Atlas Bar, Singapore 2017
We tried Atlas Bar on the recommendation of several people, and it entirely lived up to the hype.
Let's start with the building - it's officially called Parkview Square, but everybody in Singapore knows it as the Gotham building due to it's resemblance to a classic art-deco skyscraper in the Batman comic style. It's a visually stunning building, and contains not only Atlas on the ground floor, but offices and several consulates and embassies.
The interior continues the art deco theme, but blended with faux-Egyptian and some Chinese influences. But the standout feature is the gin tower, containing over 1000 different gins. It's a dramatic centrepiece to the luxurious bar area. Just a warning - the place is very busy so booking is advised.
The gin menu is truly astonishing. We started with a Daffy's martini, it seemed rude not to go with the current WBM winner. We couldn't get our traditional bar seat to see the mix in progress, but the final product was pleasant if a little watery for our tastes - often a problem in bars that cater for the gin loving masses rather than the true connoisseur.
For our second we selected Gin'ca from Peru, because, well, because we could. It's made from sugar cane spirit, and has a very pleasant citrus (mostly orange) flavour, with a touch of black pepper and leafy greens. It's only 40.5%, which makes it an excellent beginner's martini gin.
Our summary - if you like gin, and you happen to be in Singapore, do not miss this bar - and tell them we sent you!
