Wine bars in Hong Kong and Singapore are breaking stereotypes, offering fun, inviting spaces and interesting fusion dishes
- Three wine bars in Hong Kong and Singapore are throwing out the elitist stereotype, offering great food and wine in a fun, friendly atmosphere
- Check out Nothing Fancy’s neon pink interior, Bambino’s DJ-driven vibes, and The Baker & The Bottleman’s casual-meets-high-end cuisine
Once upon a time, the term “wine bar” might have conjured up images of a spartan dining room with an exposed brick wall, furnished with rustic leather sofas and wooden tables, rows of expensive vintages stacked in the wine fridges.
In recent years, however, wine bars worldwide have been breaking away from that common notion, whether through ambience or the food and wines they serve.
At Nothing Fancy, a natural wine bar in Singapore that opened in 2022, the interiors couldn’t be more different. Pink neon lights set the tone, gently illuminating an abstract mural painted by local artist Nicholas Ong.
It is youthful, fresh and refined, and, just as the name suggests, not a stuffy space where the wine and food are too complex or expensive.
“To enjoy wine, you don’t have to be fancy,” says Asmine Koh, Nothing Fancy’s owner and managing director. “It’s really just to have a good time.”
In Hong Kong, Bambino, a French-Italian wine bar in SoHo’s Peel Street, shares that laid-back philosophy. “I didn’t want [to open] something very arrogant or expensive,” says founder Matthieu Maury.
Instead, he dreamed of opening a space that emphasised food, drinks, people and music.
Trained at Michelin-star restaurants, he turned to ‘fun’ Chinese food
An illustration of a vinyl record replaces the “o” in Bambino – a hint to customers of what’s in store when they visit.
On Fridays and Saturdays, Maury invites a DJ to perform – live music helps people connect, he says.
“When we have a DJ, it creates movement. People dance. People don’t hesitate to stand up to go smoke outside, come back inside and go for a drink at the bar. They don’t stay sitting. And that’s the flow of music,” he says.
At the end of the day, people are looking for a connection, Maury says. At wine bars where good pours are almost a given, it’s the connection between the establishment and customers that keeps people coming back.
“The wine is still important, but what matters most is either the chef’s or the sommelier’s personality,” says Maury. “People want more human connection rather than just a wine list with prices.”
The Baker & The Bottleman, which opened in Wan Chai, in Hong Kong, in 2022, demonstrates just that. Part of British chef Simon Rogan’s culinary empire – which includes 10 fine-dining restaurants in England, Thailand, Malta and Hong Kong – the venue operates as a bakery by day and a casual bistro and wine bar by night.
While the food at The Baker & The Bottleman is just as high quality as its sister restaurants (Rogan’s L’Enclume holds three Michelin stars), there’s more wiggle room to have fun with the venue.
“We have the same philosophy when it comes to sustainability and which wines we’re using, what food we’re using, but it gives me more licence to have fun,” says Oli Marlow, the executive chef of the Simon Rogan restaurant group.
“You can be more relaxed,” he says. “Whether it’s the music, the uniforms or your style of service. You can swerve off [onto] a younger path rather than in a serious restaurant direction.”
The chef believes that the younger generation of diners are not necessarily looking for three-Michelin-star experiences, and are gravitating to more casual formats.
“They would rather spend their birthday sitting in the most amazing wine bar with six of their friends, and I think that will take off in Hong Kong soon,” he says. “We have seen some amazing wine bars open in the last three or four years.”
Gone are the days when only cheese and charcuterie boards were served. Instead, creative small plates can often be found in the new generation of wine bars.
“Every time you go to a wine bar, it’s always cold-cut platters,” says Maury. “Sometimes that’s OK but, for me, I want something more.”
Bambino’s menu features about 20 dishes, with a focus on French and Italian fare, such as spinach fritters with ricotta, and a popular tiramisu.
At Nothing Fancy, Koh leaves the menu up to the chefs. Rather than being married to a specific cuisine, the menu changes according to the chef helming the kitchen.
When the bar first opened, the menu featured French dishes. After changing chefs, the menu now showcases a range of Asian fusion dishes, such as crispy calamari with sweet sambal, quail eggs and peanuts.
Perhaps there’s also a freedom that comes with being a wine bar. Instead of limiting themselves to serving a specific cuisine as most restaurants do to establish a clear message and following, wine bars are marketed for their wine. Good food is just a happy bonus.
“I feel like even if you eat Chinese food, you can drink natural wines,” says Koh. “Even if you eat Indian food, you can also have something to drink with it. You don’t need a particular dish to drink wine.”
At The Baker & The Bottleman, the menu features everything from grilled choi sum to cuttlefish with XO sauce and the signature fish burger. As customers would expect from the Rogan name, most dishes have their own ever-so fine-dining twist.
Marlow, however, is hoping to add a new dish to the menu: a simple, good hot dog.
That, perhaps, summarises the joy of wine bars.
