This new cocktail bar in Singapore is housed in a 140-year-old Teochew mansion

It's not every day a new cocktail bar pops up in one of Singapore's historic buildings, let alone the last surviving Teochew mansion on the island. Bar Kap is located within the House of Tan Yeok Nee, a 140-year-old compound once home to the businessman Tan Yeok Nee, and one of the remaining "Four Grand Mansions" in Singapore. Even if the name doesn't immediately ring a bell, chances are you've passed by its distinctive facade on the route towards Dhoby Ghaut. 

Now, the building is a gazetted national monument, and after a three-year restoration, it finally opened its doors to the public in November 2025. The new lifestyle destination is home to Bar Kap, a Japanese and Southeast Asian fine dining restaurant Loca Niru, and a teahouse called Jing Studio.

The vibe

Inside Bar Kap, the original timber beams and intricate carvings have been kept intact. The main hall, with its soaring ceilings, is anchored by a striking Y-shaped bar, complete with a central frost rail that keeps your drinks chilly all evening. It's gorgeous down to the details, with upholstered chairs and handwoven textiles with Teochew motifs – a nod to Tan Yeok Nee's early days as a textile merchant. Meanwhile, cosy dining rooms tucked to the side offer a quieter, more intimate setting, if socialising is not on the table tonight. The Carriage Room mimics a private train carriage, while The Chamber resembles a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) apothecary.  

The drink

The menu, neatly divided into four chapters marking a different era of the building, spans 16 drinks, including four non-alcoholic options. 'Kapitan' is a tribute to the merchant himself; 'Station Master' pays homage to the building's next occupant, who was a British station master; 'Order' references its later identity as the St Mary's Home and School for Eurasian Girls; and 'Dynasty' represents its most recent past as a TCM clinic. Cocktails are priced between $25 to $32, while mocktails range from $18 to $20. 

Pepper Peddler ($28) from the 'Kapitan' chapter has a unique profile thanks to a peculiar blend of makgeolli, baijiu, firewater and peppercorn. This combination is not accidental. The drink imagines the various ingredients that Tan Yeok Nee would have amalgamated at home from his extensive travels – pepper from his spice-trading business, makgeolli from his visits to Korea, baijiu from his trips to China, and so on. 

If savoury cocktails are your thing, Manifest ($25), under the same section of the menu, deserves a chance. It's gin, dry sherry and Asian pear paired with toasted purple rice and sesame oil – slightly out there and definitely savoury, but still refreshing enough to enjoy. Prefer something more spirit-forward? Lights Out ($25) from the 'Order' section lands somewhere between a gimlet and martini, finished tableside with drops of pandan oil. We wish the pandan came through more prominently in the body of the drink instead of as an oil, which slightly dampens its fragrance.

TCM Drawer No. 3 ($18) definitely stands out in terms of looks. The zero-proof drink combines soy milk, ginger, honeydew, chestnut honey and gula melaka in a precious porcelain cup, and looks just like a traditional Chinese dessert. There's also the option to spike it with rum – we highly recommend this, as it adds greater depth and complexity to what would otherwise be quite straightforward flavours.

The food

The kitchen largely plays a supporting role, but we have clear winners. Complimentary keropok chips, meant to be shaken up with a spice mix, are addictive and great for snacking on through the night. Golden spring rolls ($12) arrive crisp and piping hot, stuffed with a familiar blend of jicama, carrot and shiitake mushrooms. 

But our undisputed favourite is the Mee Kapitan ($20). Thick, springy and incredibly chewy house-made noodles are tossed in a savoury dressing with minced pork, pork lard, sakura ebi and shrimp paste. Think bak chor mee without its vinegary sharpness and double the umami, thanks to the shrimp paste and sakura ebi. It's exactly the kind of comforting dish you'd crave after a round of drinks.

There are some misses. The slow-cooked pork jowl ($24) is not quite consistent across plates – impossibly tough in some and tender enough in others, though the accompanying coconut chilli sambal is faultless. We are not quite convinced by the spicy tempeh tots ($12) either, which would benefit from a crispier shell instead of the dense, squidgy cubes they currently are. 

Time Out tip

Plan to arrive half an hour before your reservation. The mansion is worth exploring, from its ornate carvings to the free gallery detailing the building's rich history. You can also pop into Jing Studio, the elegant tea space next door, and sip on a cup of tea while admiring the architecture from one of the benches in the courtyard. 

Time Out's rating: 4/5

Let's be real, for a spot like Bar Kap, its location, setting, design and ambience all precede it. It's the kind of place to bring a date, celebrate a special occasion or introduce visiting friends to. While the drinks are not particularly complex or outstanding and a few dishes could use refinement, you'd be hard-pressed to find an experience in Singapore that can match the novelty of dining in a century-old mansion. Thankfully, the cocktails and food do hold their own for the most part, and in our view, the Pepper Pedler and Mee Kapitan are interesting enough to warrant a visit, if not the space itself.

Bar Kap is open daily from 5pm to midnight at 101 Penang Road, House of Tan Yeok Nee, Singapore 238466.

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