I got a drink at one of Asia's best bars, a glamorous Art Deco lounge in Singapore where scenes of 'Westworld' were filmed. It felt like a step back in time.
Katie Warren
- I got a drink at Atlas, a Singapore bar that's been named one of the best bars in Asia.
- The Art Deco-inspired bar features a 26-foot tower of more than 1,300 types of gin.
- The service was top-notch, the drinks were delicious, and the opulent decor felt like a step back in time.
Singapore has no shortage of glitzy cocktail lounges, but one bar in particular takes that glamour to the next level.
Atlas, an opulent lobby bar in an Art Deco-inspired skyscraper, features an extensive cocktail and Champagne menu, a 26-foot "gin tower" of more than 1,300 different types of the spirit, and 50-foot ceilings. Its interiors even drew the makers of HBO's "Westworld" to use it as a filming location in season three of the dystopian science fiction series.
In 2020, Atlas was ranked the fifth-best bar in Asia by World's Best Bars. The ranking was created by a voting panel of more than 200 drinks experts from across Asia, including bartenders, drinks writers, and cocktail specialists. On World's Best Bars global list, Atlas is ranked fourth overall and No. 1 in Asia.
On a recent weekday after work, I stopped by Atlas for a drink to see what it was all about.
Atlas sits in the lobby of Parkview Square, a 24-story, Art Deco-style office building in Singapore's Bugis neighborhood.
Sometimes referred to locally as the "Batman building," Parkview Square tower was built in 2002, but its Art Deco style was inspired by Europe and New York's skyscrapers of the 1920s.
I arrived at Parkview Square at around 6:00 p.m. on a Tuesday.
The entryway did remind me of some 1920s-era buildings I'd seen in New York City.
My first glimpse of the bar's opulence was the entryway with its marble floors and gleaming brass details.
As is required upon entry of any establishment in Singapore during the pandemic, patrons of Atlas must get their temperature checked and use their smartphones to check in with TraceTogether, the city-state's contact tracing app.
I had seen photos of Atlas, but I wasn't prepared for the bar's grandeur, with its 50-foot ceilings and ornate details. It was, in short, the most beautiful bar I'd ever stepped foot in.
The bar features intricate frescoes and gilded brass work.
In 2017, interior design firm Hassell Studio worked with the family of the building's original developer, CS Hwang, to renovate the 7,400-square-foot space and restore the early work of American architecture firm James Adams Design, who designed the building.
I felt like I had stepped back in time to the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties.
Jay Gatsby could've appeared at any moment in a tuxedo with a Champagne coupe.
In season three of HBO's "Westworld," however, Atlas is a Singapore bar years in the future.
In the fourth episode, Vincent Cassel's and Thandie Newton's characters have a drink there.
The massive space was filled with cozy seating areas with leather sofas, velvet chairs in jewel tones, and dim table lamps.
We didn't have reservations, and the hostess informed us the next table wouldn't be available until 7:45 p.m.
But we had the option of sitting at the bar, which we didn't mind at all.
We were greeted by a bartender named Lauren who — like the other bartenders — was wearing a crisp white shirt, a black tie, and a black apron.
Lauren took a moment to explain the cocktail menu, noting the cocktails at the beginning were lighter and more refreshing than those toward the back — but that didn't mean the first cocktails necessarily had a lower alcohol content, she made sure to clarify.
The menu at Atlas is focused on gin and Champagne, drinks that were "all the rage during the Gilded Age," per the bar's website. "These celebratory tipples that defined good living at the time are now back in fashion in the grandest of ways."
Atlas sources gin from all over the world, including England, Japan, Scotland, and Singapore. The cocktail menu includes five different types of gin and tonics, three martinis, and other gin cocktails like gimlets, Negronis, and a French 75.
The cocktails start at S$19 — about $14 USD — although one vintage Negroni made with vintage 1930s London Dry Gin will cost you about $185 USD. Meanwhile, the most expensive Champagne on the menu is Louis Roederer's Cristal at roughly $505 USD per bottle.
Despite the emphasis on gin and bubbly, Atlas also serves beer and wine as well as whiskey, tequila, mezcal, rum, and vodka cocktails.
For my first drink, I opted for my go-to cocktail: a gin and tonic.
Rather than the classic, I went for the Atlas Orange G&T, which is made with Atlas' own orange gin, Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic, and an orange slice garnish.
It was $24 SGD — just under $18 USD — and tasted perfectly balanced and refreshing.
My drinking companion ordered a Blue Note Smoke, a cocktail made with Japanese gin, jasmine tea, lemon, and peated smoke.
Our bartender took the time to explain what he could expect the unique cocktail to taste like.
We ordered some of Atlas' rustic bread and truffle butter to snack on while we sipped our drinks and admired our surroundings.
There were also complimentary sweet potato chips at the bar, which were addicting.
As we watched more patrons filtering into the bar, we noticed that Atlas strictly enforces its "no shorts" policy.
Two women came in separately wearing denim shorts, and each of them was given a black shawl to wrap around her waist.
Otherwise, the dress code — officially "Smart Casual" — didn't seem too stringent. There were men in suits and women in cocktail dresses, but also a woman wearing heavily distressed jeans and a Kenzo t-shirt.
For my second drink, I got the Atlas French 75, which the menu described as "bright, elegant, and vivacious."
The cocktail was made with London dry gin, lemon, peach, salt, and Champagne, and featured a kumquat garnish.
As night fell, Atlas got busier and the hum of conversation grew slightly louder, but the bar never felt too crowded.
When I first noticed subtle electronic beats playing in the background, I wondered if it might clash with the grand setting, but the music kept the bar from feeling too sedate.
Before we left, I walked over for a look at the iconic gin tower, with its upwards of 1,300 bottles.
According to interior designers Hassell Studio, it's the world's largest gin collection.
After a couple of hours and a couple of drinks at Atlas, there was no question in my mind why it's considered one of the best bars in Asia.
The ambiance managed to feel sophisticated without a hint of pretentiousness.
The drinks were not cheap, but they were delicious and the menu was wide-ranging — and I thought of it as paying for the ambiance and service as well. Our bartender was attentive without being overbearing, and we couldn't stop staring at our stunning surroundings the entire time we were there.
The prices were similar or slightly cheaper than at Cé La Vi, one of the rooftop bars at the iconic Marina Bay Sands, where a cocktail will run you between about $16 USD and $19 USD. And while the views of the Singapore skyline from Cé La Vi can't be beat, I found both the drinks and service far superior at Atlas.
Atlas could be a bar where you go for a date or a special occasion like an anniversary, but it's not too fancy for a casual after-work drinks with friends (as long as you're not wearing shorts).
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