Vodka Ribena, pinball machines: Singapore’s rising retro bars reflect new movement in city state’s nightlife scene
- Bar managers A Phat Cat Collective are using strong retro vibes and unique quirks of the Lion City to attract locals looking for something they can relate to
- Western imports Ministry of Sound, Cafe del Mar and Zirca all promised to bring a slice of London, Ibiza or Las Vegas to Singapore, but summarily closed
What were some of your favourite childhood drinks? For most kids in Asia, particularly Singapore, you might hear any variation of the following: blackcurrant fruit drink Ribena, the malty chocolate mix Milo, or even root beer from a particular fast-food chain.
If you think you’ve outgrown those drinks, Singaporean bar Nineteen80 is here to prove otherwise. Stepping into this bar makes a visitor feel like a kid in a candy shop – only this time, the sugared confections come with an alcoholic kick.
Forget about Western concoctions like Bloody Marys, or “Singaporean” cocktails such as the touristy Singapore Sling. This bar’s menu includes Vodka Ribena, Rootbeer Splash (for adults mourning the departure of American fast-food chain A&W) and the cendol-inspired Cococabana.
Nineteen80 also serves up a quartet of pizzas that come with some familiar names – Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello – named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from the immensely popular late ’80s cartoon.
All this is set against a neon-tinged backdrop and accompanied by pop and R&B hits from the early 2000s. Old-school arcade machines and cassette tapes line the walls, while giant pixelated murals of retro icons such as Bruce Lee and Pac-Man tower over revellers.
Nineteen80 is a trip down memory lane for any child of the ’80s and it’s obvious this was all dreamed up by a team who lived through that era.
Singaporean nightlife consultancy A Phat Cat Collective is the brains behind Nineteen80, as well as another similarly nostalgia-driven bar, Pinball Wizard. At its helm is a trio made up of Joshua Pillai, Yafith Hamid and Francesca Aurora Way, all of whom are DJs that sometimes take to the decks of their own bars.
They are, of course, people who’ve lived through the eponymous era that Nineteen80 champions.
“We realised that for ’80s kids, they’re less into the newest trends and more about classic comforts,” says co-founder and marketing director Way. “With Nineteen80, we were looking to tap into fond and forgotten childhood memories, and that meant digging deep into the past and what we know best – our own memories.”
It’s a formula that has worked so far, making the two-year-old bar something of a niche favourite in Singapore’s nightlife scene – and reflecting a quiet transformation that is going on behind the scenes.
In the past, being dubbed a “local” bar or club suggested it was an inferior concept (especially compared to impressive Western imports of more famous bars). But Nineteen80 is leading something of a new movement in Singapore’s bar scene.
“Many businesses make the mistake of looking toward imported brands in nightlife to lead the way in Singapore,” Way says.
Venues such as Ministry of Sound, Cafe del Mar and Zirca all promised to bring a slice of London, Ibiza or Las Vegas to Singapore’s shores, but summarily closed. The oldest (and arguably most successful) nightlife venue in Singapore is Zouk, a home-grown brand that has soldiered on for some 28 years.
“At the end of the day, nightlife operators have to realise the importance of adapting to our local clientele, because they’re the ones who will be spending money,” Way says.
Another development in Singapore’s nightlife scene is that people aren’t going out to discover music any more because they’ve got Spotify and a host of digital streaming platforms for that, Way says.
“When I first started out in nightlife in 2012, clubbing meant mega-clubs, ultra-lounges and excessiveness,” she says, referring to flashy champagne nights and VIP tables that had all the works. “Now, people look for quality over quantity.”
That is why A Phat Cat Collective add their own brand of flavour and “Singaporeana” to each of their concepts.
What sets the collective’s concepts apart from more “stereotypical” portrayals of Singaporean nightlife is that they’re partygoers too, Way says, who when she is not heading up the administrative side of running bars takes to the turntables as DJ Aurora. She knows what gets crowds both onto the dance floors and off it, and more importantly, what Singaporeans out for a good time want.
Their latest venture is Rails, a steampunk bar and club that pays tribute to the nearby Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. (Its launch has since been postponed due to the Singapore government’s temporary closure of bars due to the coronavirus outbreak.) It even gives a nod to Singapore’s historic Jinrikisha Station, a former central depot for rickshaws in the early 1900s, in the form of a fully functioning rickshaw.
“In any city, it’s essential to understand the people, and Singapore’s nightlife culture is especially unique compared to anywhere else,” Way says. “It has its own idiosyncrasies, and you can see a big difference in the way nightlife works here compared to even Kuala Lumpur, which is just a 45-minute plane ride away. What works elsewhere may not necessarily work here.
“While most places look to what’s trending, we look at interesting ways to add flavour and strengthen our concepts. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your vision come to life – and watching people have a good time.”
