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If you're visiting Singapore and only have time for one bar, make it Atlas. And if you haven't been back recently, there's finally a reason to return. After eight years, it still stuns in scale and design. Plus, the cocktail and food menu holds its own, from an eight-metre gin tower boasting 1300 bottles and over 200 labels, to the Atlas afternoon tea that continues to draw crowds. This year, the Art Deco-inspired bar in Singapore's famed 'Gotham building' welcomes a new head bartender – Esmeralda Castrogiovanni – who brings over 10 years of experience to the table, including a stint at World No. 3 bar Sips in Barcelona.
Along with her arrival comes a new cocktail menu, Daughters of Atlas, which marks the bar's biggest menu update in years, and also the first to move away from its previous Art Deco-themed storytelling. The menu is inspired by the seven daughters of the Greek titan Atlas, spanning seven chapters with 16 signature cocktails and non-alcoholic expressions. Zero-proof options are brought to the front of the menu to make the experience more inclusive for non-drinkers. Go for the Cartographer ($18) if you like banana and caramel notes, or the Shackleton ($22), which has a warm, spiced profile.
Our favourite drink of the evening is Wingbeat ($26). Off the bat, it sounds questionable, with dill, cucumber, mint and yoghurt as key ingredients. It is, after all, a nod to tzatziki. But after the first sip, we are fully convinced. Instead of being overwhelmingly sour or savoury, the concoction is pleasantly appetising and balanced – perhaps due to the use of natural yoghurt instead of Greek yoghurt. Dill and cucumber are woven in harmoniously, with neither shouting for attention. And just like the dip, it makes for a great pairing with finger food like fries.
Electric Vice ($28) and The Maquis ($24) are equally memorable. The former is a colourful, three-layered drink inspired by flavours from Esmeralda's childhood in Europe, like prickly pear, horchata and pineapple. It starts sweet and slightly tart, before the horchata comes in to add thickness and body, which is then rounded out with a nibble of the Brandied cherry. Meanwhile, The Maquis is complex and herbaceous, featuring tequila and mezcal together with lime, parsley, rosemary and thyme, plus seedless green chilli peppers that add freshness without the spice. A drop of olive oil at the end gives an aromatic lift, and you are welcome to customise the number of drops to your liking.
Not every drink lands perfectly. Apple Aria, a mezcal-based highball, looks elegant but feels restrained in terms of taste. Those promised green apple notes are nowhere to be found, lost in the smokiness of the spirit, though the ginger garnish adds a nice fragrant lift to the cocktail. For something that won't disappoint, turn your eyes to the classics, which are as solid as ever. There are 17 Atlas Signatures, ranging from Martinis to French 75s, and at long last, the Atlas Negroni, which has been a perennial favourite, has finally made its way onto the menu as an official drink. Another must-try is the Atlas Espresso Martini, which is creamy, rich, and generous on the cinnamon and coffee liqueur.
The menu is a constant work in progress, but the food plays a strong supporting role. Think addictive truffled polenta croquettes ($20), tapas-style grilled octopus and nduja aioli over potato pavé ($22), or a hearty lobster roll, complete with fluffy, buttery toast ($38) and shoestring fries on the side.
Atlas is located at 600 North Bridge Rd, Parkview Square, Singapore 188778. Opening hours are 3pm to midnight on Mondays, noon to midnight from Tuesdays to Thursdays, and noon to 2am from Fridays to Saturdays.
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