Bar Review: Down The Rabbit Hole Into Singapore’s Only Gin Garden Bar, Dempsey Hill
PUBLISHED April 20th, 2016 06:30 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:27 pm
Having hosted some of the best parties and the most gorgeous weddings in Singapore, there’s no place quite like The Rabbit Hole when it comes to providing a sophisticated and laidback ambience. So, if you’re looking for a night of refined tipples, head down to the lush and luscious neighbourhood of Dempsey – we give you no less than four reasons to head down to The Rabbit Hole, Singapore’s only garden bar.
It’s Highly Instagin-able
Located behind the ever-popular The White Rabbit (which serves up lovely modern European cuisine within the quaint setting of a refurbished colonial era chapel), The Rabbit Hole relaunched late last year as a botanical sanctuary of sorts.
Fairy lights, check. Green foliage, check. Cool crowd, check. With such an elegant abode, it would be a shame not to snap a photo or two for your social media feed. The Rabbit Hole also features a covered verandah and bar area, with wrought iron and wicker furniture to complete the rustic look. And of course, the drinks here are pretty much a piece of art on their own, which leads us to the next point…
Crafty Gin & Tonics
Currently boasting a carefully curated (by The Lo & Behold Group’s Bar Mentor Julian Serna) selection of 15 gins, the gins are categorised into five different flavour profiles that can be paired with The Rabbit Hole’s house tonic or East Imperial Tonic.
For a straightforward drink, pick a gin from the Traditional London Dry or the Simple & Honest section of the menu, such as the Bluecoat ($16) or Plymouth ($16) gin. Folks seeking something fancier can look at gins under the Floral & Elegant or the Complex & Unexpected section of the menu, where you’ll find brands like Hendrick’s ($16), The Botanist ($22) – made in the wild Islay region of Scotland, and Monkey 47 ($22), which is distilled from 47 unique Bavarian botanicals.
Want something new wave? The New Classics such as G’Vine Floraison ($16), made with grapes from the Cognac region in France, are icons of the gin renaissance.
Not Your Typical Bar Grub
Elevate your gin experience with The Rabbit Hole’s very tasty bar bites – think freshly shucked Oysters (from $42 for half dozen) served with Moscato mignonette, artisanal Bordier Cheeses ($19 for three types, $28 for five), and a killer Charcuterie board ($14 for three types, $19 for five). Served with rustic bread and remoulade, diners get to mix and match cold cuts like duck rillettes, chorizo iberico, and country-style pate for the latter.
For colder nights, dig into something hot and flavourful such as the Fried Cauliflower & Spiced Salt ($12), or Truffle Brie Toast ($18), chock full of Singapore’s favourite ingredient. Got a sweet tooth? Then you really can’t go wrong with their sweet crepes. We recommend the Salted Caramel ($10), which sees The Rabbit Hole’s signature house-made caramel sauce drizzled over freshly made crepes (with premium wheat flour from Brittany and artisanal butter by Jean-Yves Bordier).
1-for-1 Hendrick’s G&Ts
UOB Card members will be glad to know that they get to enjoy 1-for-1 Hendrick’s Gin & Tonics from Tuesdays to Sundays (till 31 January 2017). Just remember to check with the bar beforehand for blackout dates like the F1 weekend; limited to one redemption per card per day.
With excellent gin and wine (expertise lent by the sommeliers at The White Rabbit) programmes coupled with mouthwatering bar bites, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more welcoming place than The Rabbit Hole.
The Rabbit Hole is located at 39C Harding Rd, Singapore 249541, p. 6473 9965. Open Tue-Fri 6 – 11pm and Sat-Sun 6pm – 12am. Closed Mon.
This post is sponsored by The Lo & Behold Group.
