Head to these 10 new bars in Singapore in 2025 for your year-end festivities

1. Hup San Social Club

Hup San Social Club may be one of the first few bars to open in 2025, but we won’t be too surprised if you haven’t heard of it yet. After all, it is literally a hidden basement bar, with no entrance signage and limited seating (12, to be exact). But as the saying goes: Good things come in small packages, and that couldn’t ring truer for Hup San. 

Getting to the bar is no easy feat, but once you do, you’ll likely be cheerfully greeted by its effervescent owner June Baek as she deftly mixes drinks. It’s a small, tight space, but manages to still be welcoming and cosy without feeling suffocating, perhaps owing to the civic-mindedness of its guests (many of them regulars) who scooch and bend to make way for any new entrants.

June’s debut menu titled “Do What Brings You Joy” encourages guests to choose a drink based on what they are feeling or hope to feel, whether it’s a “refreshing mid-day escape” or an “unexpected surprise”. 

Her drinks are a mix of Korean-inspired cocktails such as Cold Soup (S$26) or Bing Soo (S$26), savoury ones such as The French Fries (S$26) and mala diwa (S$25), and even comforting ones such as Pumpkin Ma Heart (S$25). There’s no specific theme, just recipes of drinks and flavours she has enjoyed and honed over time.

The last drink, in particular — a warm, creamy pumpkin-flavoured spiced rum drink meant to feel like a warm embrace — is great for those chilly evenings where you’re looking for that final drink to wrap up a drinks-filled evening with, and to linger in your memory till your next visit.

2. Casper

The name “Casper” might conjure up images of the friendly ghost from your childhood, rather than of a drinking spot, but truth be told, the new eponymous cocktail bar at Duxton Road isn’t that far off the mark. 

For one, the moody bar isn’t what it actually seems. Just like the character, while the space is dark, decked out in stone walls, and seems relatively cold and industrial, the crew are actually very warm and inviting.

Its power socket wall (with only one working socket) is also telling of its approach: Put down your phone, and be in the moment, or strike up a conversation with those around you. 

And like the friendly ghost, Casper’s founders, industry veterans Lee Rosli and Bernadine Chan, also say they’re “masters of survival — always adapting, changing shape, and sneaking into new spaces”.

Well, they’ve snuck into our hearts for sure, with their clean cocktails, named simply after its main flavour profiles. The cocktail menu has a good mix of savoury and sweet, dessert-like drinks, but some of the clear winners for us were the Tomato (S$26), a tomato-forward tequila number, and Dates (S$24), a whisky cocktail with coffee liqueur, milk, dates, and chocolate.

3. Goodbye, Alibi

Just a few doors down from Casper is Goodbye, Alibi, located on the second-floor, right above Rappu handroll bar. The bar is the brainchild of Kimberly Yeo, a serial F&B entrepreneur who owns Japanese catering concept Don Play Play, and also briefly ran a viral apple crumble pop-up here in Singapore last year. 

Said to be a place where your secrets are safe, the bar is filled with jars of anonymous confession notes, with pen and paper right next to them, so you can add a few of your own, too.

The cocktail menu here, crafted by head bartender Tan Chok Han, is mostly savoury and bears salacious names divided into two eyebrow-raising sections — Highly Suspicious and Bold & Dangerous. The former are mainly twists on classics, while the latter are innovative twists where Han’s creativity runs free.

Switch things up with My Crazy Ex (S$25), a polarising cocktail with Sichuan peppercorn-and-soy-infused whisky, vinegar, soy caramel, mala spices, citrus, served with a soy crisp (or zai er), or even Miso Broken (S$25), a savoury sushi-like vodka cocktail, complete with roasted seaweed.

There are more “standard” drinks such as Coffee Meets Banana (S$26), an espresso martini variation with banana peel rum and cream cheese, and Sweet Nothings (S$24), a gin sour with melon, yuzu, and honey. But if you’re going to be at Goodbye, Alibi, you might as well say goodbye to your inhibitions and go for the bold and dangerous because that’s where the fun’s at. 

4. Confession Room

In the spirit of leaving your secrets at your bar, Confession Room is a new concept at Boon Tat Street with the similar idea, but with different vibes. Founded by Adonis Reyes, who was previously from Origin Bar and Baia, the unpretentious second–floor cocktail bar invites guests to settle in, grab a drink, and maybe share a confession or two with the crew.

The bar takes the space previously occupied by White Shades, which has since shifted its operations to the rooftop, and feels like a friend’s cosy home den. 

The menu is printed on the back cover of actual VHS tapes (yes, the ones you used to record your favourite shows on), and the drinks, whose names are mostly pun-driven, are organised according to the intensity of their flavours, rather than the ABV level. 

While Confession Room only opens officially next year, we had sips of its debut menu after wandering into the space on a random week night, and have to say it’s off to a promising start. Its cocktails are clean, uncomplicated, and just the stuff you need to have over good conversations. And the best part? Prices start from S$22, a number rarely seen in today’s cocktail bar scene here. 

We enjoyed An Apple A Day (S$24), a whisky number with pomegranate, whey, and mineral brine, as well as Red Flag (S$24) a mezcal negroni with sour plum vodka and salted pear. The upcoming food menu is set to be western fusion, with hints of Filipino street food influences, a nod to Adonis’ heritage — we’ll be honest, we really can’t wait for January to come to try all of that! 

5. Temper

If you haven’t heard of Temper by now, you might truly be living under a rock. Located at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, the new wine and cocktail lounge has been raking in reservations thanks to its vibey aesthetic, and comprehensive offerings across food and drinks.

It is started by the Ebb & Flow Group, which is behind viral concepts such as Casa Vostra and Carlitos. Opened in late-August, Temper proves it isn’t just for the drinkers, but for everyone who wants a fun night out, regardless of their drink choices.

It stocks 2,100 bottles of wines — of which 250 are available by the glass — and also has a dedicated cocktail menu crafted by June Baek of Hup San Social Club. The food fares just as well, with a selection of seafood, hefty, meaty mains, and even delectable desserts.

For wines, speak to its crew who will show you a nifty tablet that organises all of this vino info. For cocktails, we recommend the spicy tequila-based Jinrikisha (S$25), named after the now-defunct Jinrkisha Station nearby, and the Kaws (S$25), a PX sherry cocktail inspired by the Kaws sculpture at the hotel. 

Memorable items off its food menu include the seafood platter (offered in petit and grand sizes, starting at S$138), the crispy chicken drumsticks (S$18 for two pieces), the Temper burger (S$35), and the pastel de nata (Portuguese egg custard tart, S$6 a piece). 

Here’s our full take on Temper at Duxton. 

6. Pop City x Pony

Arguably one of the city’s most-anticipated cocktail bar openings of the year, Pop City x Pony by the Jigger & Pony Group is already drawing in the crowds, despite opening in the quieter month of December. 

Located at The Quadrant, a heritage building that previously housed concepts from the group (Sugarhall and Rosemead), Pop City is a Japanese-inspired bar that takes its name from the popular 1980s music genre “city pop”. If you’re not familiar with it, the genre has produced songs such as Stay with Me by Miki Matsubara, and has seen a mild revival in recent years. 

Aligned with its musical origins, the bar has a tucked-away section called Bar Mixtape that houses CD players, allowing you to listen to albums of your choice. While it’s closed for now, we hear it is slated to serve up simple highballs when it’s properly staffed. 

The bar is also intricately designed, comprising three other sections, each with its own Japanese flair, such as a byobu-embellished (decorative Japanese folding screens) wall, and kimono-themed fabric finishes. 

Pop City’s drinks are divided into the “pop” and “city” categories, with “pop” delivering more trendy drinks, such as a hojicha espresso martini (S$25), and a yuzu whisky sour (S$27), which was partly inspired by Japanese pop icon Utada Hikaru. 

The other side of the menu spotlights Japanese design, with drinks inspired by labels such as Muji, and also has a seasonal selection. 

Food-wise, Pop City serves up food from the kitchen of Barrel, the Hibiki-themed concept which sits below the bar, and one dish you have to order is its tonkotsu ramen (S$15). It’s not everyday you get piping-hot ramen with quality drinks and great vibes, at a reasonable price of S$15, too. 

Here’s what we enjoyed at Pop City Singapore.

7. The Coach Bar

2025 saw the fashion label Coach open several F&B concepts in Singapore, but the most notable of the lot is The Coach Bar, the world’s first such concept, right here on our sunny island.

While the concept is still mainly fashion-focused, with an adjacent Coach showroom, The Coach Bar still makes for a good drinking spot in Singapore, complete with affordable S$12 martinis, too.

Located at the Coach Play Shophouse along Keong Saik Road, where the former Coach Cafe pop-up once stood, this new drink concept adopts a moodier aesthetic, but is still unmistakably American, with old-school cassette tapes lining its shelves. 

Even if you’re not a big drinker, the S$12 proper martini service, where a server comes round to your table and custom-makes your martini, tableside, isn’t to be missed. You can opt for any variation on the classic drink, whether it’s a proper martini, a dirty one, or even a Vesper, with your garnishes of choice, too. 

And if you’re a huge Coach fan, don’t forget to get the Tabby Disco Tea (S$22), a citrusy vodka-tea cocktail, which comes with C-shaped citrus ice cubes. 

Bites come in the form of chips (S$3), fried olives (S$12), grilled cheese sandwich (S$23), and even caviar (from S$15 for a bump), but the selection is small, so you might be better off treating this as just a drinks stop. 

Read more about The Coach Bar Singapore.

8. Last Stop

During a night out, it’s not uncommon to hear someone promise that the next one would be the “last stop”, but oftentimes, you end up staying out a bit too late, and start the next day a tad too hung over. At the newly launched Last Stop, by the team of Nutmeg & Clove and Last Word, that refrain holds some truth. 

Last Stop, located behind a curtain next to Last Word, is meant to be your last stop — a place where you go when you’re probably done with the loud music and crowds, but still want to prolong the evening with a drink or two.

Fashioned from its original R&D space, the 12-seater Last Stop truly looks like it could pass off for someone’s living room, complete with low chairs, a sink, a stylish lamp, and minimally furnished bar counter. 

The drinks menu here is simple, as it would be at your friend’s house, with only six drinks. They range from a breezy chamomile highball, which mixes vodka with chamomile tea, to the heavier Sazerac, the rye whisky-absinthe classic, and chocolate martini. All drinks are priced at S$26. 

But it’s not really about the drinks here — rather, the space is inviting, intimate, and makes you want to linger. It’s a last stop alright, just not one that ends early, for sure. 

9. St. Regis Bar

Following its first major refresh since its opening in 2008, The St. Regis Singapore has also unveiled a new look for its in-house bar, now known as St. Regis Bar. Besides sporting a modern, elegant vibe, it also has a stunning floor-to-ceiling panel of bird cages behind the bar counter — the bar’s interpretation of a garden theme. 

Not only do its aesthetics make for a very ‘gram-worthy moment, but its drinks are just as eye-catching. The cocktail menu here covers five decades, as you might experience them in Singapore and New York, so you get anything from vibrant drinks inspired by the Roaring Twenties, to inventive, futuristic ones.

Have fun with the 1970s-inspired Disco-Tea-Que (S$30), a nod to the disco fever that was rife during that era. It’s a crisp vodka-lapsang souchong spritz, layered with stone fruit and berries, and finished with teh-O liqueur from local distillery Rachelle the Rabbit. 

Those looking for something for the ‘gram can also get the robust Club Kid Espresso (S$28), the classic espresso martini made yummier with coconut and hazelnut, with a matcha macaron to boot. 

10. Horatio

Our next new bar for 2025 on the list brings us all the way to Sentosa, which can be quite the trek for some, but also a fitting reference to the bar’s debut menu. Horatio, located at Resorts World Sentosa is a whisky-themed bar, which also serves up cocktails inspired by the fictitious Horatio Fairchild’s travels. 

Getting to the bar may be quite the journey, but getting in is the real challenge. Its entrance is dubbed “The Portal of Secrets”, and resembles a liquor store, with no semblance of an entrance or a door knob. You might take some time to find it, but trust us, it’s well worth the effort.

Once you enter the dimly-lit space, you’re invited to traverse with Horatio through the major distilling regions of the world, in the form of the various drinks. Dive headfirst into Kueh Kueh Spirits (S$26), a strong whisky cocktail with gula Melaka, coconut, winter melon, calamansi, and a garnish fashioned as a salted egg yolk. A drink inspired by Singapore, it comes served in a Peranakan-inspired cup, too. 

If you’re still in the mood for some puzzles, order the Pirate Radio (S$26), an aged rum-based drink with banana, lime, tamarind, and absinthe. It comes with an encrypted message that you’ll learn only after you order the drink. 

The Sichuan-inspired Dragon’s Breath (S$26) is another fun-but-strong tipple, featuring cognac, dry sherry, black dates, light soya sauce, and aromatic bitters.

And if you linger long or often enough, you might just get invited into The Enclave, a hidden chamber within Horatio, accessible only by special invitation — it holds some of the world’s rarest spirits, which are worth a peek at, even if you’re not planning to get any.