Atlas Bar Singapore - gin, champagne, architecture and art

When Atlas Bar Singapore was known as Divine Wine Bar Society

Seven years ago, in our early days in Singapore, we visited Divine Wine Bar Society a couple of times.

I wrote a blogpost about one of those visits; about the building and bar that looked so spectacular inside and out and about the wine fairy (a waitress that would fly up to get your bottle).

Hm, no more wine fairy, so how do they reach their bottles now???

Do you see the bartender climbing the ladder in front of the drinks cabinet? I guess that’s how they work now. They probably only use the lower part of the cabinet.

Looking back through that post, it struck me how dark my pictures are. My apologies for that. But I think it still gives a good impression.

Atlas Bar Singapore; instantly a big hit

Earlier this year the restyled and revamped bar reopened (lots of ‘re-‘s there, hahaha), now named Atlas Bar. The woman behind the new concept is Vicky Hwang, granddaughter of the tycoon that built Parkview Square in 2002.

Wine Bar Divine felt empty and unpopular, seven years ago. It seems like Vicky Hwang did a great job, since Atlas Bar is extremely popular! If you want to make a reservation for in the evenings, you are advised to do so 4 months in advance. Four months!!! Cray-cray, right?!

Try getting in as a walk-in

They DO keep space available for walk-ins though. We used that option for our visit a couple of weeks ago. We were advised to come early (around 6 pm) to have a good chance. Be aware that as a walk-in you are likely directed to the less-cosy, less-comfy, less-in-the-action outskirts of the bar, making you literally feel a bit of an outsider.

We had a lovely, intimate evening together.

Now that sounds worse than that really is. Don’t worry, it’s still nice, you have a good view of the inner-sanctum of the place and if you’re lucky you may be able to change tables, more to the centre of the bar area, as soon as there is availability.

Welfie time!

Gin, cocktails and champagne galore

Let me give you some info about Atlas Bar first, so you will understand what’s so special about it.

After that, I will provide a bit of background about the intriguing building in which Atlas is housed: Parkview Square.

Art Deco grandeur from the ’20s

Atlas Bar is 690 m2, has a 15 m high ceiling and it’s made to look like one of those grand lobbies from the ’20s.

Just WOW!

It’s definitely a more is more building, decorated from floor to ceiling. Literally.

The Art Deco lights, the wall paper and tapestries and all the bronze…awesome!

I still recall the weird answer I received seven years ago when I asked what the balconies were used for : “Believe me, ma’m, you don’t wanna know…”. So weird.

It still reminds me of the famous Tuschinsky theatre in Amsterdam.

Yep, more is more it is!

Gin, gin and more gin

Atlas Bar has the biggest gin-collection in the world.

It has over 1000 labels of gin, all of them containing at least 40% alcohol.

The drinks menu is more than 60 pages!

Shipwreck champagne

Next to that it has 250 labels of champagne.

We both had a champagne-based cocktail.

Amongst which a legendary bottle 1907 Heidseck & Co Monopole “Gout American”, coming from a torpedoed ship. This shipwreck champagne that has been lying on the bottom of the ocean for 75 years was purchased for $275.000.

Imperial cocktail shaker

This contraption is a Tanquera No. Ten Imperial cocktail shaker by Jason Crawley. There are only 12 of those worldwide.

Cocktail shaking machine.

Atlas Bar had a demo with it once, but other than that it’s just standing here to intrigue and to be pretty.

Want one at home? You can purchase your own machine at Neiman Marcus for only $35.000.

They have food and snacks too, in Atlas Bar.

The food was good. The menu was not really my cup of tea, but that’s me. I’m simply a very fussy eater.

Being a difficult eater AND the world’s biggest French Fries addict, of course I took fries. I know what you’re thinking right now: who does that? Ordering something so vulgair and unhealthy in a good restaurant? Well, me! They serve it with some sort of bacon-mayo. Too bad! I say: NO! Nothing beats real, simple, good mayo with fries.

Further more I ordered a sort of mozzarella-tomato salad and something that sounded fancier, but turned out to be a toasted ham-cheese sandwich. Tasted all good.

Parkview Square

This is the building that houses Atlas Bar on the ground floor.

Looking in from the outside.

Don’t let its Art Deco or Post Modernistic look fool you; this is a (relatively) new building (from 2002)!

The honey-rate building around Parkview Square is quite new.

It was built by the Hwang family and based on/inspired by the beautiful Chanin Building (New York, 1929).

Atlas it is.

People often refer to it as the Gotham City Building or the Hunger Games Capitol Headquarters.

I thought of Batman instantly.

It really makes one think of buildings like the Chrysler Building in New York, doesn’t it?!

In reality it houses offices and embassies. Plus the Atlas Bar and a new museum. I have not been able to visit the museum yet, but I will, as soon as I return to Singapore end of february.

My review of Atlas Bar Singapore

So how was our experience? Did we enjoy ourselves and will we be back?

We had a very cosy evening with the two of us. The drinks and food were good. Not mind-blowing good, but good enough. Now again, that may be me. I’m not a gin drinker. I even can’t drink much anyway, because of my diabetes.

To fully enjoy the experience at Atlas Bar, it may be better to take a gin-based drink. As I intend to do when we visit this place again.

I would then make a reservation months ahead, in order to sit in the centre of the space.

Since the food is not really my cup of tea, next time we will go after dinner.

Another time I want to check out the place during daytime, for a coffee or a high tea. In that case I would combine it with a visit to the museum.

So yes, we will definitely be back!

How about you? Did you visit this bar already? Will you be back? And what do you think of the architecture and interior design?