1-ALTITUDE, RAFFLES PLACE
Singapore is one of the busiest, most hustling, bustling places on earth – which is precisely why the best vantage point is high in the sky, looking down languidly on all that frenetic activity. And as the highest rooftop bar, 63 floors up, 1-Altitude is the perfect place for a Singapore Sling while gazing over the country's most iconic image: the spectacular Marina Bay Sands building, with three tall towers topped by a 340-metre long ship-shaped skypark. Little wonder that there are always crowds clustered below the bar waiting to take the lift up 280 metres, all having to order their first drink, and pay for it, before they actually arrive and present the voucher. "Yes, it's a hassle," admits the barman. "But …" he sweeps a hand around towards the edges of the rooftop, shielded by shoulder-height glass walls, and glowing blue and pink from the lights on the tables, "it's worth it, don't you think?" You can't fail to agree.
See 1-altitude.com
THE SKY LOUNGE AT AURA, 1 SAINT ANDREW'S ROAD
The Sky Lounge at Aura, on level six atop downtown's National Gallery Singapore, with the world's largest collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art, is another stand-out. With 200 seats over a large space both indoor and outdoor, and a Happy Hour on weekdays that actually stretches over three hours from 5pm to 8pm each evening, it's informal, relaxed and comfortable. Suffused with a honeyed light from the yellow lamps on each of the tables, the views are astounding, too. They look towards all the city's high rises and landmarks, like the Durian-like theatre domes and the giant Ferris wheel, the Singapore Flyer, as well as that Marina Bay Sands.
aura.sg
THE LIGHTHOUSE, FULLERTON SQUARE
The Lighthouse Bar sits on the roof of the grand neoclassical Fullerton Building, erected in 1928 on Fullerton Square, and variously the main Post Office, the library and the renowned Singapore Club before its current incarnation as The Fullerton Hotel. The Lighthouse name is no accident; it occupies the same space as the old beacon that once guided sailors into the safety of Singapore's main port. It again offers sweeping panoramas, with a bird's eye view of the nightly Marina Bay light show, but manages somehow to feel like a much more intimate experience. With a series of pagodas made of ivory silk, with fabric draped down the edges, it has comfortable loungers and tables, and a magnificent selection of cocktails.
fullertonhotels.com
THE LANTERN, COLLYER QUAY
The Lantern, on the roof of The Fullerton Bay Hotel, the sister hotel to The Fullerton, is named after the location's historical Chinese name of Red Lantern Pier. Decorated accordingly with lanterns, verdant greenery, and an illuminated infinity pool and circular bar, it's a gorgeously serene place to sit and sip. To get into the mood, try its special Red Lantern cocktail, made from tequila, watermelon, cucumber, Cointreau and lime, while enjoying the views of the water, skyline and the city below, with its twinkling spiders' webs of roads, paths and laneways. It's a truly awesome sight.
fullertonhotels.com
LOOF, 331 NORTH BRIDGE ROAD
For a completely different kind of rooftop bar, try Loof, opposite Raffles Hotel, which was voted Singapore's best rooftop bar by TripAdvisor. In the downtown CBD above Odeon Towers, it's an oasis of greenery and a much funkier, younger experience, with a resident DJ, louder music and regular themed "party nights". The atmosphere is the thing here rather than the views. Surrounded by taller buildings, you almost feel hemmed in, but the atmosphere is snug, cosy and almost playful. There is a smorgasbord of south-east Asian-inspired cocktails – the Kaya Lumpur with pineapple-infused rum, kaya, soda, house bitters and fresh Thai basil in particular is delicious – and a great menu of bar snacks, including the signature chilli crab fries.
loof.com.sg
ORGO, 8 RAFFLES AVENUE
Drink to your health – literally – with a chemical-free concoction that's the specialty of Orgo, a rooftop bar focussing on everything organic. Renowned Japanese master mixologist Tomoyuki Kitazoe created the cocktails here, using seasonal fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices. Standouts are the pineapple and lemongrass margarita, the strawberry margarita with chilli salt, the fresh mango caipiroska and the chocolate and black pepper martini. There is also an excellent menu of organic food, eaten surrounded by stunning 360-degree views of Marina Bay. There's simply no better way of getting the lowdown on Singapore by getting high. Physically, that is. Those cocktails will do the rest.
Orgo.sg
• Sue Williams stayed courtesy of the Shangri-La, 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore shangri-la.com
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