Lantern

The lanterns it's named for are gone. The city across the water does the job now.

Lantern is the Marina Bay rooftop for people who want the bay at its most cinematic and don't mind company: a date that needs a view to break the ice, or out-of-town friends who want the postcard. Book ahead for sunset, dress smart-casual, and know the compromise before you go – once the DJs start, it is not a quiet drink.

The name is an inheritance. Before a single glass tower went up, Clifford Pier below was where immigrants and seafarers stepped ashore, and its Chinese name was Red Lantern Pier, after the lamps that lit their way in. The Fullerton Bay Hotel took the name for its rooftop bar, and these days the lanterns are the city itself, switched on across the water as the sun goes down.

The setting does the heavy lifting. The bar is framed by an infinity lap pool and a fringe of greenery, with Marina Bay Sands, the promenade and the CBD skyline laid out in front of you. The pool, for the record, is for hotel guests; you are here for the deck beside it, and dressed accordingly.

What you drink is classic hotel-rooftop fare done properly: champagnes, wines and a long list of signature cocktails, with snacks to keep you upright. The house signature, the Red Lantern, is a tequila-watermelon drink built for humid evenings, and the obvious first order. The list is long enough that asking the bar staff for a steer is not a sign of weakness.

The week has a rhythm. On weekday afternoons a happy hour cheekily titled The Skive Life makes it the most scenic excuse for leaving the office early in the Downtown Core. Resident DJs play house music later in the week, Tuesday is ladies' night with a free-flow deal, and Sundays bring a Brazilian funk barbecue, with live samba on the last Sunday of the month. The terms are in the facts box.

How to do it well: for the calmer version, come in the late afternoon, before the DJ and before the sunset bookings arrive. For the full show, book a table for sunset and stay as the bay lights up. Reserve by phone or email through the hotel; a credit-card hold may apply, and late cancellations are charged. Raffles Place MRT is a short walk. It is a bar with a DJ, not a club, so a Friday that started at 3pm can run on without anyone needing to dance.

Good to know Smart-casual dress. Reserve by phone (+65 6877 8911) or email via the hotel's Lantern page; a credit-card hold may apply, with charges for late cancellations. Raffles Place MRT is a short walk.

Lantern | Rooftop, The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049326 | Nearest MRT: Raffles Place