Review: Puffy Bois at Duxton brings back the same kickass sourdough pizzas, cocktails, and hospitality

Anyone else dislikes the limp slices with congealed mozzarella or the perfectly mediocre offerings you tend to get at chain pizza spots? 

From the rectangular San Fran-style pies at Goldenroy and artisanal Tokyo-Neapolitan pizzas at Beyond the Dough, or even the large New York slices at Sonny’s, there are so many excellent pizzas in smaller standalone spots around Singapore if you know where to look. 

The choices are so plentiful that if you ask me where to go whenever your pizza cravings hit, I’d usually reply: “What vibes are you looking for?” 

If your answer is somewhere with dive bar charm, witty banter, and cocktails that don’t take themselves too seriously, head to Puffy Bois.

The backstory

Puffy Bois isn’t new, actually. It’s been around since 2023, first turning heads on Bali Lane with pizzas and cocktails that seemed to punch well above their price point, while picking up a few accolades along the way. (In fact, we visited back then, and loved its offerings.) 

The pizza place was also shortlisted among the Top 10 honorees in the Tales of The Cocktail Foundation’s 2025 Best International Restaurant Bar for Asia-Pacific. 

Puffy Bois has recently re-emerged on Duxton Road with new vibes,  moving from a dimly-lit attic dive bar to larger, more polished space that feels like a speakeasy-style cocktail den.

The most impressive thing? This is a purely a three-man operation by industry veterans Zul Zaba, Samuel Ng, and Jason Neo, who share decades of F&B experience between them.

Zul was a longtime beverage distributor, while Sam was the brand ambassador for alcohol labels Four Pillars and Monkey Shoulders, as well as the general manager of Melbourne’s famed Black Pear Bar. Jason himself recently wrapped up seven years at the Jigger & Pony group.

The menus are on the wall: Pizzas are sold by the slice (from S$6.50) or whole (from S$24), with five flavours to choose from, including two vegetarian options. 

As for the cocktails, you get a small selection of five craft cocktails that are deceptively simple and smashable, but you can also request for its past favourites, or classics. 

It’s worth noting that Puffy Bois also offers a small wine list that includes box wine, some juicy beaujolais, a natural skin-contact muscat, fizzy pet nats, and a couple of fun seasonal stuff.

Our verdict

It’s safe to say Puffy Bois is still every bit the brilliant pizza and cocktail bar that we fell in love with one year ago. There’s the same excellent hot slices, same smashable and solid (but gimmick-free) cocktails, and the same friendly faces. 

The move to Duxton brings more breathing room and better flow, exuding more speakeasy vibes than a downright dive bar. 

As always, hospitality is impeccable and easy-going. Jason, Zul, and Sam somehow have time to each drop by our table, explain the food and drinks, chat with us, and still whip up our drinks and pizzas within minutes.

I’d hoped for new pizza creations to accompany the move to Duxton, but alas, the lineup remains largely the same from their menu refresh last August. That said, if it ain’t broke, don’t change it, and Puffy Bois still gets the fundamentals right.

What it’s good for

The first thing to know about the pizzas here is that they’re not quite New York-style, not quite Neapolitan. Instead, these three-day-proofed sourdough pies are somewhere in between, boasting a crisp edge, slightly puffy outer ring, chewy center, and of course, the pleasing tang of fermentation. 

There’s the dependable margherita (S$6.50 a slice, S$24 for a whole pizza), the simple vegetarian option with nothing more than mozzarella cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil. This is a classic done right, with a special shoutout to the bright, tangy tomato sauce that keeps things lively. 

The pepperoni (S$7 a slice, S$26 for a whole pizza) is cooked until the salami pieces curl up with crispy edges for a smoky, spicy bite. It’s a tad greasier and saltier than the margherita with a gooey cheese base. Both are simple, but never boring.

Save the leftover crusts for the homemade, self-proclaimed Lao Gan Ma-inspired chilli. If you ask me, it’s a less crispy, less savoury, but spicier version of the famous chilli oil, and still very good in its own right. 

If you’re looking for more pizzazz, the punchy nduja-roni (S$7.50 a slice, S$28 for a while pizza) sees spicy chunks of Italian pork sausage from Spilinga peppered all over the base for a complex and moreish bite, which works great with the bright tomato base and sourdough. 

Don’t get me started on the briny mala capers, it’s a cheat code for extra flavour, and a very much welcome one indeed.

I usually go for tomato-based pizzas, but the white pies here have a certain complexity that keeps me intrigued. The calamari zaff (S$7.5 for a slice, S$28 for a whole pizza) is the only seafood option on the list. 

It features lightly-cooked calamari sliced into soft noodles (for a better bite) and is buried in an elegant saffron bechamel sauce before being topped with a savoury gremolata topping. The combo is creamy, citrusy, and very clever.

Last but not least, don’t make the mistake of thinking the primavera (S$7 for a slice, $26 for a whole pizza) is just another veggie pizza.

This one’s a sleep hit inspired by the primavera salad, with salty ricotta, sliced zucchini, sweet pea puree, dill, drizzled with a touch of vincotto balsamic reduction that adds a soft and sweet acidity.

But you wouldn’t want to just come for the pizzas (it is a restaurant-bar afterall). We went through the drinks menu, starting with Pillar to Post (S$22). 

Puffy Bois’ spin on the classic Americano highball is both herbaceous and refreshingly fruity, taking housemade soda and infusing it with strawberry gum for gentle berry notes that complements the bittersweet base. 

The Ok Go (S$23) is fascinating, and also apparently inspired by Zul’s childhood memories, as he tells us. This is clarified milk tea and dry sherry meets carbonated jackfruit ice cream soda, all resting on a coconut fat-washed gin base. 

There’s a funky sweetness but it’s balanced by a slightly savoury, creamy depth, and feels playful and weird in the best way.

The Dawn Chorus (S$24) is smoother and moodier. It’s essentially a bourbon-based Old Fashioned spruced up with chocolate bitters and housemade salted honey whey, then garnished with a salted butterscotch-drizzled waffle cookie. 

This is like a boozy breakfast for adults,  though I’d drink this any time of the day.

The most interactive drink here is the What What (S$23), where you basically choose a base spirit and tell Sam whether you want it long, short, or on the rocks. 

From there, he’ll whip something up using Puffy Bois’ house-made PB citrus blend – a medley of lemon, lime, pink grapefruit, and calamansi juices combined. 

My dining partner selected whisky, and got a whisky sour that’s precisely zesty and thoughtfully punchy.

It’s a shame that Puffy Bois only has two non-pizza food items on the menu. Aside from a bunch of greens (S$14), you can order a bowl of cold cuts for S$22 with large slices of mortadella and parma ham. It’s not top-grade stuff, but the meats are fragrant, smooth, and very tasty, and you also get a thick slice of sourdough topped with a pile of finely-grated parmesan.

What it could improve on

I already mentioned this, but it’s been some time since Puffy Bois shook up its offerings, (all of the pizzas and drinks we tried were previously already at the Haji Lane outlet, save for the interactive selection).

A few more pizza flavours (or even a seasonal pie that changes monthly), and a new cocktail or two, would keep us coming back for more, as would a proper bar snack menu.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? The music blares well into the night, so you’ll really have to raise your voice.

Is a reservation necessary? Walk-ins only.

How to get there? Puffy Bois is a 2-minute walk from Maxwell MRT Station Exit 3.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this restaurant for this review.

If you love pizzas, there’s plenty to try! Read about the new Vincenzo Capuano at Boat Quay and Pizza Studio Tamaki at Tanjong Pagar. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Puffy Bois Pizza at Duxton Road.