Equinox Bar, Swissotel Singapore – drinks with a view
Not the biggest fan of heights, Greedy Girl is helped immeasurably in tall buildings by the presence of champagne. Given that drinking in Singapore isn’t exactly cheap, a standing offer at the Equinox Bar, on the 70th floor of the city’s highest hotel, Swissotel The Stamford, was enough to tempt her skywards.
In comfy surrounds (and not right next to the windows, more on that later), Greedy Girl and gluttonous husband celebrated their final night on this trip with a bottle of Moet et Chandon – a relative bargain at S$88 (of course, being Singapore, add the ‘plus, plus’ – tax and service charge).
The evening was still early – the after work swillers tended to stay at ground level and it was an exceedingly nice spot to watch the sun go down, the lights come on and sip a lovely glass or three.
We discovered this bar (this particular area is known as ‘City Space’) when we were early for a booking at Jaan. It’s on the opposite side of the building from the restaurant and gives a view over Singapore river and out towards the port as well as a huge slice of downtown. Seats next to the window are at a premium – there’s an extra charge for sitting there. On our first visit, many years ago, the charge was $20. Greedy Girl isn’t sure if this fee is waived for hotel guests. In any event, she was very happy to sit slightly towards the middle of the room.
The snacks are plentiful here and replenished promptly. The complimentary selection offered first up included olives, smoked almonds and chips. The almonds, in particular, were very more-ish.
Complimentary bar snacks
While sipping our champagne, we also opted for a couple of plates from the bar menu. The first was the chicken satay pictured at the top of this blog. One serving is more than enough for two people and the addition of pappadums was an interesting touch – they made it easy to dip the leftover satay sauce.
Next up were cheese steak sliders. Apologies for the quality of this image but the room had become very dark. Served in soft buns topped with sesame seeds and small gherkins, the cheesy steak was very tender and accompanied by shallots, presented two ways – caramelised with the meat and little crispy rings on the side of the plate. There was also additional cream cheese offered. These very easily went down the hatch.
Cheese steak sliders
All that was left was to keep sipping and enjoying the view.
Drinks with a view
It’s a peaceful spot and a good value treat if you’re sharing the champagne special. Greedy Girl spied lots of cocktails being sent out. They looked good but, for the most part, drinking them in Singapore isn’t a cheap experience.
The piped music is a step above the usual hotel muzak and there is a live pianist and singer later in the evening if such is your wont. It’s probably the quietest of the bars on this floor, although that could change on a Friday or Saturday night. There’s a booking fee (or minimum spend) if you want to reserve a spot, but on regular weeknights that’s just not necessary.
Equinox Bar
Swissotel The Stamford, 2 Stamford Road, Singapore
swissotel.com/singapore-equinox
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