At some point, the six-pack in the office fridge stopped being enough. We wanted beer with a point of view, poured by people who could explain the hops without making it feel like a lecture. So we spent far too many evenings comparing tap lists, menus, opening hours, and (most importantly) where you can actually get a seat in town, to build a guide to craft beer in Singapore that matches the fun and light mood you’re in. That covers the coastal brewpub afternoon, the tiny rare-beer stop, and the Japanese dinner that happens to come with a very good pint.
These craft beer bars don’t all solve the same craving, and we haven’t pretended they do. If you’d rather be shaking things up than pouring things out, our guide to Singapore’s standout cocktail experiences has you covered.
Quick Summary: Craft Beer Singapore at a Glance
Restaurant Name | Best For | Price Range | Location | SENDs Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Big groups and beach-day beers | $$ | East Coast Park | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | |
Beer with a proper Japanese dinner | $ | Fortune Centre, Bugis | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | |
Rare-beer hunting | $$ | Upper Thomson | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | |
Obscure imports and bottle browsing | $ to $$ | Bukit Merah | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | |
House brews, vinyl, and group nights | $$ | Gillman Barracks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | |
Local flavors with craft pours | $$ | Serene Centre, Bukit Timah | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Beyond Smith Street Taps: Beer Bars Worth the Trip
If you’ve already done the Chinatown scene rounds at Smith Street Taps, think of this as your next chapter. These are the places we’d send a friend, depending on who’s coming along and how much they actually care about the beer and having a good time.
1. Brewerkz East Coast Park (East Coast)
Price: $$
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Brewerkz is the destination brewpub on this list, and the setting at Parkland Green does a lot of the heavy lifting. With 220 seats (80 of them outdoors), it’s one of the few craft beer bars in Singapore where a group of twelve doesn’t trigger a logistical crisis. The Singapore-brewed house beers are the main event, backed by a broad menu of burgers, pizza, seafood, and sharing plates. Expect to spend around S$30 to S$60 per person, depending on how hungry the cycling made you.
We’ll be honest about what it isn’t. This is a restaurant that takes its beer seriously, not a beer-nerd taproom. If you’re hunting rare imports or want someone behind the bar to talk you through a limited release, you’ll find stronger specialists further down this list. But a clean cold pint with the sea breeze after an afternoon at the park is a very specific kind of happiness, and Brewerkz delivers it reliably.
The catch? A prime location comes with a trade-off. Because Brewerkz sits close to the popular park area, it can get packed on weekends and during the evening rush. If you happen to arrive at those times, you may have to wait a bit for a table. The menu is also classic and reliable, but true beer enthusiasts who love innovation or rare styles may find the selection a little limited.
Good Vibes For: Large friend groups, East Coast Park days, and family meals where only half the table cares about beer.
Hard Pass If: You want obscure imports or a cozy, intimate taproom.
SENDs Hack: Book ahead for big groups, and keep an eye on the clock. Food last call is 9:30pm and drinks close at 10:15pm. It’s closed on Mondays unless there’s a public holiday.
2. Craft Beer by Ki-setsu (Fortune Centre, Bugis)
Price: $
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Here’s the thing most beer bars get wrong: the food. Craft Beer by Ki-setsu in Bugis, which opened on October 8, 2026, at #04-19 Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road, shares a kitchen with Soup Curry by Ki-setsu, so you’re eating proper Japanese izakaya dishes rather than sad bar nuts. Two physical taps produce four pours. There’s The Premium Malt’s Pilsner (S$7.80), The Premium Malt’s Black (S$8.80), and two house blends at S$8.80 each: Amber (half pale, half dark) and Selling Sunset, where 70% pale beer is topped with 30% dark beer as foam that slowly settles through the glass. We’ll admit to watching that settle instead of drinking it. These blends are the bar’s own creations, not Suntory products.
The 14 bottled lines lean into local brews from The 1925 Brewing Co and Bo Chup. Look for the Pineapple Pale Ale (a National Gallery Singapore collaboration) and the Dream Alone Pale Ale, a Gold winner at the Asia Beer Championship in 2018 and 2019. Food is where it really shines. The Hokkaido soup curry bowls run from S$14.80 (Chicken Drumstick or Vegetable) to S$19.80 (a Chargrilled Tsukune), each with vegetables and half an egg, and the spice dial goes from Level 0 to 4, plus a custom Level X. The kani cream croquette and the Fukushima mehikari karaage (three whole small fish) are made for drinking.
The catch? It’s only open Monday to Saturday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. That’s 12 hours a week, so this isn’t the place for a long session or deep beer discovery. And prepare to budget for the 10% service charge (it isn’t GST-registered).
Good Vibes For: Craft Beers by Kisetsu can cater mixed groups of five to eight who want beer and an actual dinner, Japanese-food fans, and anyone curious about beer-and-curry pairing.
Hard Pass If: You want a huge tap list or a drinking night that runs past 9:30pm.
SENDs Hack: It’s walk-in only, but with 50 seats plus two bar positions, it’s roomy for the Fortune Centre Level 4 corridor. Start the soup curry at the kitchen’s recommended Level 2, and pick your beer to match the spice rather than ordering it separately. There are three alcohol-free bottles too: Warsteiner Fresh, Asahi Super Dry 0.0, and Corona Cero.
3. Shawn's Beernest (Upper Thomson)
Price: $$
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shawn’s Beernest is where the beer nerds go, and we mean that as the highest compliment. Up to nine taps and roughly 70 to 90 beers in the fridge make it one of the most interesting rooms for Singapore craft beers. The focus is on rare international releases, hard-to-find American breweries, and fresh IPA drops bursting with tropical fruit flavors and stone fruit notes. The real draw, though, is Shawn himself. Tell him what you usually drink, and he’ll steer you somewhere new, sometimes with a taste before you commit.
Now for the reality check. Space is very tight, with around four tables, and pints run about S$23 to S$27 depending on the beer. That’s premium craft pricing, even by Singapore standards. It also gets louder later in the evening. Still, no tap board can replace a good conversation with someone who clearly loves this stuff.
Good Vibes For: Serious beer fans, rare-beer hunters, and solo drinkers happy to chat.
Hard Pass If: You’re bringing a big group or want a full dinner menu.
SENDs Hack: Arrive before about 8:30pm on Fridays for a calmer room, and ask what’s newest instead of picking by label. Weekend hours start at 3pm, which makes for a nice afternoon trip.
4. Elixir Code (Bukit Merah)
Price: $ to $$
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Elixir Code is part taproom, part beer shop, tucked into Blk 125 Bukit Merah Lane 1. Its specialty is less-common international imports, especially from Eastern Europe, with around 48 beers across its menus. This is the place to find breweries you’ve genuinely never seen at mainstream beer bars, poured in 355ml or 500ml sizes. From 5pm to 8pm, there’s a 10% happy-hour discount.
It’s small, and it isn’t designed to be a food venue, so treat it as a beer-first stop rather than dinner. There are also no reservations, a policy that came out of past problems with no-shows. That’s fair, but it does mean you’ll need to keep your plans flexible.
Good Vibes For: Curious drinkers, small groups, and anyone who loves browsing bottles to take home.
Hard Pass If: You need a kitchen or a large table.
SENDs Hack: Check its live Untappd menu before you travel, and eat beforehand. Then grab a few bottles on your way out.
5. Little Island Brewing Company and the Last Two Stops (Gillman Barracks)
Price: $$
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Little Island Brewing Company feels like an evening rather than just a drink. Its house-brewed beers are poured in a huge converted military warehouse at Gillman Barracks, alongside wood-fired sourdough pizzas and a real love for vinyl. The Sister Golden Ale and Naked Lager are S$14 per 473ml US pint (S$11 during happy hour), while the stout and IPA are S$15 (S$12 during happy hour). For dessert, the Spiced Rum Chocolate Lava Cake (S$13) goes surprisingly well with a dark pour.
The food can be a little uneven (the S$23 fish and chips leaned oily for us), so stick with the pizza. And since this Island Brewing Company spot pours mainly its own beer, it isn’t the place for multi-brewery discovery. It does give you plenty of room and a soundtrack, though.
Good Vibes For: Birthday drinks, group nights, and live-music lovers.
Hard Pass If: You want a quiet tasting room or a wide range of guest taps.
SENDs Hack: Go for Waxy Wednesdays (7pm to 10pm), when vinyl plays through vintage Altec speakers. Reservations are available online, and it’s closed on Mondays.
6. Orh Gao Peh Gao (Serene Centre, Bukit Timah)
Price: $$
SENDs Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This one has two personalities. By day, it’s Peh Gao, a coffeeshop. From 5pm, the same Serene Centre unit turns into Orh Gao, a taproom with 14 rotating craft taps. What sets it apart is the food. Instead of generic fries and burgers, you get the Har Cheong Gai (S$15), shatteringly crisp prawn-paste chicken that practically begs for a refreshing pale ale, and the OG Beef Rendang (S$21), which is rich enough to stand up to a stout. The Curry Mussels (S$21) are worth a detour too.
It’s small and popular, so be ready for noise, waits, and the occasional dish selling out. The tap list also changes too often to plan around. Even so, kopi-shop energy turning into craft beer energy in the same room is a story no other venue on this list can tell.
Good Vibes For: Neighborhood dates, local-flavor lovers, and anyone bored of standard pub menus.
Hard Pass If: You need guaranteed space for a big group or want a fixed beer list.
SENDs Hack: Arrive around the 5pm changeover, and check the live booking channel first. It’s closed on Mondays. Remember that food prices don’t include GST and service charge.
Where Should You Start?
If you’re on a budget or want dinner sorted, start at Craft Beer by Ki-setsu, where an $8.80 pint and a $14.80 soup curry make for an easy weeknight. Rare-beer hunters should head straight to Shawn’s Beernest, while curious drinkers will love poking around Elixir Code. Groups and celebrations belong at Brewerkz or Little Island Brewing Co, and if you want local flavors with your pint, Orh Gao is our pick. We’d happily go back to any of them, just not all on the same night.
If you want to be in other places and izakaya nights are your thing, our aesthetic izakaya in Singapore guide is a good next stop.
