Flight Bar & Lounge

Teetering on the giant surfboard of MBS, the deck flanking Justin Quek’s Sky on 57 used to serve as a lounge for private events and snacking guests not keen to splash out on the restaurant’s plush meals. But that is no more – the space is now home to Flight Bar and Lounge, the city’s newest rooftop bar for sundowner cocktails.

With its resort-style breeziness and trip hop soundtrack, Flight harnesses bird’s-eye views of our southern straits, port and CBD as cocktail and bar snacks capital. No brand-name, bottle- flipping bartender mans the sleek bar, but the property’s mixologist Lucas Swallows (previously from Pizzeria & Osteria Mozza downstairs) has been tasked to create fresh juice-loaded and classic cocktails with Asian ingredients that run the gamut from refreshing to potent.

The Singapore Sling ($24) is a fruitier, less syrupy-sweet rendition of the Long Bar original, while the Java Old Fashioned ($24) hits hard with notes of chocolate and bourbon.

A diverse selection of craft and flashy spirit brands – like Citadelle gin ($220), Plantation 3 Stars rum ($220) and Beluga Gold Line vodka ($680/750ml, $1,300/1.5l) – comes with a choice of housemade mixers like cherry or vanilla cola, hibiscus tonic, ginger lemongrass lemonade, and passionfruit-spiked ginger beer.

Punters looking to get acquainted with Quek’s cuisine here still need to fork out a pretty penny. JQ’s quintet of xiao long baos, satisfyingly fat and pungent with foie gras and truffle ($25), takes a feat not to accidentally pierce when you’re sloshed. His Chinese-style Kagoshima Kurobuta pork burgers ($12/two) are less successful, with dry patties between mantou buns, but the black truffle risotto arancini ($12) is creamy redemption.