New rooftop concept Milli at the National Gallery is a dinner, cocktail spot & club all in one

When Smoke & Mirrors closed its doors in early 2025, many bemoaned the loss of an iconic cocktail destination that had been at the National Gallery for nearly a decade.

After all, it was the place for sunset drinks, with panoramic views of the Singapore skyline. 

Well, time to wipe those tears away because a new concept has opened in its place, promising the same stunning views, a food and cocktail programme helmed by some of the industry’s biggest names, and double the fun — literally.

Say hello to Milli, a double-storey concept created by a trio of industry veterans — there’s LG Han of one-Michelin-starred Labyrinth, Vijay Mudaliar of Native cocktail bar, and the team behind Bae’s Cocktail Club, led by its managing partners Sheen Jet Leong and Dharma Wang. 

Named after the word “millennium”, Milli comprises two distinct concepts: a sky dining & bar on level six, and a lounge one floor below.

The idea behind providing two spaces is simple: “You are invited to explore both spaces… as one continuous experience. You can move from intimate moments with friends at Milli: Sky Dining & Bar to a high-energy social setting at Milli: Lounge,” Sheen explains. 

It’s a smart move — after all, haven’t we all had one of those evenings where dinner turns into drinks, followed by a spontaneous “How about we go clubbing?” moment?

Here, the club comes to you — just walk a few flights down and you’ll be at one. No staggering to the next location, no trying to get an exorbitantly priced taxi, and no losing friends along the way.

In fact, the team at Milli are so committed to creating a seamless night out, that they have even arranged shuttle buses between Milli and Bae’s Cocktail Club in Tanjong Pagar, after 1.30am on weekends.

Made for sunset tipples

There’s been a lot of talk about partying, but if you’re more interested in the food and drinks programme, you’re in the right place.

As a venue, Milli is open from 11am everyday for lunch, followed by sundown drinks from 3pm, and dinner from 5.30pm. 

With Singapore’s unrelenting heat, we’d recommend dropping by around 5pm for sundown drinks before dinner.

At Milli, Vijay really leans into local flavours for his cocktails, while keeping things balanced and somewhat recognisable for the potential tourist crowd. 

The Peranakan spritz (S$26) is a refreshing one to start with, combining gin and St-Germain elderflower liqueur, with tinges of calamansi, coconut, and ginger flower, before a finishing touch of prosecco.

It’s bright, light, and has just enough nods to local Peranakan flavours without overwhelming — in case that wasn’t enough, there’s also a piece of kueh salat (glutinous rice cake with pandan custard) on the side. 

The whisky Green Tea (S$26) is another crowd-pleaser — it’s a simple, whisky highball-style drink, with sencha distillate and clarified yuzu, topped with a delicate matcha foam.

I’m neither a fan of whisky nor matcha but every ingredient inclusion is measured enough for me to enjoy the drink for what it is: A well-balanced highball. 

Now, when you think of Singapore and cocktails, the name “Singapore Sling” usually comes up, but did you know that there was another cocktail by the Sling’s creator that also made it to the history books?

Known as the Million Dollar cocktail, it was also created by then-Raffles Hotel bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. 

Milli’s take on the gin cocktail, The Milli (S$28), features a housemade mandarin grenadine, with yuzu, pineapple, fino sherry, and dry vermouth.

It’s an elegant drink — especially with the tinge of gold flakes — that looks stunning against the glittering Singapore skyline after the sun sets. 

And if you still have space, try The Singapore Breakfast (S$26), a very “gao” (or robust) rendition of the espresso martini that’s also inspired by the local kaya-toast breakfast. 

It comprises kaya, coffee liqueur, soy gula Melaka, and coconut blended with Martell Noblige, a deep yet fruity cognac, into a yummy slushie. It’s also exactly the sort of perk-me-up you’d want before hitting the dance floor downstairs.

These cocktails are available at both the Sky Dining & Bar space, and the Lounge. 

What’s on the menu at Milli: Sky Dining & Bar

Now, for the food: Here, chef LG Han doesn’t stray far from what he’s come to be known for — local flavours, rooted in his own experiences and identity as a Singaporean, delivered with contemporary finesse. 

Milli’s dinner menu is relatively robust, divided into starters, small plates, mains, sides, and desserts.

Lunch offers a truncated version of the menu, with a three-course set lunch from S$38 and some a la carte items. Meanwhile, a limited selection of starters and bites are available before sundown (3pm to 5pm).

So, if you want to really try the full spread, dinner’s probably your best bet. 

Starters run the gamut from reimagined popiah tartlets (S$18 for three pieces) which come in convenient one-bite portions, to the addictive chef Han’s kacang putih (S$10), a generous bowl of spiced nuts. 

But if you’ve dined at Labyrinth, or heard of one of its more popular dishes — the Chilli Crab Ice Cream — you’ll want to give chef Han’s signature Chilli Crab Ice Cream (S$32) at Milli a go.

Here, he pairs Japanese zuwaigani crab with fresh tomatoes, strawberry relish, and fresh strawberry slices. I don’t think I’ve had chilli crab like this before, but the sweetness and tartness of both the strawberries and tomatoes go well with the delicate crab flesh.

If you’re keen on more, before you dive right into its mains, the cereal corn ribs (S$20), served with a sweet curry sauce might intrigue. A take on the popular local zi char classic of cereal prawns, this version replaces the usually cumbersome prawns with corn ribs. 

I’m a fan of the elements — the thoughtful swap to corn ribs, the cereal blend, and the luscious curry sauce — but the cascade of cereal bits all over the table and onto my lap every time I lift a rib to dip it into the curry sauce leaves much to be desired. Definitely order this, but be prepared that it will get messy. 

There are also other riffs on local zi char favourites that you can consider, such as an oyster omelette souffle (S$42) with Hyogo oysters and boneless har cheong wings (S$16 for two). 

If you enjoyed the crab dish from the starters — there’s a bigger, more indulgent Alaskan king crab leg (S$98) main, served with white pepper and salted egg sauce so you can have it the way the locals would, but without having to put in too much work to get to the flesh.

There’s also a chicken rice paella (S$32), which combines the well-loved Hainanese chicken rice and Spanish paella. It features Japanese glutinous rice cooked in a fragrant chicken broth, topped with half a roasted spring chicken, bits of grilled chicken tails and cartilage, and some ginger-scallion relish. 

The dish came with a nice, scorched crust at the bottom, which complemented the tender chicken flesh and tail bits, but I found myself wishing there was a bit more to the rice, which leaned dry — perhaps a finishing soy sauce-sesame drizzle might have done the trick. 

If chicken rice isn’t your thing, there are also local-inspired mains such as the chargrilled coffee pork ribs (S$30) and the bak kut teh pao fan (S$24). 

To finish, there’s the bandung kakigori (S$32), which feeds up to four, or an aerated pandan waffle (S$24), which comes with housemade ube and pistachio ice cream and three classic spreads — Nutella, kaya, and peanut butter.

Don’t worry if you’re too stuffed for desserts — the waffles are thin with a hint of fluffiness so they’re not too cloying! 

If you somehow still find yourself peckish while partying it up later in the evening, its after-dark menu, from 9.30pm, comprises some interesting bites, too. 

Besides a smattering of items from its main dinner menu, you can try the High Roller prata pizza (S$188) with caviar, gold flakes, and creme fraiche, the Nutella banana prata pizza (S$22), and a laksa ramyeon carbonara (S$28), served with scallops and Hinata egg. 

With food, drinks, and music going from 11am till as late as 4am (their words, not ours), Milli looks set to become the new go-to destination, whether you’re after a leisurely lunch, sunset cocktails, dinner with a view, or a night out that stretches into the early hours.

If you’re hosting friends from overseas, a visit to the National Gallery followed by drinks at Milli makes for a pretty compelling itinerary, too — culture first, cocktails after — what’s not to like?

This was a hosted tasting.

For more places around the National Gallery to explore, check out Korean restaurant Seoul & So, which sits right beside Milli, and the new Sabor at Chijmes.