Second Thoughts at Jalan Besar is a chill beer bar meant for a good hangout

“This was really just a space to hang out” — that’s how co-founder, Elroi Ng, 36, sums up the concept behind Second Thoughts, a craft beer bar at Jalan Besar that opened in November last year.

He tells us that the idea behind the space — “set up by friends, for friends” — ensures anyone who visits feels comfortable and looked after. 

The team behind the bar are a close-knit community too, who occasionally get drinks after work together.

The bar was founded by Elroi and his co-founder Johnathon Koh, 35, who previously worked at Gulp, a craft beer spot at Robertson Quay. Between the two, it is Johnathon who is the beer enthusiast, says Elroi with a laugh.

Whether it was the people behind the bar or customers settling in with a pint, everyone seemed to really enjoy being there. There is a laidback, easy-going energy that fills the space.

I had first visited Second Thoughts towards the end of last year, not long after it first opened, and the interior looks very much different now. 

It feels much cosier than before, with a warmer, more comfortable layout. It almost feels like the space has grown into itself, with a stronger sense of community.

The space fills up quickly, and it’s especially busy on weekend evenings, so it’s worth making a reservation if you’re planning to visit.

Beers for the win

If there’s one thing to know about Second Thoughts, it’s that the beers on tap don’t stay the same for long. The team typically has just two or three kegs on before changing them out, so the tap list rotates fairly frequently.

Elroi says that most of the beers are sourced through the bar’s investor-distributor network, with the remaining taps supplied by a handful of other distributors. Rather than sourcing from a wide range of suppliers, the team curates its tap list from its distributor partners’ existing portfolios.

On our visit, we tried three beers from the tap list.

The Meridian Callista pilsner (S$15) was crisp, clean and easy-drinking, while the Status Quo Hazy Pale (S$19) delivered soft fruity notes with a smooth, hazy body. 

If you love your zesty flavours, you’ll enjoy the Limonata sour (S$21), which was bright, citrusy and refreshingly tart.

The friendly Luke from the Second Thoughts team took me through the fridge selection, which offers an even wider range of bottled and canned craft beers. This is great if you want to bring some of Second Thoughts’ wide range back home to try.

A food menu not to be missed

There’s quite a tempting food menu — enough so that you might want to have your dinner right here, rather than just drinks.

The kitchen has also seen a recent refresh. Following the departure of the previous head chef, former sous chef Shuan Hopson, 30, has now stepped into the role. The current menu has been tweaked, with its specials menu slated to undergo some changes by September.

One dish I had already heard plenty about was its rempah wings (S$14), and they absolutely lived up to expectations.

The duck Cigars (S$16), filled with confit duck leg and served with an itek sio (a traditional Peranakan dish with duck slow-braised in a rich, aromatic gravy) dip gave us a good laugh when it arrived at the table — rolled and presented like actual cigars. While we enjoyed the presentation, we found ourselves wishing for a more pronounced duck flavour and better texture to show the confit.

We also had some classic Dirty Drip fries (S$13) with beef tallow after spotting them on several tables around us. Sure enough, it was a plate of well-seasoned fries. It was indeed addictive, pairing effortlessly with a pint.

We ordered a couple of bigger plates from the specials menu to share.

My favourite of the night? It’s easily the crispy pork belly (S$20). The roast pork belly was perfectly cooked, with a crisp, crackling exterior and juicy, tender meat underneath. The accompanying sauces added plenty of flavour to the already flavourful pork belly.

The pork belly is both rich and savoury on its own, but made even better with the accompanying elements — a creamy, smoky miso chipotle aioli to add a subtle kick, and the fragrant scallion oil that brings an extra layer of savouriness.

The grilled prawn nori pasta (S$18) is another solid dish. It comes with shrimp oil, seaweed, and king prawns, and it’s packed with savoury flavour. The prawns themselves were a highlight: Plump and succulent.

Beyond the good food and beers, it’s really the atmosphere at Second Thoughts that stays with you.

Every Wednesday evening, the team hosts a Jalan Besar run club — to keep things balanced with all that beer, of course. (We love that.)

Sundays are a little different too. The usual kitchen staff takes a break, making way for kitchen takeovers, alongside all-day specials of S$12 highballs and two for S$20.

It really does feel more like a friends’ get-together than anything else — which, after all, was exactly what the team had set out to create. 

Second Thoughts captures what good beer culture is really about: Good company and an easy-going atmosphere. It’s a place that certainly has us wanting to come back again and again.

For more ideas on what to eat around Jalan Besar, read on the comforting Victor Famous Fried Chicken Wing Rice and the sleek Average Service cafe concept.