Finding them is part of the experience.
Ever wanted to be part of the exclusive crew knowing about a great eatery that no one else knows about? Feel like you are part of Fight Club or Harry Potter discovering Diagon Alley for the first time as you navigate to these ulu hangout spots in Singapore.
Hidden right under your nose, these restaurants and bars scattered in the nook and cranny of various locations in Singapore will make finding them part of the fun of the dining experience.
Bincho
If you brought your date here, he or she might go, “Wah lao, why are you bringing me to a dumpster?” Bincho’s entrance faces a carpark, and is in quite a dingy spot surrounded by rubbish bins. (Psst, the restaurant entrance is the second door from the left, the one that’s lighted.) This modern yakitori restaurant and cocktail bar might look a questionable from the outside, but the excitement of finding it coupled with its delicious food will make it one of the most enjoyable dining experiences you’ve ever had.
By day, it is Hua Bee, a hawker stall selling mee pok on rickety wooden chairs. It is also where local movie Mee Pok Man was filmed! By night, the restaurant hidden facade serves up a variety of grilled meats and parts on sticks by Chef Asai Masashi, as well as playful Japanese-inspired drinks.
Address: #01-19, 78 Moh Guan Terrace, Singapore 162078
Website: http://www.bincho.com.sg
Burger Joint
As you walk past the rows of restaurants and shops along Amoy Street, you’ll find that the listed address of this burger joint does not bring you to the shop. With a generic name like “Burger Joint” and an unremarkable entrance, it’s no wonder this place is a little tough to find. This New York chain’s Singapore joint probably has the most interesting location among the outlets all over the world. Find the neon burger sign at the back entrance of Amoy, along Gemmill Lane, and follow the signs to enter.
After you push past the red curtains, you’ll see a cosy eatery serving American comfort grub. Burger Joint’s patties are made from Nebraskan beef, and the burgers are fuss-free with simple ingredients. Best enjoyed with an ice-cold beer.
Address: #01-03, 115 Amoy Street, Singapore 069935
Website: https://www.burgerjointny.com/singapore
Operation Dagger
With no actual signboard nor illuminated door, Operation Dagger is only marked by some random scribbles on the wall indicating its entrance – it’s so ulu that even the building it’s in doesn’t have a name. The mysterious bar is hidden along a back alley at the junction of Club Street and Ann Siang Hill. Open the door and you will find an unassuming staircase, which then leads you further down to the basement where the ‘cage’ is.
The quaint cage housing the bar, dimly lit with thousands of light bulbs, makes you feel like you are stepping into the secret Fight Club. Don’t be fooled by this dingy appearance, this bar has been voted Best New Bar at the Singapore Bar Awards in 2015, and made the list of World’s 50 Best Bars in 2016.
Address: 7 Ann Siang Hill, #B1-01, Singapore 069791
Website: http://operationdagger.com/
Maggie Joan’s
Maggie Joan’s makes alleyway dining cool, with its Modern Mediterranean inspired cuisine and seasonal cooking with underground vibes. The entrance is a black door along the back alley of Gemmill Lane, indicated by a simple sign that can sometimes be hidden by plants depending on which angle you look from.
Head chef Oliver Hyde, an alumnus of UK’s Waterside Inn and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, serves up hearty Mediterranean meals. You can also opt for some tapas and drinks if you are intending to have a full meal.
Address: 110 Amoy St, Singapore 069930
Website: https://www.facebook.com/maggiejoanssingapore/
28 Hong Kong Street
This bar located along 28 Hong Kong Street is so incognito that it is simply named just that… 28 Hong Kong Street. The entrance looks like a shop that has closed down or went out of business, but push past those doors and you will be greeted by a speakeasy bar serving whimsical cocktails.
Besides serving amazing drinks (it is voted World’s 50 Best Bars), number 28 also serves up delectable bar food. Their burgers are highly raved by many and their Truffle Mac n Cheese Balls are also not to be missed.
Address: 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore 059667
Website: http://www.28hks.com/
The Secret Mermaid
By day, it hides in plain sight as Shinkansen, a Japanese design-your-own salad bar serving healthy salad bowls to working professionals. By night, the very same spot transforms and comes to shore as The Secret Mermaid, a hole-in-the-wall cocktail bar.
After five in the evening, the shared space is occupied by the mysterious alter ego of Shinkansen, serving up the most imaginative concoctions. Don’t belittle the small space either, the small bar is packed with bottles of gin, rum, tequila, vodka and whisky. It has the largest collection of American craft spirits, where star bartender Kelly D’Cruz has done her research to bring out the best flavours in each of them.
Address: 10 Collyer Quay, B1-08, Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315
Website: http://www.thesecretmermaid.com/
Bitters & Love
There is no signboard or any indication that there is life behind those walls. Bitters & Love looks like a shop under construction from the outside, with some beautiful graffiti on its boards. A little door on the side says “Peek Here”, and that’s where you can see that there is actually a bar in there.
The place serves up Instagram-worthy, local-inspired drinks like the Kaya Toast, which consists of kaya jam, English Breakfast tea, Mount Gay Rum, peach liqueur, honey, fresh lemon juice, and egg white. Their bar food like the Wagyu Beef Cubes and Sea Bass is pretty noteworthy too.
Address: 118 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore 068587
Website: http://www.bittersandlove.com/
Grin Affair
Grin Affair once again proves that you don’t really need an attention-grabbing shopfront to be great. The dessert shop is nestled in a HDB block, and isn’t really is the most prominent location. The shopfront is just an old door, with a small window giving a sneak peek into the goodness inside.
From Banoffee to Kiwi Cheesecake, to ice cream and waffles, all their cakes are served in a cute little glass jar. If you return 20 glass jars, you even get one free cake!
Address: 3 Everton Park, #01-77A, Singapore 080003
Website: https://www.grinaffair.com/
