Fireworks in Singapore are quite the festive sight – people swarm the Marina Bay area for a glimpse of colors lighting up the night sky, and it can get a little too crowded too fast if you pick the wrong spot. But hey, we’re here to help.
Whether you’re looking for a place to grab some grub, or if you just wanna get in on the action without paying a cent, here are some of the best restaurants, bars, and public spaces in Singapore to be dazzled by fireworks on National Day, New Year’s Eve, or any other celebratory occasion.
Dinner/drinks with a view
1-Altitude Gallery & Bar
At the world’s highest alfresco bar, you’re pretty much guaranteed a stunning panorama of striking sunsets, flickering fireworks, and the Singapore cityscape, all lit to glorious effect. Unless you’ve got a bad case of acrophobia – since the only thing keeping you from plunging to the ground is a glass panel framing the edges – 1-Altitude makes for quite the picturesque party spot, with DJs and local bands dishing out the beats.
Sure, you’ve got Stellar for fine dining Australian cuisine and Altimate nightclub in the same building, but let’s be frank – the rooftop is where the real party’s at.
One Raffles Place, 1 Raffles Pl, 6438-0410. Sun-Tues 6pm-2am, Thurs 6pm-3am, Wed & Fri-Sat 6pm-4am.
1919 Waterboat House Rooftop Bar
The casual outdoor oasis sits atop a colonial heritage building along the Singapore River – here’s where you can recline, relax, and turn your attention to the city skyline at the Fullerton side, or enjoy the mesmerizing glow of fireworks along the Marina Bay Sands stretch.
3 Fullerton Rd, 6538-9038. Mon-Thurs 5pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 5pm-2am.
Caffe Fernet
For a front row seat to watch the fireworks, book an alfresco table at buzzworthy Italian eatery Caffe Fernet. As you munch on small plates like citrus-cured salmon and veal meatballs or pastas such as spanner crab spaghetti and spicy rigatoni, raise your glass of frozen rosé as a toast to your backdrop of bright lights in the night sky.
#01-05 Customs House, 70 Collyer Quay, 9178-1105. Mon-Thurs noon-midnight, Fri-Sat noon-2am, Sun 11am-5pm.
CÉ LA VI
Mingle with the glitzy and glamorous crowd at this spot in the clouds, where you can grab a bite to eat at the fancy restaurant, stop by the bar for a round of drinks, and keep the party going at the club lounge. Plus, the bird’s eye view means you’ll be treated to an impressive sight of fireworks against the Singapore skyline backdrop.
L57, Marina Bay Sands Skypark, Hotel Tower 3, 6508-2188. Restaurant: daily noon-3pm, 6pm-11pm; Skybar: daily noon-late; Club Lounge: Mon-Fri noon-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-10pm, daily 10pm-late for nightclub.
Empire
Illuminate your night with fireworks over the bay from your perch at Empire, the rooftop bar and dance club nestled up high in the Singapore Land Tower alongside restaurants Sear, Angie’s, and Lower East Side 45. But unlike its sit-down neighbors, the chic alfresco lounge allows you space to chill by the couch, clink glasses at your bar stool seats, and get jiggy to dizzying beats if you so feel like it.
#45-01 Singapore Land Tower, 50 Raffles Place, 9336-1443. Mon-Thurs 5pm-1am, Fri 5pm-3am, Sat 5pm-4am.
Forlino
Settle in for the night at Forlino, the Italian fine dining restaurant with scenic vistas of the shimmering waterfront, lit by kaleidoscopic reflections from the towering skyscrapers that frame the bay.
With chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to set the romantic tone, you’ll be snug in your seat as the fireworks go off right outside the glass windows, without having to worry about jostling among the sweaty crowds to see who can snap the best photo.
#02-06 One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Rd, 6690-7564. Daily noon-2:30pm, 6:30pm-11pm.
Kinki Rooftop Bar
Party central Kinki is awash in good vibes, with a cool edge highlighted by its funky wall murals and colorful hanging lights. So it’s not the highest or classiest rooftop joint in town, but a night of no-frills fun is what you’ll get here, complete with wicked beats, lively company, and a glittering sky.
#02-02 Customs House, 70 Collyer Quay, 6533-3471. Mon-Thurs 5pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 5pm-2am.
Lantern
Situated by the Marina Bay waterfront, this rooftop bar is a stylish hangout spot for revelers to lay by the infinity pool, get cozy on one of the lounge chairs and snack on bar bites in between sips of cocktail concoctions, or groove to the beat of house tunes while admiring the gleaming lights from the surrounding skyscrapers. And once the twinkle of fireworks flares up, you’ll be in a prime spot to capture it all on camera.
The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore rooftop, 80 Collyer Quay, 6877-8911. Sun-Thurs 10am-1am, Fri-Sat 10am-2am.
LeVeL33
The home of the world’s highest urban microbrewery is where you can recline and relax with a pint in hand to toast to the spellbinding sight of kaleidoscopic colors before you. No matter if you’re seated indoors or outdoors, you really can’t beat the feeling of wonder when you’re towering above the magnificent city skyline.
#33-01 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 1, 8 Marina Blvd, 6834-3133. Mon-Wed 11:30am-midnight, Thurs-Sat 11:30am-2am, Sun noon-midnight.
Mr Stork
For a slightly different perspective of the sparkling sky, gather your entourage for an evening at the rooftop watering hole of Andaz Singapore, where the melodies are lush and the tipples are intoxicating. Offering 360-degree views of the city, the space lives up to its name with cozy nooks in teepee huts amidst lush foliage.
L39 Andaz Singapore, 5 Fraser St, 6408-1288. Sun-Thurs 5pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 5pm-1am.
OverEasy Fullerton
One of the cooler haunts along the One Fullerton stretch, OverEasy is the kind of place where you can messily dig in to hearty grub with your boisterous crowd and not get judged for it.
Big on American diner classics like mac and cheese, Philly cheesesteak sliders, and baby back ribs, it’s a hit with the late night supper crowd – and the fairy-lit outdoor tables are where you’ll want to be when the fireworks get catapulted up high.
#01-06 One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Rd, 6684-1453. Mon-Thurs 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-1am, Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-2am, Sat 11:30am-1am, Sun 11:30am-11pm.
Smoke & Mirrors
From your vantage point at Smoke & Mirrors, the fireworks experience isn’t as up close and personal, but it’s no less picturesque, especially since you get to take in the wide lens view.
The bar throws quite the sophisticated soiree, with its boozy beverages artfully crafted behind a sculptural bar, so hit this one up if you’re in the mood for a leisurely night out fueled by cocktails worthy of their calories.
#06-01 National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew’s Rd, 9380-6313. Mon-Thurs 3pm-1am, Fri 3pm-2am, Sat noon-2am, Sun noon-1am.
Super Loco Customs House
Perpetually bustling with lively merrymakers, Super Loco’s superb spot at the Customs House welcomes one and all to the party with its fiesta vibes, prismatic lights, and the occasional piñata bashing.
Plus, it certainly helps that the menu of tacos and quesadillas is a solid one, complemented by generously potent margaritas that give you enough of a buzz to always have a good time here – enhanced by fireworks, of course.
#01-04 Customs House, 70 Collyer Quay, 6532-2090. Mon-Thurs noon-3pm, 5pm-midnight, Fri noon-midnight, Sat 5pm-midnight.
Zafferano
If you fancy an unobstructed view of the dazzling display with Marina Bay Sands in the background, head over to swanky Italian restaurant Zafferano, where you can dine in peace and quiet at the glass-walled space before heading out to the terrace lounge with a cocktail in hand to watch the explosion of color in the sky.
L43 Ocean Financial Centre, 10 Collyer Quay, 6509-1488. Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-late, Sat noon-3pm, 6:30pm-late.
Free fireworks
Pretty much any spot framing Marina Bay that doesn’t require you to empty your wallet for a seat will give you a view of the fireworks – including Marina Barrage, Gardens by the Bay, The Promontory at Marina Bay, Merlion Park, Esplanade Bridge and Waterfront, the One Fullerton walkway stretch, the Helix Bridge, and the Benjamin Sheares Bridge.
If you prefer to stay away from the crowds, head over to East Coast Park for a night time picnic, or climb up to the top of Mount Faber for a view from above.
Alternatively, certain estates and apartments not blocked by high-rise buildings can give you the rainbow-hued sight as well, so just pop in to a friend’s HDB flat on the upper floors with a bottle of booze (to make sure you’re welcomed).
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