No.5 Emerald Hill — Restaurant in Singapore

First a declaration of self interest in this review. When I first came to SG over 25 years ago, No5 was probably the first bar I visited so I have a soft spot for this one

Almost a national institution. A staple feature on the tourists itinerary and a regular watering hole for locals. In a time of transient F&B establishments, No.5 has not only survived but thrived. Alongside its sister venues it bows little to customer whims and dances to its own tune... Very successfully.

Service can be somewhat abrupt but is usually efficient. Entering No.5 it is easy to be visually transported back to an early 20th century Peranakin shophouse, with dim red lighting reminiscent of a submarine and if you don't mind bare concrete walls and seemingly strategically placed odd steps to trip the slightly inebriated you will feel right at home. If you are lucky enough to bag a seat at the bar you can read the brass plaques of regular drinkers of old and watch baskets of food being raised by rope to the upper floor past the Chinese lanterns.

Being a friendly haunt it is common to strike up a conversation with strangers. The sound track of No.5 is best described as eclectic if not erratic and mostly harmless.

I'm not sure many people would opt this venue with food as a primary consideration over alcohol and the menu seems to cater with this in mind. On a random and non scientific basis wings and pizza seem to make up a disproportionately large amount of the order (pity the chef), however these are top quality and you won't be disappointed.

The magnificent mirror behind the bar carries an extraordinary number of choices of spirits and the bar team are adept up whipping up pretty much any cocktail.

Putting this all together you are almost guaranteed a good time

It's rare to find a bar in the Red Dot that has lasted as long as the Emerald Hill trio. What struck me last time I visited was the number of younger patrons in their 20s. I hope this is a good sign that the future is...

I've been here before, but this was my first time at No. 5 Emerald Hill when the sun was still up 😂 Sitting at the bar alone, my eyes wandered around & couldn't help but notice the tank of vodka with lots of chillis in them.

Introducing.... No. 5 Emerald Hill's Grey Goose Chilli Vodka Infusion 🤯 The fiery red chillis sit in the vodka for 3-4 months, really lending their spicy flavour to the liquor. I had to have a shot of this or at least try at 1 of their cocktails.. But which one?

The novelty of their Chilli Vodka Infusion was just too good to pass up! I had to get the 5pice Me Up ($12+) once I heard it's reminiscent of an Old Fashioned. I don't eat crazy spicy food (not a Mala lover), but this cocktail pushed all the right buttons for me.

I was impressed not only by the zing of the heat/spice from the chilli, but also how smoothly the drink goes down. It also helps that, like my favourite Old Fashioned, this isn't saccharine sweet!

Surprised at its affordable price, I was tempted to get a 2nd one, but I resisted 😂 I'll try some of the other options next time: the Hi-5 ($12+) highball with soda, Cherry Snap ($17+) a sweet treat, & Bangkok Martini (2 for $20+).

I have many fond memories after dark (9PM - 1AM, specifically) here, where their extensive Martini menu goes at a sweet 1-for-1. & practically all day before that (12 - 9PM), housepours start from $8 — & that's a gentleman's pour of 45ml, not the regular 30ml.

You truly get your money's worth here. Just like I did with my Hennessy on the rocks 😍 So if chilli vodka isn't quite your kind of thing, don't worry about it... You definitely have other options here.

Ps: Also love nibbling on the peanuts & throwing the shells on the floor.... Who's with me?!

💳 Accepts credit cards 🌬 Air-conditioned seats available ☀ Al fresco seats available 🖥 Accepts reservations on Quandoo 🙋🏻‍♀ Service charge...

ATMOSPHERE: went on a friday night after 8pm. very crowded so we went to get seats on the 2nd floor. shortly after it got crowded where we were too, and it was really noisy with all the chatter. couldnt hear the music over the noise, much less each other. it has pretty vibey decor, but it didnt feel as cosy as it looked.

SERVICE: it was our first time there, and we asked for recommendations on the food and drinks. it felt like the server was trying to avoid answering our questions. when asked about the serving size on the squid rings, she mentioned "its not big but can share"; on the pizza, she replied "8 slices". after failing to get her to elaborate on the serving sizes, she finally answered the question on which dish would be more filling between the two. when we wanted to get the bill, it took a lot of effort of waving our arms to get any servers attention. it was exhausting.

FOOD: despite that, the hawaiian pizza really was quite delicious. crispy thin crust, chunky pineapples, savoury sauce and cheese. tabasco sauce was also served without having to ask.

DRINKS: when asked, server recommended their dessert jelly martinis and lychee martini. we asked for more recommendations, but she didnt have much to say. eventually we ordered the chrysanthemum martini, which was decent, but not as special as we hoped. do note that the 2 for $30+ martinis are for the same drink, not two choices under the same category, which we had originally...