Why you should experience Long Bar at Raffles Singapore.
The Long Bar Raffles Singapore isn't just a place to drink, it's a story that's been pouring for more than a century.
Inside the cool colonial interior, ceiling fans whirl lazily above rows of dark wood and cane chairs, evoking an age when travel was an adventure and every drink had a tale. The floor still crunches with peanut shells, a tradition dating back to its early days, when patrons were encouraged to toss them freely, a small rebellion wrapped in charm. Here, history flows as smoothly as the famous Singapore Sling, first mixed in 1915 for women seeking a “socially acceptable” cocktail in colonial times. The Long Bar doesn't just stir legendary, it tastes of legend, equal parts nostalgia and invention.
What you didn't know about Long Bar at Raffles Singapore.
The Singapore Sling was created by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon, whose original recipe, gin, cherry brandy, Benedictine, lime juice, and soda, remains preserved in the hotel archives.
Though recreated around the world, none compare to sipping one where it began, beneath the same rattan fans that once cooled explorers and writers in the tropical heat. The bar's design, restored to its 1920s aesthetic during Raffles' 2019 renovation, captures both authenticity and comfort: timber shutters filtering golden light, mirrored shelves lined with crystal bottles, and uniformed bartenders mixing each Sling by hand. Every gesture here is ritual, the shake, the pour, the pink swirl topped with foam. And that faint hum of chatter? It's the sound of history never truly resting.
How to fold Long Bar at Raffles Singapore into your trip.
Go in the late afternoon, when sunlight pours through the shutters and the bar begins to hum with life.
Find a stool near the counter, order a Singapore Sling, and let time slow down between sips. Watch the bartenders move in rhythm, it's theatre as much as craft. Toss a handful of peanut shells on the floor, just as guests have done for generations, and feel the weight of tradition dissolve into laughter. Before you leave, wander through the Raffles Arcade or the palm-lined courtyard to take in the full grace of the hotel at twilight. The Long Bar doesn't just stir legendary, it preserves the taste of Singapore's golden age, one glass and one story at a time.
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