There are other ways to spend a Friday night out drinking than at your regular watering hole or getting smashed at the clubs. A rising number of arcade and themed bars have established themselves around the island, offering patrons a night where they can kindle childhood nostalgia or play games that are not the usual five-ten, beer pong and darts.
From a mini golf maze to a swanky lounge that houses a mini bowling alley, here are our top picks of themed games bars worth dragging your friends to.
AVENUE
Avenue is the latest concept opened by the team behind Marquee and Lavo in Marina Bay Sands. Situated in the basement of The Shoppes, this clandestine lounge is a cross between a speakeasy and a bachelor pad in New York. Though Avenue may look posh, it is a place that doesn’t take itself too seriously — a mini bowling alley, pool table and vintage arcade games dot the space to keep you entertained as you imbibe in some of its crafted cocktails.
Avenue is located at B1-67, Galleria Level, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956, +65 6688 8680
HOPHEADS
Hopheads is a craft beer basement bar in Dhoby Ghaut that definitely knows how to keep things fun. Aside from offering activities like giant Jenga, table tennis and darts, it also has a regular schedule of parties with music from the ’90s to get you in the #throwback mood.
Hopheads is located at Basement 1, Haw Par Glass Tower, 178 Clemenceau Avenue, Singapore 239926, +65 6904 4019
HOLEY MOLEY GOLF CLUB
Melbourne’s renowned Holey Moley Golf Club now has an outpost in Clarke Quay, and it is as zany as its Australian counterpart. The mini golf course features themed rooms that include Game of Thrones, Pac-man and more, as well as plenty of kitschy photo opportunities across the space so you have something to remember your night by, lest you knock back one too many cocktails.
Holey Moley Golf Club is located at 3B River Valley Rd, Singapore 179024, +65 6492 2410
LEVEL UP
One of the early bars to debut an arcade-style concept is Level Up. You’ll definitely recognise the armada of games spotted across the neon-lit bar, ranging from foosball to air hockey, and old school gems like Street Fighter. Drink purchases give you tokens you can spend on the games on-sight, furthering the illusion that you’re in an actual arcade (albeit one with lots of booze to keep you going).
Level Up is located at 3A River Valley Road #02-04, Singapore 179020, +65 6266 2276
NINETEEN80
If you must spend your Friday night dancing in a club, give Nineteen80 a go. As a thumping tribute to the ’80s and ’90s, Nineteen80 has a regular rotation of DJs spinning old-school hits, game consoles parked by the entrance for you to toy with, and remixes of the signature cocktails from the era to keep you hydrated. There are few other places in Singapore where you can throw down on Mortal Kombat with a Blue Lagoon in hand as Queen blasts in the background, but at Nineteen80, that’s your average Friday night.
Nineteen80, #01-05 21 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 044888, +65 9183 6053