Residing in the heritage enclave of Purvis Street, Nutmeg & Clove presents beautifully crafted Classic Cocktails with a local & Asian affection. Embracing the progression from colonial outpost to modern metropolis, the founders incorporate familiar elements of the diverse cultural and culinary heritage to create a list of avant-garde cocktails featuring classics reinterpreted with a Singaporean inflection. This is a coolio bar, with great music and a unique vibe!
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Purvis St is becoming quite the dining destination – with everything from the most upmarket spots like Gunther’s to the casual, everyday takeaway joints, there truly is something for all tastes and budgets. A new entrant to this bustling row of shop houses is one of Singapore’s favourite cocktail bars and #32 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2020 – Nutmeg & Clove, recently rehomed after a Covid induced closure.
With its focus on Singapore’s rich history and progression from colonial outpost to modern metropolis, Nutmeg & Clove is well at home in this quaint shop house street.
Sporting clean lines and a bright airy space, its Singaporean interpretation of classic cocktails aims to take visitors on a journey to learn about different elements of Singapore’s past and present. There’s no dark, dive bar atmosphere here – it’s just as suitable for an early afternoon tipple as it is for a later evening nightcap.
We visited on a Sunday afternoon to try their distinctly locally inspired weekend brunch. So named the Tingkat & Tipples Brunch after the nostalgic Tingkats – traditional tiffin tins where each layer contains a different part of the meal (hot dishes on the bottom, cooler dishes at the top). It’s a unique and innovative offering to the brunch market, focused on modern interpretation of classic Singaporean dishes.
At an extremely attractive price point, of either $68 or $98 for two – there’s a some delicious offerings by the godfather of Mod-Sin cuisine, Chef Willin Low. Highlights for us included Teochow Lor Bak (braised pork belly), Foie Gras Sando (served with Kaya on Haianese toast) and the Truffle Cold Noodles (with cucumber, black fungus, scallions and sesame). The Butler’s Steak with Asian Chimichurri was melt in your mouth and cooked to medium-rare perfection.
Flexibility is on offer here – if you don’t fancy a full Tingkat then each dish can be ordered a la carte. Nutmeg & Clove’s famous cocktails are a the perfect accompaniment priced at a very palatable $15 each – my favourites were the Yuzu Highball (gin, yuzu, fresh citrus and London Essence Indian Tonic) and the Lychee Martini (vodka, lychee liqueur, lychee and fresh citrus). Wines and beers are also available at $11 each. And for those who prefer a bit of liquid indulgence you can enjoy 100 minutes of freeflow for only $58.
This is certainly a fun and different take on the typical weekend brunches – perfect for a laid back afternoon where you can have as much or as little as you like. This will definitely be an excellent option for those expats wanting to showcase some of Singapore’s local food history to eager in-town visitors once travel reopens again. And at least at Nutmeg & Clove the local dishes can be served with world-class cocktails.
