Four years on, and Stay Gold's still gold. By day, it’s Flamingo – a breezy café where you can tuck into brunch and sip your coffee under sun-dappled windows. Come nightfall, draw back the velvet drapes and step into Stay Gold, a cocktail bar that swaps sunshine for neon lights, croissants for cocktails, and background chatter for rock riffs that are full of star power.
Photograph: Cam Khalid for Time Out Singapore
The back room is pure rock ‘n’ roll theatre: think framed portraits of guitar heroes, vinyl sleeves, and even a leather jacket immortalised on the wall. Look closely and you’ll even spot a red Asia’s 50 Best Bars banner draped up – a humble little reminder that this joint is no stranger to accolades.
A glowing sign declares “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, a Robert Frost quote that doubles as both mood lighting and a reminder that your evening might spiral into the small hours. The soundtrack, meanwhile, flips between David Bowie, Santana, and the occasional Jay-Z anthem – a playlist that mirrors the bar’s own genre-bending attitude.
Photograph: Cam Khalid for Time Out Singapore
Drinks here are serious business, though not in a self-important way. Co-founder and head bartender Jerrold Khoo has swapped out over-the-top concepts for The Bartender’s Menu: 18 cocktails, all priced at $25, presented in a notebook-style menu filled with sketches and scribbles. Each drink is neatly colour-coded to categorise its strength, from light to strong.
If you like your drinks breezy, the Mango is a winner: clarified, but carrying a creamy, mango lassi-like flavour with a soft sweetness that had us reaching for more. For a playful spin on a classic, the Penicillin arrives smoky and accompanied by a boozy lollipop that cheekily ties back to its medicinal name.
And then there’s the Trinity – a bold, uncompromising cocktail that’s basically three drinks in one. Served with condiments like olive, capers and lemon, it dares you to tinker with its flavour. We’ll put our hands up and admit that it packed more punch than we could handle, and we didn’t make it past the halfway mark. But if you like your cocktails strong, this one’s your jam.
Photograph: Stay Gold Flamingo
Food leans into chef Joanne’s Japanese and Filipino background. The sugba kilaw ($20) is the dish to kick off with: prawns roasted lightly and served in a rich, tangy sauce with yuzu tobiko and ceviche dressing. It’s all bolstered by sweet potatoes roasted skin-on for that crunchy bite, which we thoroughly enjoyed. It’s the sort of appetiser you’ll find yourself scraping clean, especially with the Mango cocktail by your side.
For something heartier, the fish burger ($24) deserves centre stage. The fish is battered just enough to give a crunch while letting the fillet shine, with wasabi tartare lending a zippy edge that balances the richness. It’s cheesy in the best way, messy in the most satisfying way, and made complete with golden, lightly salted fries.
The drinks 18 cocktails ($25 each) from the new Bartender’s Menu. Don’t miss the mango lassi-like Mango, smoky Penicillin with its lollipop garnish, and the bold Trinity.
The food Chef Joanne’s Japanese-Filipino plates include the tangy sugba kilaw and a messy, glorious fish burger with wasabi tartare and lightly salted fries.
Time Out tip Golden Hour starts from 5pm to 7pm, where you can enjoy select bites from $9 and cocktails including classics at just $17.
The vibe By day: sunny café for brunch and coffee. By night: a neon-lit lounge with rock n’ roll attitude, music that will have you air-guitaring, and a menu that will fuel you up with star power.