The best of Singapore: Where to mix business and pleasure

So many places, so little time? We share our picks of the best places to eat, drink, sleep, shop and play away from the APEC venues and meeting spots.

Best religious dining experience

Dempsey Hill's the current 'it' place for dining, wining and whining about the crazy conference schedules. Formerly the British army barracks in Singapore's colonial glory days, it's now home to more than 20 hip eateries and bars. One of our Dempsey favorites is the White Rabbit, which sits in a old restored church chapel and serves up fare that's almost sinful. The atmosphere's large and airy, with magnificant stained glass windows that just smacks of Ye Olde Britannica. The food's classic continental cuisine and the drinks are excellent -- we highly recommend the macaroni and cheese with truffle sauce and the wagyu cote de boeuf if there's 2-3 in your party. For drinks and desserts, the vodka martinis and the White Rabbit's re-invented version of the Black Forest cake.

39C Harding Road, Singapore
tel +65 6473 9965
Restaurant: Tuesday-Sunday 12-2:30pm, 6:30-10:30pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-3:30pm
Bar: Sunday-Thursday 6pm-1am, Friday-Saturday 6pm-2am
www.thewhiterabbit.com.sg

 

Best place to get high on alcohol and altitude

It's just a skip and hop away from the main APEC venue at Suntec City, but New Asia Bar will give you the best view of Singapore. At 71 stories, it's the highest bar or nightspot in Singapore with views that are unmatched. Take the express elevator from the Equinox Complex at Swissôtel The Stamford all the way to the top and watch tipsy tourists and party-goers try to make sense of its tilted 72nd floor -- it slants 20 degrees downwards for that eye-in-the-sky effect. And if that's not enough to get your vertigo going, move on up to the top floor helipad for a 360-degree view of the island. With clear skies and some luck, you can see as far as Indonesia. If this sort of height's not your thing though, check out some of the best rooftop bars in town.

Swissôtel The Stamford
Level 71, Equinox Complex, 2 Stamford Road, Singapore
tel +65 6837 3322
www.equinoxcomplex.com

 

Best spa to be pampered into oblivion

For a mid-event break, Amrita Spa and Wellness at the Swissotel Merchant Court is a city spa with the kind of cosy resort-style facilities that makes you feel like you're no longer in the big bad city. They offer a whole menagerie of different massages and treatments, including the famous Ayurveda therapy, which comes in three different programs -- Purva Karma, Abhyanga and Shirodhara. Amrita Spa is literally equipped to take care of your body from head to toe -- there's eight private treatment rooms, outdoor jacuzzi, free form swimming pool, a manicure and pedicure station, landscaped gardens and changing rooms with yukata, slippers and personal amenities. Fitness buffs can sweat it out instead at the two-story gym with attached aerobics studio. Day spa packages and both full-day and off-peak hours gym memberships are available. If this doesn't sound like your thing however, we're got other luxury spa options for you.

Swissotel Merchant Court
20 Merchant Rd, Singapore
tel +65 6337 2288
email amrita.merchantcourt@swissotel.com
www.amritaspa.com/swissotel_merchant_court.html
Opens daily from 10:00am to 10:00pm
Gym open daily from 6:30am to 11:00pm

 

Best street for local designer togs

There's tons of malls and mega-department stores for shopping in Singapore -- the entire stretch of Orchard Road is devoted to tourist-friendly shops and international brands that would send Paris Hilton into a spending-induced stupor. But for local finds and indie labels, nothing beats Haji Lane, just off the Islamic quarters and a short walk away from Suntec City. This is where you'd see the best of local enterprises and designers, with new boutiques popping up constantly and the more established ones regularly clear inventory to make room for more. Vintage shopping is particularly attractive here, with shops like Dulcetfig, Soon Lee and Onsofickle carrying a goodly range of 'old-is-in' merchandise.

Haji Lane, Singapore
Between Beach Road and North Bridge Road, parallel to Arab Street

 

Best night's sleep ever

If you've heard of the Hästens bed, you'd know what type of sleep experience it'd deliver. But for the rest of us, the Hästens bed is handmade by the oldest manufacturer of beds in Sweden (since 1852), using only natural filling materials such as horsehair, flax, wool and pine. For the first time in Asia, the Scarlet Hotel will be bringing the Hästens bed experience to their Lavish suite. Besides the bed, the whole suite's designed... well, lavishly. It's fully decked out in mahogany furniture and silk drapes, while the bathroom is lined with Tavertine Nuts marble and accessorized with Schonbek gold and crystal wall sconces. If 1950s art deco opulence is not your Christofle cup of tea, then we've other hip boutique hotels to suggest.

The Scarlet boutique hotel
33 Erskine Road, Singapore
tel +65 6511 3333
www.thescarlethotel.com