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Origin Bar

Singapore

Singaporean stalwart with real X factor

Set within Shangri-La Singapore, the group's flagship hotel since 1971 and the green heart of its garden estate off Orchard Road, Origin Bar has built its reputation on the idea of travel, with a room that carries the cadence of an old railway lounge bedecked in gold, deep blue and dark wood, with most of its seats turned towards a back bar holding more than 600 spirits, around 150 of them rums. Since opening in 2017 it has torn down and rebuilt its menu every year or so, the whole team gathering around a single idea rather than leaving a head bartender to work alone, an approach that has kept the programme restless and handed each new list a clear argument of its own.

That argument, on the current X menu, is the moment two references cross and become a third thing – an intersection of cultures, memories and rituals translated across sixteen cocktails. Respect The Martini translates the shared courtesy of Japan and Korea into a stirred drink of gin, muscat, Junmai Daiginjo sake and dry vermouth, served with a bow before the first sip, while DJ Pepper rebuilds the flavour of Dr Pepper from distilled sour cherry, a house cola hydrosol and vitamin C over vodka, force-carbonated and poured across two ice spheres. The savoury end runs just as far, with Shake Shuka pulling a North African shakshouka through Sichuan mala on a base of tomato, basil and gin, and Duty Free routing a Hanky Panky through pistachio, chocolate and bitters over whisky in a drink built to taste like an airport detour. The list is written by Adam Bursik, who set up Origin after running rooms at Nutmeg & Clove and The Library, working with a team credited by first name across the menu. Origin reached No.32 on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2024 and held a place at No.60 in 2025, a regular fixture rather than a debutant, its new menu makes the clearest case yet for why it keeps re-entering the ranking.

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