Bugis & Kampong Glam

Bugis and Kampong Glam form one of Singapore's most atmospheric and culturally layered drinking destinations. The neighbourhood runs from the golden-domed Sultan Mosque and the boutique-lined lanes of Haji Lane through the indie retail of Arab Street and out to the Rochor fringe where Fortune Centre and Middle Road mark the edge of the Bugis MRT catchment. It's a place where heritage shophouses, mosques, and Victorian terraces share blocks with craft beer bars, record shops, and late-night roti prata stalls. For craft beer drinkers, Bugis and Kampong Glam offer something genuinely distinct from the CBD strip: bars here tend to be more neighbourhood-spirited, with a mix of travellers and long-term residents who know their regulars. The area's after-work crowd is supplemented by visitors exploring Haji Lane and Arab Street, making it a natural early-evening destination before heading east or south for a longer night out. CHIJMES, the converted 19th-century convent just south of Bugis Junction, adds another dimension — a beautiful Gothic courtyard housing several bars and restaurants that draws a consistently cosmopolitan crowd. Whether you're starting a bar crawl from the Bugis MRT or winding through the lanes of Kampong Glam as dusk falls on the Sultan Mosque, this part of Singapore rewards the unhurried drinker.