Photos: Coq & Balls
It’s an exciting time for football fans in Singapore. Not only is the Malaysia Cup underway, the Barclays Premier League has also begun, which means eight months of non-stop football action (and annoying status updates on Facebook). See the full fixture list here, then plan your schedule so you’re around these great Singapore bars on match days.
Best Singapore Bar for Manchester United fans: The Bank Bar + Bistro
One Shenton #01-01, 1 Shenton Way, Singapore 068803. Open Mon-Thu 11am – midnight, Fri 11am – 1am, Sat-Sun 9am – midnight.
This centrally-located bar boasts a large space dressed with chandeliers and leather-covered bar stools and sofas. We know how United fans can get when they’re watching their team play — escape the insane post-match hangover by fuelling up with their fish and chips (SGD23.90) or the healthier Bank Gym Pick (SGD23; grilled chicken or fish served with a side salad).
Best Singapore Bar for Chilling: Coq & Balls
6 Kim Tian Rd., 6276-6609, www.coqnballs.com. Open daily 5pm-midnight.
Trends may be fleeting in Singapore, but Tiong Bahru isn’t one of them. Two years after media named it one of Singapore’s hottest ‘hoods, it’s still going strong, with food establishments like Ikyu, Open Door Policy, Flock and 40 Hands Café packing up like anything at meal times. And Coq & Balls is right in the thick of things. Spend the day at the ‘hood, then support your favourite BPL team here—with their extensive list of international beers and hard ciders, it’s not a bad place to get a drinking education, either.
Best Singapore Bar for All-round Sports Fans: The Dubliner Irish Pub
Winsland Conservation House, 165 Penang Rd., 6735-2220, www.dublinersingapore.com. Open Mon-Thu noon-1am, Fri-Sat 11:30-2am, Sun 11:30-1am.
They screen the Barclays Premier League matches at the main bar here, but that’s not all there is to watch—there’s also Moto GP, the F1 Grand Prix and rugby. Happy hour happens daily till 9pm so load up with beer or a refreshing glass of Magners Irish Cider to accompany their beef and Guinness pie ($17.50) before kick-off (the first live telecast is usually at 7:45pm).
Best Singapore Bar for Chelsea fans: Harry’s @ The Esplanade
8 Raffles Ave #01-05/07, Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802. Open Mon-Thu 12pm – 1am, Fri-Sat 1pm-2am, Sun 12pm-1am, Eve of Public Holiday 12pm – 2am, Non-weekend Public Holiday 12pm – 1am
Normally catered to the “sophisticated crowd”, the bar best for pre and post-theatre drinks has a considerably large indoor space for milling about, as well as a long bar, which is probably why Chelsea fans hit it up to watch EPL games together. Get there early to try their home brewed lager during happy hour (daily noon-8pm).
Best Singapore Bar for Manchester City fans: The Locker Room Sports Bar
11 Mohamed Sultan Road #01-01 Singapore 239010. Open Tue-Thu 11.30am-1am, Fri 11.30am – 2am, Sat 3pm – 2am, Sun 3pm – midnight
If themed bars give you a thrill, you’ll enjoy watching Manchester City games at this bar located in former nightlife central Mohamed Sultan. Pretend lockers with actual jerseys hanging in them, as well as astro turf corners, make you feel like you’re in the thick of things. Grab a pint (and their trademark Sporty Donkey burger (SGD18), too) and you’re all set for kick-off.
Best Singapore Bar for Tottenham Hotspur fans: London GastroBar
55 Boat Quay, 6535-2273. Open Mon-Sat noon-midnight.
You’ll feel right at home at London with its faux red leather couches, white walls and framed posters. Its location in Boat Quay—which is going through a kind of renaissance right now—means you can get a seafood dinner and barhop before the game, but with happy hour going till 9pm from Tue-Sat and up to 11pm on Mondays, you probably won’t want to.
Best Singapore Bar for Arsenal fans: Molly Roffey’s Irish Pub
#01-02A Manulife Centre, 51 Bras Basah Rd., 6238-0989, www.mollyroffeys.com. Open daily noon-2am.
Home of the Official Arsenal Singapore Supporters Club, Molly Roffey’s is predictably packed up on game nights. You’ll be hard-pressed for standing space, but as any fan would agree, the vibe is worth the effort. If you’re hungry, they have all the bar favourites: shepherd’s pie ($13.80), bangers and mash ($12.80), fish and chips ($10.80), burgers ($10.80-13.80), as well as pizzas ($11.80-13.80). Their National Day promo ($48nett for a bucket of five Sol or Tiger Crystal bottles plus a free bowl of potato wedges) is on till August 31, but daily happy hours last till 9pm, with pints of Erdinger, Guinness, Heineken, Kilkenny and Tiger going for $12-14.
Best Singapore Bar for Partygoers: Mulligan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
Blk. C The Cannery, Clarke Quay, River Valley Rd., 6305-6726, www.mulliganspubs.com. Open Mon-Thu, Sun noon-2am, Fri-Sat noon-3am.
Mulligan’s at Clarke Quay, one of the city’s better known nightlife spots, is probably the best place to host your rowdy lot of football-crazed fans. If the game ends well, you can put on your dancing shoes and party the night away at one of the nearby bars and clubs. If the gameends badly, you can, well, do the same thing. They also have late-night F1 Grand Prix and rugby screenings so you can do the other thing—sit down for a beer when you’re not really feeling Attica’s vibe.
Best Singapore Bar for Newcastle United fans: The Penny Black
26/27 Boat Quay Singapore, Singapore 049817. Open Mon-Thu 11.30am – 1am, Fri-Sat 11.30am – 2am, Sun 11.30am – midnight
This bar gets especially crowded after office hours any day of the work week, so you can be quite sure the atmosphere gets exciting on game nights. Remember to grab a glass of one of their signature ales the Old Speckled Hen, then get set up on a woody barstool in this Victorian-styled bar with your Newcastle cronies. Or better yet, reserve a table and barhop along the riverfront for a bit before you return for the first match.
