A well-known gem for quality brunch item and strategic location near Somerset MRT station, Oriole Coffee + Bar has recently expanded their menu and upped their game in the local cafe and bar scene.

Whether it is gourmet coffee that you are craving or alcohol for you to indulge in during a night out with your friends, Oriole Coffee + Bar posits as one of the best spots in town for you to have a meal at and chill out. Founded in 2008, this diner has an interesting concept as it transforms from a hipster cafe during the daytime to a snazzy bar by dusk.

We’ve been frequenting Oriole Coffee + Bar since its opening and we have to say that their food and coffee are consistently good—if not, getting better and better over the years—and it is one of our favourite cafes in Singapore.

From now until 31 May 2018, diners who spend S$35++ with Mastercard are treated to Oriole Coffee + Bar’s signature Har Cheong Gai at only $1++! Do note that the promotion is only valid from Monday through Friday, 11am to 3pm, excluding eve and day of public holidays at the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard outlet.

THE CONCEPT

Oriole Coffee + Bar is essentially a specialty coffeehouse in the day and a bar by night. During the day, guests get to indulge in hearty meals while watching the skilled baristas in action as they create each cup of coffee with precision and care.

When night falls, get ready to be serenaded with live music as you knock down pints of beer or sip on cocktails throughout the night. Their all-encompassing drinks menu features cocktails, draft beers, wine and spirits.

Situated in Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard which is just right beside 313@Somerset, Oriole Coffee + Bar definitely does not fall short in terms of serving quality grub to cater to both locals and tourists around the area.

HEARTY ALL-DAY BREAKFAST ITEMS

Don’t we all love all-day breakfast items? If you are like us who cannot wake up early, Oriole Coffee + Bar has plenty of options for All-Day Breakfast meals, which are available from 8am to 6pm daily.

One of their highly recommended dishes is the Fully Loaded (S$22) that will surely, well, leave you loaded and fuelled. Choose how you would like your eggs to be cooked, and have them with 2 types of meat, maple-glazed bacon, roasted potatoes, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, baked bean and multigrain toast. There is also a gluten-free option for their multigrain toast!

For those with a smaller appetite and looking for a wholesome or vegetarian option, the Bircher (S$12) is a blend of healthy Greek yoghurt, rolled oats, fruits and granola.

COFFEE FOR THE DAY

Be it hot or cold coffee, Oriole Coffee + Bar will have you covered.

Coffee connoisseurs will definitely appreciate the effort taken by Oriole Coffee + Bar to offer the best brews in Singapore by travelling to countries like Ethiopia to source for beans and roasting them locally. Aside from single origin coffee brews, cold brews served black, with milk or non-dairy M.A.D milk (cold-pressed nut milk) are some crowd favourites you will be able to enjoy at the coffee specialty house.

In particular, the Death Cream (S$10++) is a special concoction of vanilla beans, espresso and cream – high level of caffeine well-balanced with the ensuing vanilla taste.

Otherwise, try their other signature in-house cold brew, Taisho White (S$8++), which is made using Oriole’s in-house signature Raven blend on the daily. Nitro cold brew lovers will be excited to hear that Oriole Coffee + Bar has recently introduced 5 different types of Nitro Cold Brew (S$7) too!

CLASSIC PIZZAS TO LOVE

This new addition to their extensive food menu is something to love. We sang nothing but praises for their Margherita Pizza (S$18), which was generously topped with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomato confit, parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

This dish would be good for sharing amongst a group of friends—but we wouldn’t promise that you and your buddies will not be fighting over the last slice!

SEAFOOD OPTIONS

Also a newly introduced dish, the Pan-Seared Barramundi (S$26) features a fresh fillet with nutty romesco sauce.

They also have other seafood options, such as Garlic Prawn Risotto (S$25) and classic Fish and Chips (S$20).

TRUFFLE MAC AND CHEESE

Do not be fooled by their Truffle Mac and Cheese (S$24) which is seemingly unappealing because the flavours are actually very on point. Unlike many dishes that claim to have truffle yet do not have a hint of truffle taste, the taste of truffle in this dish was extremely piquant for us.

Imagine freshly baked macaroni in cheese and topped off with chunky pieces of crabmeat, crunchy corn and then rounding it all up with aromatic truffle oil; it is any cheese lover’s wildest dreams come true.

PHILLY CHEESE STEAK

Open up their Philly Cheese Steak (S$18) to find a chock full of well-marinated beef, mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms and capsicums sandwiched between toasted ciabatta bread.

With just the right proportion of the various ingredients, the sandwich is neither overwhelmingly sweet nor salty, making it very well-balanced.

FINGER FOOD

Look forward to close to 10 bar snack choices which are available from 11am onwards daily. These snacks go hand-in-hand with their beers and cocktails!

For an insanely addictive snack for sharing with friends, the Spam Fries (S$12++) is THE bar snack you have to get when you are at Oriole Coffee + Bar. Thick cuts of luncheon meat are deep-fried until crispy, making this sinful side the perfect accompaniment to your bubbles and ice-cold beer.

Oh what can we say, really? This is a guilty pleasure we are willing to forgo our diet for!

HAR CHEONG GAI AT ONLY S$1++

We have yet to meet a Singaporean who doesn’t enjoy Har Cheong Gai (S$16++). For the uninitiated, Har Cheong Gai is actually deep-fried chicken wings marinated with shrimp paste.

From now until 31 May 2018, Mastercard® cardholders can enjoy an exclusive deal—a serving of Har Cheong Gai at only S$1++ (U.P. S$16++) with a minimum spend of S$35++ on a la carte items in a single receipt.

Simply pay using any local or overseas Mastercard® credit or debit card to enjoy this deal! This promotion runs on weekdays from 11am to 3pm.

BAR BY DUSK

At 7pm daily, Oriole Coffee + Bar will feature a live band to bring out the chill vibes for the perfect ambience to have a glass of cocktail or beer after work. The outdoor seats will give you the best view of the live performances while you enjoy your meals and/or drinks.

We reckon that we aren’t the only ones who love their concept of ‘Café by Day, Bar by Dusk’, right? Besides whipping up quality grub and serving gourmet coffee, get some alcoholic drinks here at Oriole Coffee + Bar at night after a long day at work!

Oriole Coffee + Bar
96 Somerset Road, #01-01, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Orchard
Singapore 238163
Sundays to Thursdays: 8am – 11pm
Fridays and Saturdays: 8am – 12am
Tel: 6238 8348
Nearest Station: Somerset

This post is brought to you by Oriole Coffee + Bar.

There’s always a reason to drink (alcohol): hectic schedules, never-ending deadlines, overbearing workloads, overbearing bosses. Another reason? Shopping in town all day is hard work. We’re here to make it easier.

Forget cafés. Let’s get you properly acquainted with the (right) alcoholic libations. Here are 5 bars in Orchard Road to go for drinks after your shopping spree.

#1 ELIXIR BAR AT KUVO

Tucked away on the second level of Orchard Shopping Centre is a sleek new outpost (of a 40-seater bar) waiting to be unearthed. Japanese head bartender, Yukata Nakashima, runs the show at Kuvo, and ‘bespoke cocktails’ is the name of the game. Send your cocktail preferences his way and leave fate to abate your (alcoholic) cravings.

Adventurous drinkers, this spot will light your fire. A preposterous concoction that tastes uncannily like assam laksa arrives in the form of Auchentoshan 12 year old, garam masala and calamansi. It’s sour, savory and bittersweet with a tinge of exotic spice. Oh, and sidebar; there’s an option for a prawn noodle cocktail—who says you can drink your dinner?

If you’re leaving it to the bartender’s fancy, bespoke concoctions run along the path with concoctions like tequila-based beauty of Don Julio Blanco, Sambuca, martini rosso, Fernet Branca and Nikka-infused coffee beans that births a perfumed, bittersweet palate.

It’s safe to assume that your pre-dinner drinking is in capable hands.

321 Orchard Road
#02-01 Orchard Shopping Centre
Singapore 238866
Tel: +65 6733 8272
Sun to Thu: 12pm to 1am
Fri to Sat: 12pm to 2am
Nearest Station: Somerset

#2 JIBIRU CRAFT BEER BAR

This is where you and 10 like-minded beer appreciators will go to take command of the bar, and focus on what’s important. Things with the words “ale” and “lager”. Because those are the things that they excel at here, alongside some pretty darn good yakitori to prep your stomach for a boozy night. We reckon the Hibiki set (S$36.50 for 12 skewers) will set you straight.

If you’re new to beer, opt for the tasting flights (S$18) where you’ll get a tasting portion of four of their rotating draft beers, explained to you in great detail—these guys sure know their stuff—before proceeding to drown your short-lived beer education.

Do so with Kinshachi red miso lager Nagoya (S$13.90) that’s got minimal head (if that rocks your boat), malty caramel tones, and hoppy bitterness with a mild miso twist, or Owa beer (S$13.50)—a Belgian style pale ale with robust notes of toffee, dark malt, earth and spice. There’s also a range of Hitachino beers catered for easy drinking—we’ve got our vote on the refreshingly malty Saison Du (S$12.90) and hoppy, bittersweet lager (S$13.90). Yes, lager. Like we said, we focus on what’s important.

313 Orchard Road
#01-26 313@Somerset
Singapore 238895
Tel: +65 6732 6884
Mon to Thu: 11:30am to 11pm
Fri to Sat: 11:30am to 1am
Sun: 11:30am to 11pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

#3 MANHATTAN BAR

This sleek, dark and sexy bar is exactly the kind of place where you’ll refuse to call it a night, which would be for the best, since your refusal will be met with a number of discreetly potent cocktails. Or you could give them a wild-card route (layman’s term: bespoke)—tell them your poison of choice, serving style and whatever preferences pop into your head, and watch them do their magic.

Things you cannot do without: a solera-aged negroni (S$25) and single-cask cocktail (S$25) from their rickhouse; which happens to be the world’s first in-hotel rickhouse—an interesting piece of information you can boast to your date. You can thank us later.

If you’re not (seated) by the bar, sink yourself deep into one of their plush couch seats and decide between an Avaition (S$23) made with Citadelle gin, or Penicillin (S$23) with Monkey Shoulder scotch—the former soft floral and herbaceous notes, the latter; a smoky upgrade of the classic whiskey sour with a twist of lemon and ginger. Those are the toughest decisions you should be making for the night.

1 Cuscaden Road
Regent Singapore
Singapore 249715
Tel: +65 6725 3377
Mon to Sun: 5pm to 1am
Nearest Station: Orchard

#4 THE HORSE’S MOUTH

You’ll come here for one of two reasons: to impress someone of your knowledge of the best well-hidden bar in Singapore, or to ensure your night ends well. Maybe both. Either way, you’ll be in the good hands of head bartender, Byron Tan. But before he leads you down the path of denial (of drunkenness), pad down your stomach with the Wagyu tongue with yuzu pepper (S$12) and braised duck breast (S$12) that’s so flavorfully delicious it makes you wonder if you might have accidentally walked into a restaurant.

Employing our favorite spirit, mezcal, is the Beetroot Bonanza (S$25) that simmers beetroot concentrate with chili tincture before combining it with green Chartreuse to emanate the sweetness and smokiness of chargrilled beetroot. Another remarkable ‘all-star’ is the Gentlemen’s Tip (S$25) where the malty smokiness of Monkey Shoulder meets Carpano Antica Formula’s herbaceous fruity sweetness, blended with oloroso and amontillado to birth a beautifully complex concoction that layers sweet, bitter and citrus notes. You’ll take to this like a fat kid to cake.

583 Orchard Road
Singapore 238884
Tel: +65 6235 1088
Mon to Thu: 6pm to 12am
Fri to Sat: 6pm to 1am
Nearest Station: Orchard

#5 5 ON EMERALD HILL

Possibly the oldest cocktail bar in Singapore, 5 on Emerald Hill has been taking residence in an old Peranakan-styled shop house near the outskirts of town since the early 1990s. The two-level bar exudes an air of nostalgia that envelops you into thinking you’re in the 1990s—think oak wood paneling, worn out furniture and walls covered in black and white pictures of customers and celebrities from that era.

Cocktails here won’t burn a hole in your wallet (prices start from S$15), but its No. 5 original chili vodka just might. Signature vodkas and gin infusions are featured in their house-signature martinis like the No. 5 dry gin martini (S$15) that leaves a lingering burning sensation reminiscent of chili padi, or Bangkok martini (S$15) where lemongrass, lime juice and Grey Goose coconut cream is infused with chili to exude a taste of Thailand. While cocktails here don’t veer too far off in imagination, its nostalgic aura easily transports you back to the 1990s. Sometimes, old is gold.

Let’s just call it the Ol’ 5.

5 Emerald Hill
Singapore 229289
Tel: +65 6732 0818
Mon to Thu: 12pm to 2am
Fri to Sat: 12pm to 3am
Sun: 5pm to 2am
Nearest Station: Somerset

Here is the Ultimate Orchard Road Food Guide - Top 95 Places to dine at Orchard Road, Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut.

About the writer
Mandy Lynn is a former I-S Magazine writer and current columnist at Nookmag; her dining and nightlife features are published in Men’s Folio, Singapore Tatler Dining and The Drinks Business, amongst others. For bite-sized food recommendations, follow her on Instagram and Facebook, or join her Gourmet Adventures to keep up with the latest dining and nightlife news.