The Elephant Room

Most bars borrow their ideas from somewhere far away. This one only went as far as Buffalo Road.

The Elephant Room is the bar for a drink with a story, and the story is Little India – its flower stalls, spice shops, tailors and toddy tycoons – told in cocktails on Tanjong Pagar Road. Go if you like a savoury, slightly daring drink with a story attached; skip it if you want something sweet and uncomplicated. It is closed on Mondays and booking ahead is the sensible move.

Why it’s worth it

The idea runs all the way through. Yugnes Susela worked at Tippling Club and Smoke & Mirrors, with a stint at The Aviary in Chicago, before opening his own bar in 2019 and looking homeward for the concept. Ingredients have been bought from small businesses on Buffalo Road, and coasters cut from Indian tailors’ offcuts. Seven years and one move later it is still drawing attention: in July 2026 it returned to Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ extended list at No.58, having placed No.65 in 2024.

The centrepiece is the spice corner, a shelf of Indian spices you are invited to see, smell and touch before you order. Every guest is introduced to it, so don’t be shy; it is the quickest way to understand the menu.

What to drink

The long-running signatures are Jothi’s Flower Shop, built on jasmine, the Banana King and the Chai. The newer list goes savoury. Crab Rasam pairs tequila with flower crab and the spice blend of the tangy South Indian broth; the Champa Fizz sets bourbon against lacto-fermented apple, honey and champa flowers. An earlier menu even had a Chicken Curry made with bourbon and chicken stock. Our advice is to order one of the dares and one of the signatures, so the table has a fallback.

Then there are the hotdogs. The bar now bills itself as a culture-forward cocktail bar “for progressive drinks and loaded hotdogs”, and the Lamb Dog comes in a toasted garlic ghee bun, with a flight of sauces to add alongside. It is bar food that understands its audience: people three drinks in who would like something spicy.

How to do it well

The bar moved in 2023 from a second-floor room on Teck Lim Road, above Burnt Ends, to a 45-seat space on Tanjong Pagar Road, roughly twice the size, with counter seats and booths. It is easy to miss among the restaurants on that stretch, so look for #01-02 at number 33. Take the counter if you want to watch the drinks being made, or a booth if you came to talk. It opens at 6pm from Tuesday to Sunday and stays open late, later on Fridays and Saturdays. Tanjong Pagar MRT is a short walk; Little India itself is a longer trip, which is rather the point.

Good to know #01-02, 33 Tanjong Pagar Road, a short walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT. Closed on Mondays; hours are in the facts box, and the bar’s website or Instagram (@elephantroomsg) has updates. Booking ahead is recommended. Prices come from 2026 write-ups, not the bar; check on the night.

The Elephant Room | 33 Tanjong Pagar Road, #01-02, Singapore 088456 | Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar