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It's 5.30pm on a Tuesday. I overhear one of the girls beside me at the bar counter say to her friend, "My mood today is 'Alamak'". She proceeds to order said Alamak from the menu. The drink arrives tall, clarified and fizzy, with a magenta-pink foam crown and a kitsch Singapore flag garnish to top it all off. That seems to be what the Nutmeg & Clove team is going for with their newly launched 2026 menu, a fun spread of creations inspired by iconic Singlish expressions, with one for every mood of the day.
Titled Singapura, Oh Singapura after the national song of the same name, the menu consists of 12 cocktails ($26 each) ranging from Heng Ong Huat – very fitting for the upcoming Chinese New Year season – to Jialat and Die Die Must Try. Alongside them are 12 drinks ($26 each) from previous menus, dubbed the Hall of Fame. Here's where crowd-favourites like the namesake Nutmeg & Clove, a creamy rum-based number with gula Melaka, lemon and ginger beer, are found. The menu opens up like a comic book, with illustrations accompanying each of the tipples, full of funny anecdotes and quips that liven up the whole experience.
Head Bartender Yung (formerly the Senior Bartender at sister bar Last Word upstairs) starts me off with Alamak as well, which is apparently his take on a Singapore Sling. "It's basically what you say when you get the bill at Long Bar," he explains. Thankfully, you don't have to fork out over $40 for this version of our national cocktail, which sees Roku gin, soursop, passionfruit, pineapple and pomegranate providing those fruity, tropical flavours that we're familiar with. Speaking of familiar, those who hit the clubs often will definitely know what 'Bo Ta Bo Lam Pa' means. Here, the crude expression comes to life in the form of a whisky-based concoction that you're to spike with a shot of 'ABC' – apple cider, beetroot and carrot – turning it into a radioactive pink formula that's equal parts potent and syrupy.
I much prefer Can Lah, an expression that very much embodies that trademark Singaporean spirit of possibility. The drink itself is a take on the classic Manhattan, except that the usual brandied cherry garnish is swapped out for... can(ned) peaches. It's the baking spices and bitter profile that stand out wonderfully here, especially the red wine reduction infused with chocolate and bay leaf. My final drink, Atas, hits the spot as well. Think espresso-martini-meets-old-money, from the fancy Japanese glassware used, to expensive spirits and TWG coffee, down to that final touch of edible gold. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. But does it work? Heck yeah.
I watch as the bar packs out before 6pm and the bartenders erupt into a flurry of movement. Plenty of negronis go out, a couple of orders for Shiok (Monkey 47 gin, sage, lemongrass, lemon, egg white and sandalwood), one Nutmeg & Clove and several others. Most of the crowd is here for the bar's daily social hour, where six selected cocktails go for $16 till 7pm.
If you find yourself staying till dinner, here's what we recommend ordering. First up, the chilli crab dip ($25) with mantou is as local as it gets. Break open the onsen egg atop the dip and give those golden buns a good dunk. We like how the spicy sauce is devoid of that usual ketchupy flavour and comes with a good amount of crab meat. The fried turmeric chicken chunks ($20) have nice, crispy outer shells, but it's the condiments that really stand out. Trust a bar to create a sambal belachan that tastes just like my grandmother's – though be warned, a little goes a long way. That accompanying achar is to be feared as well. For something milder but still interesting, try the bak kut teh burger ($22), where the crispy pork patty is brushed with a peppery aioli that tastes uncannily similar to the real thing.
Nutmeg & Clove was founded in 2014 by Colin Chia and remains one of Singapore's buzziest bars more than a decade on. Originally located along Ann Siang Hill – a former nutmeg and clove plantation, and hence the inspiration behind its name – the bar later moved to its second home in Bugis along Purvis Street. Currently, Nutmeg & Clove is ranked 24th on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 and 50th on the World's 50 Best Bars 2025.
Nutmeg & Clove is open from 5pm to midnight daily at 8 Purvis Street, Singapore 188587.
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