I’ve been to Manhattan, New York City.
Gleaming skyscrapers reaching to the sky. An under-city of shadowed streets and sidewalks. Centuries of art and culture, people of all races and denominations blending together. This manifests in its food and drink: you will find a myriad of bars in the Big Apple- jazz bars, speakeasies and even just good old regular sports bars. In a word: cosmopolitan.
It’s been four years since my last trip, and it’s still got a special place in my heart.
So, when I heard about the new Manhattan bar located just off Orchard Road, in the Regent Hotel, I had to pay the new place (it’s been open all of 7 months) a visit. Was it everything I thought it would be? Judge for yourself.
The place is pretty posh looking, no?
As one would expect from such a fine establishment, particularly one located in a hotel, the service was immaculate. Within seconds of stepping in, I was greeted by my friendly hostess, Kate. I was promptly given a seat of my choice and the menu. The service was excellent; the staff were unobtrusive and discreet. I felt so at ease that I forgot they were even there, for a moment.
Service: passed.
Kate also gave me a tour around the bar, which held some surprises.
First up, a cask room where spirits are matured in small casks, almost like a mini-distillery. When it is time, they will be poured into the basin in the centre, then bottled for use in the many cocktails being served at the bar.
The cask room had a twin. If the cask room was a mini-distillery, then the ingredient room was a mini-apothecary. It houses the myriad ingredients used in the food and cocktails on the menu. Some were exotic, some were mundane; rosemary sea salt, orange sea salt, even quinoa, juniper berries and mangoes are held in the jars here.
Manhattan Bar has a large common seating area, done in an elegant style that brings to mind upscale parts of New York City. Filled with low stuffed leather chairs and sofas, cushions and marble tables, it is both very posh, and very comfortable. The leather chairs are so soft, I felt like I was sinking into a cloud when seated. The best part is, there’s room enough for privacy, unlike some of the more commercial (and thus seat-maximising) bars downtown. Don’t be misled by the photos; the place is actually comfortably dim, though illuminated by the quaint table lamps for that cosy, intimate feeling. Perfect for a gathering among close friends, or perhaps the close friend.
Manhattan Bar also boasts some private rooms meant for parties of 10- 15 people. Resembling a cosy old-style sitting room, I can’t imagine a more classy way to while some hours away in the company of good friends. If memory serves, the minimum spend is $1,500 for this particular room, but spending $100 across a whole night doesn’t seem all that implausible.
The bar itself is pretty gorgeous, and as you can see, very well stocked and tended by two suave barmen, who were only too glad to pose for a quick snapshot.
I really can’t over-emphasise how well appointed Manhattan Bar is. I definitely caught shades of old New York in the decor, and it exudes charm, comfort and class.
Ambience: passed.
So the real test of a bar, no matter how good the service and decor are, is how good the drinks are. There’s little point in drinking liquid sewage in the most beautiful place in the world, is there?
Fortunately, the cocktails I had were more than adequate.
I started off with a Suburban, a classic cocktail that bears a close resemblance to the Manhattan cocktail that is the bar’s namesake. It has quite the distinguished pedigree; invented at the legendary Waldorf Astoria bar to celebrate “the triumphs of James R. Keene and his racing cohorts and other famous stable-owners on near-by courses” in the late 1800s, it has been on menus ever since.
This incarnation of the classic cocktail is made from Four Roses Small Batch bourbon, Plantation Jamaica 2000 rum, ruby port, Amer L’orange and angostura bitters; all the hallmarks of the classic, if uncommon cocktail are within. At first whiff, the smell of the orange garnish blends with a strong oak scent to deliver a heady fragrance. The first few sips delivered a strong bourbon flavour, with a sweet rum and orange riding on the bourbon and coming through most strongly. The port underlays the rest of the drink, smoothening it and exerting a more subtle influence. The finish was pleasantly woody and a little understated. Excellent.
Of course, I would be remiss if I just ordered one drink, rubbed my hands and called it a day. I ordered a second, totally different cocktail (based on a staff recommendation) just to test the standards. Called the Main Stem, it contains Lebon cachaça, Albiocca apricot brandy, house-made gooseberry syrup and fresh lemon. It is, of course, garnished with a gooseberry.
I found the tart lemon a tad overpowering, with the cachaça, a sugarcane based liquor similar to rum, providing a strong underlayer of taste. I couldn’t really taste the apricot brandy over the two very strong tastes dominating the cocktail. It was pretty sweet; not enough to be cloying, but definitely not too far off. All in all, I was quite satisfied with it, despite its flaws.
Drinks: passed.
So there you have it, a bar that passes on all three counts: service, ambience and drinks. The only thing that’s a little bit offputting is the price, which averages about $20- $22 a cocktail. They also serve food (that’s quite good apparently) if you’re feeling peckish, though I think the rest of the experience would already merit a visit! I would definitely recommend heading there to check it out, perhaps on a special occasion.
With comfortable seating, gorgeous furnishing and ample space, it will serve your needs most handily whether you’re in there alone, as a couple, a party of 5 or even a crowd of 15. I myself will be heading back there soon, no doubts about it.
Manhattan Bar
Level 2, Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
