All aboard, folks. Rails, a new steampunk inspired bar and lounge by the creative forces behind NINETEEN80 and Pinball Wizard, has opened at Tanjong Pagar. The new dive was initially conceived as a bar and dance club slated to open in April 2020. While pandemic regulations put a halt to that, we're glad to see that things are back on track (pun intended) at this unique nightlife venue.
This third concept by The Phat Cat Collective draws inspiration from the iconic Tanjong Pagar Railway and Jinrikisha Station. A vintage elevator shuttered with steel scissor gates is your introduction to the moody bar and lounge area. Styled as a Victorian-era underground railway, the steampunk aesthetic is accentuated by a concave brick tunnel behind the bar, an exposed carriageway overhead, the LED-lit installation of a steampunk clock tower, and a wall of repurposed old books and vintage artifacts dotting the space.
The steampunk fantasy is completed by an inspired cocktail menu. Pick your drinks from one of four categories, ranging from the fizzy, to the velvety, and the bold. Try the Jinrikisha Spritzer ($18), a medicinal take on the gin spritzer with housemade honey-fermented lemon, preserved lime peel and coconut water. The Clockwork Sago ($16) is a riff on the traditional burbur cha cha, combining tequila, taro, pineapple juice and coconut water topped with sago pearls and peanut powder. Murder on the Orient Express ($25) sounds especially intriguing: it's a concoction of absinthe, coffee liqueur, pear, pineapple and orange juice shaken with activated charcoal.
For the hungry, do tap on the menu powered by Chix Hot Chicken. The mouth-watering Nashville hot chicken we know and love from its Jalan Pisang joint has found its way to Rails, including the signature Soul Slider ($8.90). Exclusive to the Tanjong Pagar outlet are the B.L.T. ($9.90), a loaded cripsy chicken tender dog bun, and the Wakie Brekkie Wrap ($12.90), which stuffs everything you want on a big breakfast platter (fried chicken tenders, scrambled eggs, tater tots) into a burrito.
There's no talking about The Phat Cat Collective without talking about the music. Expect house and disco, downtempo and world music as the soundtrack to your night of debauchery. Take a sneak peek at Rails' mixes curated by the likes of co-founders Joshua and Aurora, as well as veterans Brendon P and James Selva at railsclub.sg/music. Or just commit to the full experience by booking a table at +65 8725 6789 or allaboard@railsclub.sg.
