After the influx of sake bars in town and the success of Japanese whiskeys in global competitions, it shouldn’t be surprising to now find a Japanese whiskey bar in Singapore. D.Bespoke Bar is a “Japanese style” bar – the type you find in Ginza’s basements with leather, brass touches and wooden bar tops. With its discreet entrance, Don Draper would be at home here.

Located near the top end (#2) of Bukit Pasoh Road, the bar is not immediately evident when you enter as there is a second set of doors. What you see first looks like a small jewelry store but with nice crystal in their cabinets. Once you “register”, you are led into the bar. D.Bespoke charges a minimum cover of SGD60, but this is easily met with a couple of drinks and a snack.

Although it does have a great list of whiskeys and whiskey based cocktails, D.Bespoke also possesses some really interesting non-whisky cocktails, calvados, and cider. They also serve both savory and sweet crepes in case you want a snack. It is much more of a sensory experience than other bars starting with the hot towel provided when you are first seated and the sip of sencha tea to cleanse the palate. The glassware the drinks are served in are beautiful.

The cocktails were good – not too sickly sweet that some concoctions can tend to be. I had an imperial cider, which I really enjoyed – a nice drink following a big dinner elsewhere. Feeling full, however, didn’t stop us from ordering a platter of cheese.

D.Bespoke also has an area upstairs to house more guests. They will only seat pairs at the bar counter – given the size of their armchairs at the bar, they feel that conversation between more than two people would take the decibel level up too much. Since there were four of us, I was happy to sit at the deep leather sofas anyway – super comfortable. This is a discreet bar, great for conversations – jazz, not house music, is its soundtrack.

Recommendations are recommended although not absolutely necessary.

D.Bespoke’s website: http://dbespoke.sg