar along Tanjong Pagar Road. Dining here is ippin-ryori, or a la carte, and the Japanese-European fare ranges from small plates of scallop aburi to sharing portions of seafood paella.

To drink, turn to their molecular gastronomy-inspired cocktail range. Caviar Lime Bed builds on a tequila base with Chambord, grapefruit and fish roe, and Yogin Dark Sea Salt Crumble blends gin with yoghurt, saline and cocoa together. Chocolate shows up again in Caramel Cage with single malt and brown butter, and Matcha Trance is a bright and creamy sake, yuzu and matcha serve.

Tuesdays to Sundays, 6pm to 10.30pm

Iko is a modern Japanese restaurant and bar that opened on Neil Road in 2021. They went through some changes since then and started 2022 with a new kitchen team led by chef Dylan Ong.

The food menu revolves around binchotan-grilled items, sashimi and bar bites meant for sharing, including stuffed tempura jalapeno, scallop carpaccio with chilli, wagyu sukiyaki, and a kaisendon of seasonal fish from Japan and yuzu-based tonkotsu broth.

Iko also stocks a selection of sake in 720ml and 1.8l formats, including seasonal styles. Each sake is listed with its SMV (Sake Metre Value) for a clue how sweet or dry it is, as well as tasting notes. A tight selection of wines are also available, ranging from classic styles to natural producers.

 Mondays to Saturdays, 12pm to 10.30pm

Last Word is a new restaurant and cocktail bar by the team behind Nutmeg & Clove. Located directly above the latter, the concept is named after the classic cocktail (gin, Chartreuse and Maraschino, if you don’t know), and aims to serve the traditions right. The vibe is distinctly Japanese, from the minimalist decor to the focused execution of the drinks, and bar bites such as karaage and shishamo continue the theme.

Tuesdays to Saturdays, 5.30pm to 10.30pm

Revolver is a contemporary Indian restaurant that shoots from the grill. It offers tasting menus (either six or eight courses during dinner, five at lunch) that take diners on a culinary adventure across India – from the big cities of Delhi and Mumbai to remote areas including a tiny village outside Kolkata.

Paired with the food is a wine list heavy on small producers and natural styles. There is a pet nat from Slovenia, English pinot noir, a cuvee from cult Loire winemaker Nicolas Joly, Italian skin-contact wines and a Japanese merlot. Joining them are cocktails like tequila with basil and garlic salt, and local craft beer from Brewlander.

Wednesdays, 6pm to 11pm
Thursdays to Sundays, 12pm to 11pm

Sol & Luna is one of five concepts at 1-Arden, part of the 1-Group. Located at CapitaSpring, the bistro brings together flavours from Italy, France, Portugal and Spain and turns them into dishes like Grilled Radicchio with Taleggio, Smoked Duck & Foie Gras Rillette, Piri Piri Chicken Thigh and White Gazpacho.

Beverages also reflect the drinking culture of each country, featuring a base alcohol widely enjoyed in each region. Sensation De Poire is a French cognac sour with Williams pear and apple pear fennel syrup, while Dolce Ibisco takes after Italy with Aperol, apricot and orgeat. Spain is represented by the Sangria-like Cidra Morada Y Vino, and Raizes Natives nods to Portugal is a concoction of cachaca and beirao.

Mondays to Sundays*, 7am to 10.30pm
* Mondays to Saturdays until end March 2022

Wanton Seng’s is a remix of a stall that started at Dunman Food Centre in 1968. The original has since closed, but friends Benson Ng and Brandon Teo secured the recipe and updated the concept by combining street food with 90s hip hop and reliable drinks.

The signature is a textbook example of what wanton mee should be: springy noodles, tender char siu and textural dumplings. Other items range from Mala Mince Meat Noodles – a riff on bak chor mee – to Cold Seafood Noodles.

The cocktail list is short but well curated. The Jasmine Sangria is alluringly fragrant, and the Oolong Sour omits the egg white for a clean, punchy serve. There’s also local craft beer from District Brewers, and gin or whiskey highballs.

Daily, 11.30am to 10.30pm