“The cocktail menu acts as a guide to bring guests on an adventure through Kampong Glam with relatable and memory-triggering flavours,” head bartender Ong Jun Han says. The clever use of spices, for example, is a nod to the spice halls that once lined the streets, while details like a sequined coaster is a throwback of sorts to the Bugis Street’s disco days (when it was also affectionately referred to as Booggie Street).

A fine choice to start with is the Jackson Plan Punch (named after Lieutenant Philip Jackson who was instrumental in drawing up the Raffles Town Plan envisioned by Sir Stamford Raffles). The floral, fruity and spicy gin-based swizzle is made with London dry gin and overproof Australian gin, combined with elderflower liqueur, pomegranate syrup, lime and grapefruit juices.

If you prefer something with a bit of a kick, the Nasi Lema’rgarita features house-made coconut tequila shaken with a spicy pandan syrup (because its infused inhouse with chilli padi), lime juice, dry curaçao and cucumber, and served with peanuts and anchovies.

As imaginative as they are, these cocktails are just as much the elegant and well-balanced concoctions one would expect at a top-notch bar. “I love experimenting and incorporating local flavours as it adds a touch of home and gives deep meaning to each drink,” Jun Han shares, noting as well how the perfect cocktail is not only about a good mix of spirits but also “a journey filled with curiosity behind the story of what makes each drink one of a kind”.

Suffice it to say, there are plenty of local bar bites—from chicken kuih pie tee with buah keluak dressing, to deep-fried soft shell crab with Singapore chilli crab sauce, and wagyu satay—to accompany imbibers on their journey.

Club 5 at Parkroyal Beach Road | 7500 Beach Road | 6505 5666