Bar Stories

Bar Stories is a bespoke cocktail bar in Singapore’s Kampong Glam district, operating from an upper-floor heritage shophouse on Haji Lane. Established in 2010, it developed around individually crafted drinks and personal hospitality, becoming one of Singapore’s early dedicated cocktail bars to work without a printed menu.

The concept grew out of A Thousand Tales, a Scandinavian furniture concept and café established in 2009. Its emphasis on tailored craftsmanship carried into the bar’s approach to drinks: each cocktail is prepared in response to a guest’s tastes rather than selected from a fixed list.

Cocktails shaped around each guest

A visit begins with a conversation. Bartenders ask about preferred spirits, desired flavours and specific dislikes, exploring directions such as sour, bitter, smoky, herbal or fruity. That consultation guides a drink made on the spot, giving the bar an omakase-style approach to cocktail preparation.

Fresh fruit, botanicals, herb infusions, house-made bitters and tinctures form part of its ingredient repertoire alongside spirits. The defining capability is bespoke formulation: translating a guest’s preferences into a drink through direct discussion and preparation. Its commercial offerings also include private bar hosting and bespoke cocktail events.

A dining-and-cocktail format

Food has become part of the experience through collaborations combining Middle Eastern flavours with Japanese izakaya and kushiyaki cooking. A culinary collaboration introduced in December 2020 expanded the venue’s dining-and-cocktail format. Charcoal-grilled skewers and mezze provide food pairings for its individually prepared drinks.

The bar’s continuity rests on this consultative model rather than a conventional drinks catalogue. Its work spans craft mixology, beverage hospitality and personalised service, with the conversation between bartender and guest remaining central to how each cocktail is created.