Sipping Green: 4 sustainable bars in Singapore

This is possibly the very first wholly plant-based bar in Singapore. Opened by the same owner behind Native (an alumnus on the World’s 50 Best Bars list), Vijay Mudaliar sets out to create a sustainable space where everything—food, drinks, even interior—has been designed to raise awareness for the environment. For a start, a striking cerulean countertop anchors the space; some 1,600kg of recycled plastic bottles were used to create the 3D-printed bar table. Lining the perimeter are tables fashioned out of more green materials: mycelium, an interwoven web of fungus or mushroom.
 
Grab a seat, and choose from cocktails inspired by food issues that plague the industry; Soursop uses vegan honey in place of the unsustainable sweetener, and Spirulina is a colourful ode to algae, one of the most environmentally efficient crops. Non-alcoholic cocktails, too, are made with nature in mind. Most are fortified with nourishing properties, including vitamin C in the strawberry-tinged El Mariachi, and ashwagandha in the refreshingly Passionfruit. Hungry? Bar bites of plant-based nuggets, pumpkin-stuffed dumplings, and jackfruit rendang tacos will satiate the tummy—all without hurting the planet.

Analogue Initiative 
Address: 30 Victoria Street, 01-31 Chijmes, S(187996), +65 8518 1882

Before Analogue came to be, Mudaliar was already shaking up the drinks scene with his novel approach to sustainability. Much like its name, the bar aims to spotlight foraged ingredients and regional finds—from the spirit used, right down to the music and even the staff apron. And as a serious nod to its zero-waste approach, Native is perhaps most famously known to utilise ants and fermented grasshoppers in its drink-making process. Unusual? Perhaps. But it is this commitment to unsung, local ingredients that earned the bar the Sustainable Bar Award in 2019, and continues to draw people in through its doors.

Today, Native is both a bar and a restaurant, harnessing the same sustainable approach. Head Chef MJ Teoh—an alumnus of one-Michelin-starred restaurant Nouri—presents comforting spins on elevated local flavours. Think moreish curry split between Thai massaman and Mexican mole with a side of belimbing salsa; dry-aged snapper slathered with an Asian-herb chimichurri and fermented cherry tomatoes; and the irresistible nose-to-tail chicken pao fan that combines fork-tender organic chicken thigh, textures of crisped gizzards and puffed rice, and finished with an intensely flavoured roasted collagen broth.

Taking root 100 metres above the ground is Sol and Luna, an all-day dining destination located within CapitaSpring. But more than just providing great views of the city, the restaurant and bar also offer soothing scenes of lush greenery. It sits within a thriving green oasis, which features vertical plots of plants, dense trees, and the world’s highest edible urban garden. Crops are grown, harvested, and utilised within various boozy recipes. The kitchen also doubles down on sourcing locally and uses misshapen fruits and vegetables (ugly ingredients) that would have otherwise been discarded and wasted.
 
Red cabbage is first turned into soda in the Cidra Morada Y Vino, a sangria-like drink mixed with white wine and blood orange, then made into gummy garnishes for a sweet nibble. Hibiscus can also make an appearance in multiple ways: as part of its house-infused tonic in Dolce Ibisco, and dehydrated into edible embellishment in the Portuguese-inspired Lisbon Lips. 

Sol and Luna
Address: 88 Market Street, 17-01, CapitaSpring, S(048948), +65 8031 4316

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