What: Shophouse The Social Hostel is the Arab quarter’s newest backpackers’ hub and it offers a pretty sweet deal—the Middle Eastern-themed rooms are simple, but WiFi-equipped, and all-day breakfast is provided. But what we’re excited about is their ground-level café Working Title, which is also where the hostel receives its guests.
What’s hot: Most backpacker café/bar settings are bare bones, but founder Calvin Seah’s clearly given a lot of thought to this space, which he’s filled with mismatched furniture and bric-a-brac accessories. The alfresco area, with its wall-length “couch” made out of crates and astro-turf floor, is also not what you’d expect. So if you’re looking for a place to catch up with a friend or to escape the tropical weather and get some reading done, Working Title will hit the spot. But what makes this place a real after-work gem is its fantastic range of craft beers. The hugely popular Crabbies ginger beer and Brewdog (our favourite) are on the menu at $8 each, but Seah’s also got limited stock of other cool options such as Evil Twin Brewing’s Hipster Ale and Rogue’s Hazelnut Brown Nectar, both $9 each.
What’s not: The décor and drinks menu may not be typical of a backpackers’ bar, but the food is. The sandwich and (frozen) pizza options ($4-16) are tasty enough, but might not fill you up the way you like. In any case, there are plenty of gourmet dining options in the area, plus we can’t complain about any place that brings in goodies from Windowsill Pies.
Verdict: Hot. Reliable as this neighbourhood is for some after-work relaxation, it’s getting quite tired. Working Title shakes things up a little.
Working Title is located at 48 Arab Street, +65 6298 8721. Mon-Thurs and Sun 10am-10pm, Fri-Sat 10am-12am.
