You reach Bar Bon Funk by accident, almost. A quiet door on the second floor of New Bahru, easy to walk past if you aren’t looking.
I was looking. I’d heard about the records, the amplifiers, the whole audiophile setup, and I went in half-expecting a bar that leaned on its sound system to do the work its kitchen wouldn’t.
I was wrong about that, and I’m glad to be.
First Impressions of Bar Bon Funk in River Valley Neighbourhood
Bar Bon Funk sits inside New Bahru, in the lively River Valley neighbourhood, and it doesn’t announce itself the way a lot of new places do. The entrance is discreet, tucked up on the second floor, the kind of door you open unsure of whether you’re allowed to.
Inside, the mood shifts fast. Wood panelling, low light, the feel of someone’s retro living room rather than a bar chasing a look. There are vintage McIntosh amplifiers and custom Altec A5 speakers doing real work, not sitting there as props. The hi-fi sound is a soft spot of chef owner Keirin Buck and The Lo & Behold Group, who built this cosy cocktail bar with care. The music is present without shouting over you, which is harder to pull off than it sounds.
It’s small, around fifty seated, including a private dining room, and that intimacy is the point. This is a buzzy neighbourhood cocktail bar built by chef keirin buck and The Lo & Behold Group, and unlike a straight Le Bon Funk in Holland Village offshoot, it has its own quieter, music-led identity. The hi-fi sound isn’t a gimmick. It sets the pace of the room.
I’ll say plainly what surprised me most. I came for the atmosphere and stayed for the produce led plates, which is not the order I expected.
What I Ordered at Bar Bon Funk
I ordered the way you should here, across a few small plates and a couple of the more talked-about cocktails, because this is a place that wants you to graze and linger rather than commit to a single main.
Parisian Gnocchi, White Corn and Chanterelles (~$34) at Bar Bon
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the dish everyone points to, and for once the crowd is right.
The gnocchi came with a proper pan-fried crust, golden and crisp at the edges, the sort of texture that makes you slow down on the first bite. Underneath, it stayed soft, the interior yielding rather than dense. The white corn brought a gentle sweetness that ran through the whole plate, and the chanterelles pulled it back toward something earthier and quieter.
It’s rich, carb-forward, comforting in a way that feels almost out of step with the polished room around it. That contrast is what I liked. Some diners have found the centre a touch gummy, and I understand the note, though it didn’t bother me. At around $34 it’s a fair price for how satisfying it is.
Would I order it again? Without thinking twice. If you try one thing here, make it this.
Mortadella and Provolone Sandwich with Slaw at Bon Funk
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the plate that tells you what the kitchen actually cares about.
Chef owner Keirin Buck reportedly wanted to serve a sandwich like this for years, and you can taste the intent. It’s rich and meaty, the mortadella and provolone doing warm, nostalgic work, the slaw cutting back through it with a bit of crunch and acidity. It reads like elevated comfort food, the kind of thing you’d want at the end of a long week rather than at the start of a tasting menu.
It eats more like a small meal than a snack, so plan around that. My one honest caveat is that richness like this stacks up quickly, so it’s better shared than devoured alone.
I’d order it again, though I’d split it across the table.
Tripe, Parsnip and Zucchini Fries at Bar Bon Funk New Bahru
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The plate I didn’t expect to keep reaching for.
There’s a lot happening in the texture here, and it works. A quick, sharp crunch from the batter, then the chew of the tripe underneath, the parsnip turning tender and mild against it. The batter itself is airy rather than heavy, and there’s a herbaceous lift running through it that keeps the whole thing from feeling like straightforward fried bar food.
It’s the sort of snack that rewards curiosity. If tripe gives you pause, this is a gentle, well-judged way in.
Would I order it again? Yes, especially alongside a drink or two. It’s built for that.
Lean Green Salad (~$28) to Enjoy at Bar Bon Funk
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the cocktail I’d point most people toward instead.
Herencia Mezcal, clarified miso, lime, avocado, spirulina, caramelised honey. On paper it sounds like it’s trying too hard. In the glass it settles into something savoury and balanced, the mezcal smoke grounding the greener, saltier notes rather than fighting them. It’s the kind of drink that rewards a cocktail bar with a serious hand behind the counter, and head bartender Josiah Chee, with a Jigger & Pony and 28 HongKong Street background, clearly has one.
At roughly $28 it sits in the same premium bracket as the rest, but it earns it. This is where the cocktail programme’s ambition pays off cleanly.
Would I order it again? Yes. It’s the drink I’d build a second round around.
Service and Overall Experience at Bar Bon Funk New Bahru
Service here matches the room, which is to say it’s warm without performing.
The bartenders know their menu and, from what I saw and what others consistently report, they’re happy to steer you or adjust a drink toward what you actually like. That willingness matters more at a cocktail bar than almost anywhere else, because the menu leans experimental and you’ll occasionally want a hand reading it.
The pacing suits the space. Nobody rushed the plates out or hovered while I finished a drink. In a room this small, that ease is part of what you’re paying for, and they get it right.
One more thing worth flagging: the menu changes every few months. Some of what I’ve described may rotate out, so treat specific dishes as a guide to the kitchen’s character rather than a fixed promise.
Bar Bon Funk's Private Dining Room
Bar Bon Funk offers a versatile private dining room (PDR) ideal for intimate gatherings or exclusive events. The full venue can accommodate up to 50 seated guests or 70 to 80 standing, perfect for larger parties or celebrations. For more moderately sized groups, the half venue option seats 27 or holds 50 standing guests. This allows you to enjoy your time and move your groove in their establishment, and have an event you won’t forget!
The private dining room itself is designed for smaller groups, comfortably seating 15 or accommodating up to 25 standing guests. Within this space, there is also a dedicated dining table that seats between 6 to 10 guests, making it perfect for private dinners or business meetings.
Please note that there is a minimum spend requirement to reserve the private dining room or any section of the venue, ensuring a tailored and exclusive experience for your event at Bar Bon Funk.
Things to Know Before You Go to Bar Bon Funk New Bahru
A few practical notes before you head over.
Location: New Bahru, 46 Kim Yam Road, #02-01, Singapore 239351, up on the second floor. The entrance is deliberately low-key, so look for it.
Nearest MRT: Fort Canning (DT20) or Great World (TE15), both within a manageable walk.
Parking: Available around New Bahru but limited during peak periods, so plan for that or take the train.
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 6pm till late, Sunday from 5pm till late.
Reservations: Recommended, especially on weekends, and groups of eight or more should enquire about private bookings in the private dining room. The private dining room is there if you want more separation.
Spend: No official average, but treat it as a premium cocktail bar. Your bill rises with each drink and plate, so pace yourself if budget matters. Unless you reserve a private room, then the minimum spending amount depends on which type of PDR you reserve, for more information you can check out their website for more details.
Two small tips. Order the gnocchi early before it potentially rotates off, and if you’re wary of creamy drinks, steer toward the savoury cocktails like the Lean Green Salad rather than A Glass of Milk.
SENDs Verdict on Bar Bon Funk New Bahru
Price Range: $$
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bar Bon Funk is a cocktail bar in Singapore that takes its food as seriously as its sound, and that combination is rarer than it should be. The room is genuinely lovely, the hi fi sound setup earns its place, and the kitchen turns out plates, the gnocchi above all, that would hold their own without any music behind them. It isn’t cheap, and the most experimental drinks won’t land for everyone. But for a considered night out in the River Valley neighbourhood, it delivers more than its hidden-door modesty suggests.
Perfect For: Cocktail lovers who want serious food alongside their drinks, date nights, small groups, and anyone who cares about how a room sounds as much as how it looks.
Skip It If: You want a full conventional dinner, you’re watching every dollar, or experimental and creamy cocktails aren’t your kind of thing.
SENDs Tip: Book ahead for weekends, start with the Parisian Gnocchi before it rotates off the seasonal menu, and let Josiah Chee’s team guide your drinks. If you’re unsure about the milk-based cocktails, ask for something savoury instead.
Before You Decide on Bar Bon Funk and Le Bon Funk
I left thinking less about the amplifiers than I expected to.
What stayed with me was smaller and warmer than the audiophile pitch: a crisp-edged gnocchi in a wood-panelled room, a savoury cocktail that had no business working as well as it did, and the quiet ease of a place that wasn’t trying to impress me so much as let me settle in.
That’s the thing about Bar Bon Funk. The hi fi sound draws you up the stairs, but it’s the care in the plates and the hand behind the bar that make you want to stay. The music was never the whole point.
Whether it suits you comes down to what you’re after. If you want a loud, cheap night, look elsewhere. If you want good drinks, honest food, and a room that knows exactly what it is, pull up a seat.
To read more about how to have a great and stress-free cocktail night, then visit us at Social Eats ‘N’ Drink to discover how!
