To sip on cocktails from The Other Room’s new secret menu, you’ll first have to try all 30 of its signature drinks

Words by Raphael Koh

We’ve all heard an urban legend or two about speakeasy bars with hidden entrances tucked away right under our noses. And there are quite a few in Singapore, including Employees Only, The Library and (of course) the much-lauded 28 HongKong Street.

The Other Room is yet another watering hole that’s intentionally hidden from plain sight in a small corner of Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, covered with only a black curtain and tiny doorbell, designed to be reminiscent of the times when bootleg alcohol and the mafia were rampant in the 1920s.

Headed by master mixologist Dario Knox, the bar’s shelves are filled with carefully home-crafted blends of liquor created by Knox himself. A year after its launch — and following its inclusion on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2017 list at 35th spot — The Other Room has cooked up a secret new menu filled with a daily-changing line-up of nameless drinks made of mysterious ingredients to evoke particular memories.

To unlock the secret menu, you’ll need a “golden key”. But first, you’ll have to obtain a passport and get it fully stamped by drinking every single cocktail — all 30 of them — on the menu. This booklet will guide you through a multi-sensory journey with enigmatic and unusual concoctions, in an experience that starts with a pair of headphones and stimulates your sight, sound, taste and smell.

Take, for example, this cocktail in a seashell pictured below. Reminiscent of beach getaways, the drink transports you to the sandy shores of your last beach vacation, complete with the sounds of the sea and the scent of the ocean.

Curious to unlock the secret menu? Get to work on sipping those cocktails first. For those who swear by staunch classics, the Scotch and Tea blends the east and west, infusing umami and earthy flavors into the drink. 

If you’re after something a little more exotic, get The Asian Smash that, as its name suggests, is served in a china vase-like glass with lemongrass and agave nectar as a twist to the Gin Basil Smash. For those with a sweet tooth, the Midnight in Paris gives the lychee martini a run for its money with elderflower sour added into the mix.

The Other Room is at Singapore Marriott Hotel, Tang Plaza. Mon-Thurs 6pm-3am, Fri-Sun 6pm-4am.