I remember Bar Stories as one of the first places where I was introduced to bespoke cocktails more than a decade ago.
Along Haji Lane, now crowded with photo booths, tarot readers and plushie shops, the bar’s discreet signage still looks the same. Its lettering is barely visible unless you already know where to look. If you know, you know. The space remains tucked away upstairs, unchanged even as the neighbourhood around it has transformed.
Bar Stories’ discreet signage remains unchanged after all these years. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
It's the same inside. The layout feels familiar, except for the first floor now being occupied by Li'l Habibirestaurant that also provides food for the bar. But the vibe is the same, and so is the no-menu concept.
Once you take a seat, the bartender won’t hand you a fancy book filled with cocktail stories. Instead, they’ll ask what you feel like drinking tonight. Maybe you want something acidic, gin-based and served in a Tiki-style cocktail. They will build a drink around that. And that entirely tailored experience has been at the heart of Bar Stories since the beginning.
Footfall isn’t what it used to be, but every so often, a night of unexpected walk-ins reminds them that the bar still draws people in. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Back in 2008, craft cocktails simply weren’t a thing in Singapore. Pubs and hotel bars still defined most drinking experiences, and the idea of modern mixology had yet to enter the mainstream.
There was cocktail heritage, of course, as Raffles Hotel famously introduced the Singapore Sling in 1915. But outside of the hotel circuit, only a handful of independent pioneers were experimenting with this new wave of cocktail making: Nektar, Tippling Club and Klee.
Nektar, known for its creative side of cocktail creation and presentation, opened in 2010 before closing in 2014, while Tippling Club, which offered high-end food alongside craft cocktails with an avant-garde, chef-driven approach, eventually closed in 2024.
This unassuming door takes you to the bar on the second floor. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Meanwhile, Klee emerged as a tiny bespoke cocktail bar at Portsdown Road in 2008, and is widely regarded as Singapore’s first true bespoke cocktail bar. Its concept was simple: no menu, just tell us your mood. When Klee closed in late 2010, its shareholders carried that same DNA over to Haji Lane and opened Bar Stories the same year.
Koh when he first joined Bar Stories in 2011. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The current owner, David Koh, joined Bar Stories a year after it opened, and his first encounter with the bar was completely accidental.
One afternoon, the then-31-year-old was shopping for boxing gloves along Haji Lane when he wandered past a shophouse with a sign he couldn’t quite read. “I walked down the street and saw all these very cool boutiques… and then I couldn’t read the sign of this place,” he recalled. Curious, he walked upstairs and saw piles of herbs and fruits being unpacked. He was working as a cook then, so the fresh produce immediately intrigued him.
14 years later, Koh at Bar Stories, the place he has shaped since 2011. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Inside, he noticed something unusual behind the counter: herbs and fruits being prepped like a kitchen station. “I asked the bartender at the time, ‘What are all these herbs for? Roasting a chicken?’” he said. “Back then, no one was juicing citrus to order. Everything was sour mix and bottled stuff. Here, everything was fresh. They made their own syrups, their own infusions. I was like, wow, this is very interesting.”
At the time, he had been thinking about leaving his job at the restaurant, and the bar manager then overheard him mentioning it. On the spot, he asked Koh if he wanted to work there. From walk-in customer in 2011 to staff member, then manager, and eventually co-owner in 2014, Koh has grown with Bar Stories for almost its entire existence.
Koh talking guests through the flavours he has chosen for them. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Each cocktail at Bar Stories is tailored to the guest and finished with garnish of fresh fruits and herbs. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Singapore today has one of the most dynamic bar scenes in the world. New concepts appear constantly, trends shift every year and global rankings continue to shine a spotlight on the industry. Yet Bar Stories has never deviated from its original identity. It still has no menu and, according to Koh, probably never will.
It is part of their DNA, and Koh believes it is one of the reasons behind the bar’s longevity. The approach forces the team to think creatively every day, and it educates customers as much as it trains bartenders. Back when bespoke cocktails were rare, most customers ordered classics like Long Island Iced Teas or Screwdrivers.
“People only asked for classics,” Koh said. “So it was nice to make something new for them, a creation, and introduce them to other flavours.”
Despite not having a menu, their signature cocktails often take on a tiki style, forming a kind of unofficial identity for the bar. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Fresh fruit and herbs have always been a cornerstone of the bar. Koh still sources much of his produce from the wet markets near his home. While the bar buys citrus in bulk, seasonal fruits are chosen based on what looks and smells best that day.
New bartenders begin with the foundations: technique, balance and understanding flavour. “We don’t have a strong background in classics because we create everything,” he said. “But we still teach them. Every recipe comes with a roadmap, and here’s how you can branch off into ten different drinks.”
And while there isn’t an official menu, there is one constant in their drinks – they must look good. "Something that is also in our DNA is having it visually appealing, without it being over the top or nonsensical. We still care about the garnish.”
Seats circle the bar for a front-row view of the action, with more tables around the space and a dining room next door for guests pairing cocktails with food from Li’l Habibi downstairs. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Seats circle the bar for a front-row view of the action, with more tables around the space and a dining room next door for guests pairing cocktails with food from Li'l Habibi downstairs. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Bar Stories tends to keep to itself. There is no marketing team, no PR machine and no brand sponsors dictating what goes on the shelves. The team chooses products they believe in, focuses on flavour and maintains a style of hospitality that feels intimate and personal. That independence also shapes how the bar views recognition and its place in the industry.
“I’m not beholden to any sponsors or brands. We pick what we want to work with… I’m always focused on flavour, as opposed to maybe being forced to use a certain ingredient that might not be the best for my cocktails.”
Koh working his magic behind the bar. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
With 50 Best being one of the biggest awards in the bar industry, Koh says he isn’t chasing accolades. “Of course, 50 Best is something everyone would like. But if you really chase that, you start doing more marketing, more lobbying, playing the game. At the end of the day, 50 Best doesn’t pay the bills. The customers do. My benchmark is when someone tells me, ‘We’ve visited all these other bars and this is the best cocktail we’ve had.’”
Still, the industry has recognised his own work. Koh was nominated for the Bar Manager of the Year award at the World Gourmet Summit in 2019.
Being small has strengthened the internal culture too. “We’ve always had this very laid-back, casual vibe to us. We have more ownership,” Koh said. “That trickles down to how we serve: more personal and intimate. They see the way we handle hospitality. The hospitality, I would say, is the core of our long term.”
Today, the entire operation is run by a team of just four full-timers and three part-timers. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The team currently has four full-timers and three part-timers, a small group that keeps the operation intentionally tight-knit.
And while the bar remains small, its influence has stretched far. Over the years, Bar Stories’ alumni have gone on to work at some of Singapore’s top cocktail bars, including Jigger and Pony, 28 HongKong Street, Offtrack and Native.
But independence also comes with challenges. One of Koh’s main concerns is the limited internal career path for his team, as an independent bar has no larger group or network for staff to grow within. Another challenge is the shift in consumer behaviour, with people spending less on nights out at bars compared to previous years. And like the rest of the industry, the bar also faces the ongoing pressure of rising rent.
Despite rising costs, Bar Stories has barely raised its prices. “We haven’t raised our prices… now our maximum is like 26. So we actually haven’t raised our prices in like 15 years, which is a bit crazy,” Koh said. “I feel like paying 28, 29 dollars is a bit much.”
Even after many years, the prices of Bar Stories cocktails have stayed relatively consistent, a rarity in Singapore’s bar scene. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Koh shared that their rental was raised by a “humongous amount”, forcing him to question whether to stay or move.
“In 15 years here, I’ve always seen a cycle in business. Busy, slow, busy, slow. For the last two years, it hasn’t been cyclical. That’s the scary part. We don’t know when the pickup is going to be.”
The pandemic also reshaped drinking habits. Recovery has been uneven, and manpower remains tight. Yet loyal customers kept the bar afloat during those uncertain years.
Messages left by customers through the years. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Bar Stories has witnessed countless first dates, long-time regulars and even customers who met there, married and later returned to take their wedding photos. Koh remembers one woman who became a familiar face at the bar; now, her daughters visit too.
Overseas guests return after years away and say it still feels like home.
While Koh admits this is “the most trying period in our history”, the emotional pull is strong.
“There’s so much sentimental attachment to this place. On one hand, it hurts to think about leaving. On the other hand, it might not be bad to have a change of environment, as long as the spirit stays the same.”
When asked what is next for Bar Stories: “Right now, the next big thing is just to survive.”
Bar Stories is located on 57A Haji Lane.
Continue reading...
Along Haji Lane, now crowded with photo booths, tarot readers and plushie shops, the bar’s discreet signage still looks the same. Its lettering is barely visible unless you already know where to look. If you know, you know. The space remains tucked away upstairs, unchanged even as the neighbourhood around it has transformed.
Bar Stories’ discreet signage remains unchanged after all these years. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
It's the same inside. The layout feels familiar, except for the first floor now being occupied by Li'l Habibirestaurant that also provides food for the bar. But the vibe is the same, and so is the no-menu concept.
Once you take a seat, the bartender won’t hand you a fancy book filled with cocktail stories. Instead, they’ll ask what you feel like drinking tonight. Maybe you want something acidic, gin-based and served in a Tiki-style cocktail. They will build a drink around that. And that entirely tailored experience has been at the heart of Bar Stories since the beginning.
Footfall isn’t what it used to be, but every so often, a night of unexpected walk-ins reminds them that the bar still draws people in. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
THE OGS OF SINGAPORE’S BESPOKE COCKTAIL SCENE
Back in 2008, craft cocktails simply weren’t a thing in Singapore. Pubs and hotel bars still defined most drinking experiences, and the idea of modern mixology had yet to enter the mainstream.
There was cocktail heritage, of course, as Raffles Hotel famously introduced the Singapore Sling in 1915. But outside of the hotel circuit, only a handful of independent pioneers were experimenting with this new wave of cocktail making: Nektar, Tippling Club and Klee.
Nektar, known for its creative side of cocktail creation and presentation, opened in 2010 before closing in 2014, while Tippling Club, which offered high-end food alongside craft cocktails with an avant-garde, chef-driven approach, eventually closed in 2024.
This unassuming door takes you to the bar on the second floor. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Meanwhile, Klee emerged as a tiny bespoke cocktail bar at Portsdown Road in 2008, and is widely regarded as Singapore’s first true bespoke cocktail bar. Its concept was simple: no menu, just tell us your mood. When Klee closed in late 2010, its shareholders carried that same DNA over to Haji Lane and opened Bar Stories the same year.
Koh when he first joined Bar Stories in 2011. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
FROM CUSTOMER TO CO-OWNER
The current owner, David Koh, joined Bar Stories a year after it opened, and his first encounter with the bar was completely accidental.
One afternoon, the then-31-year-old was shopping for boxing gloves along Haji Lane when he wandered past a shophouse with a sign he couldn’t quite read. “I walked down the street and saw all these very cool boutiques… and then I couldn’t read the sign of this place,” he recalled. Curious, he walked upstairs and saw piles of herbs and fruits being unpacked. He was working as a cook then, so the fresh produce immediately intrigued him.
14 years later, Koh at Bar Stories, the place he has shaped since 2011. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Inside, he noticed something unusual behind the counter: herbs and fruits being prepped like a kitchen station. “I asked the bartender at the time, ‘What are all these herbs for? Roasting a chicken?’” he said. “Back then, no one was juicing citrus to order. Everything was sour mix and bottled stuff. Here, everything was fresh. They made their own syrups, their own infusions. I was like, wow, this is very interesting.”
At the time, he had been thinking about leaving his job at the restaurant, and the bar manager then overheard him mentioning it. On the spot, he asked Koh if he wanted to work there. From walk-in customer in 2011 to staff member, then manager, and eventually co-owner in 2014, Koh has grown with Bar Stories for almost its entire existence.
Koh talking guests through the flavours he has chosen for them. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Each cocktail at Bar Stories is tailored to the guest and finished with garnish of fresh fruits and herbs. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
A MENU THAT NEVER EXISTED
Singapore today has one of the most dynamic bar scenes in the world. New concepts appear constantly, trends shift every year and global rankings continue to shine a spotlight on the industry. Yet Bar Stories has never deviated from its original identity. It still has no menu and, according to Koh, probably never will.
It is part of their DNA, and Koh believes it is one of the reasons behind the bar’s longevity. The approach forces the team to think creatively every day, and it educates customers as much as it trains bartenders. Back when bespoke cocktails were rare, most customers ordered classics like Long Island Iced Teas or Screwdrivers.
“People only asked for classics,” Koh said. “So it was nice to make something new for them, a creation, and introduce them to other flavours.”
Despite not having a menu, their signature cocktails often take on a tiki style, forming a kind of unofficial identity for the bar. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Fresh fruit and herbs have always been a cornerstone of the bar. Koh still sources much of his produce from the wet markets near his home. While the bar buys citrus in bulk, seasonal fruits are chosen based on what looks and smells best that day.
New bartenders begin with the foundations: technique, balance and understanding flavour. “We don’t have a strong background in classics because we create everything,” he said. “But we still teach them. Every recipe comes with a roadmap, and here’s how you can branch off into ten different drinks.”
And while there isn’t an official menu, there is one constant in their drinks – they must look good. "Something that is also in our DNA is having it visually appealing, without it being over the top or nonsensical. We still care about the garnish.”
Seats circle the bar for a front-row view of the action, with more tables around the space and a dining room next door for guests pairing cocktails with food from Li’l Habibi downstairs. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Seats circle the bar for a front-row view of the action, with more tables around the space and a dining room next door for guests pairing cocktails with food from Li'l Habibi downstairs. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
SMALL IN SIZE, BIG IN IDENTITY
Bar Stories tends to keep to itself. There is no marketing team, no PR machine and no brand sponsors dictating what goes on the shelves. The team chooses products they believe in, focuses on flavour and maintains a style of hospitality that feels intimate and personal. That independence also shapes how the bar views recognition and its place in the industry.
“I’m not beholden to any sponsors or brands. We pick what we want to work with… I’m always focused on flavour, as opposed to maybe being forced to use a certain ingredient that might not be the best for my cocktails.”
Koh working his magic behind the bar. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
With 50 Best being one of the biggest awards in the bar industry, Koh says he isn’t chasing accolades. “Of course, 50 Best is something everyone would like. But if you really chase that, you start doing more marketing, more lobbying, playing the game. At the end of the day, 50 Best doesn’t pay the bills. The customers do. My benchmark is when someone tells me, ‘We’ve visited all these other bars and this is the best cocktail we’ve had.’”
Still, the industry has recognised his own work. Koh was nominated for the Bar Manager of the Year award at the World Gourmet Summit in 2019.
Being small has strengthened the internal culture too. “We’ve always had this very laid-back, casual vibe to us. We have more ownership,” Koh said. “That trickles down to how we serve: more personal and intimate. They see the way we handle hospitality. The hospitality, I would say, is the core of our long term.”
Today, the entire operation is run by a team of just four full-timers and three part-timers. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The team currently has four full-timers and three part-timers, a small group that keeps the operation intentionally tight-knit.
And while the bar remains small, its influence has stretched far. Over the years, Bar Stories’ alumni have gone on to work at some of Singapore’s top cocktail bars, including Jigger and Pony, 28 HongKong Street, Offtrack and Native.
THE DOUBLE-EDGED REALITY OF INDEPENDENCE
But independence also comes with challenges. One of Koh’s main concerns is the limited internal career path for his team, as an independent bar has no larger group or network for staff to grow within. Another challenge is the shift in consumer behaviour, with people spending less on nights out at bars compared to previous years. And like the rest of the industry, the bar also faces the ongoing pressure of rising rent.
Despite rising costs, Bar Stories has barely raised its prices. “We haven’t raised our prices… now our maximum is like 26. So we actually haven’t raised our prices in like 15 years, which is a bit crazy,” Koh said. “I feel like paying 28, 29 dollars is a bit much.”
Even after many years, the prices of Bar Stories cocktails have stayed relatively consistent, a rarity in Singapore’s bar scene. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Koh shared that their rental was raised by a “humongous amount”, forcing him to question whether to stay or move.
“In 15 years here, I’ve always seen a cycle in business. Busy, slow, busy, slow. For the last two years, it hasn’t been cyclical. That’s the scary part. We don’t know when the pickup is going to be.”
The pandemic also reshaped drinking habits. Recovery has been uneven, and manpower remains tight. Yet loyal customers kept the bar afloat during those uncertain years.
Messages left by customers through the years. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
A LIFE POURED INTO A BAR
Bar Stories has witnessed countless first dates, long-time regulars and even customers who met there, married and later returned to take their wedding photos. Koh remembers one woman who became a familiar face at the bar; now, her daughters visit too.
Overseas guests return after years away and say it still feels like home.
While Koh admits this is “the most trying period in our history”, the emotional pull is strong.
“There’s so much sentimental attachment to this place. On one hand, it hurts to think about leaving. On the other hand, it might not be bad to have a change of environment, as long as the spirit stays the same.”
When asked what is next for Bar Stories: “Right now, the next big thing is just to survive.”
Bar Stories is located on 57A Haji Lane.
Continue reading...