Dinner, dancing and live bands: 6 spots where you can unwind after work
If that sounds like you and you find yourself in the mood for a night of good food, live music and a little dancing to the soundtrack of your youth, these venues are worth checking out. You'll eat well, dance like it's 1999 (or maybe 2010) and still be home in time for your magnesium.
1. CUBA LIBRE
The mood here is festive. Bright lights, booming percussion and enough mojitos to make you forget the lyrics to La Bamba. Cuba Libre in Clarke Quay is home to two house bands – Stereofly and Adrenalina – who rotate nightly, playing Latin pop, salsa, reggaeton and Top 40 hits with infectious energy.
If you're having dinner with your dance, try the popular ropa vieja pizza, Cuban sandwiches or grilled lamb racks. For extra punch in your mojito, ask for the Extra Old Rum Mojito and you'll soon be moving like you're young(er) again.
2. HARD ROCK CAFE
For Singaporeans of a certain age, Hard Rock Cafe at Cuscaden Road isn't just a restaurant, it's a rite of passage. If your youth involved clapping to wait staff belting out 'You make me wanna shout!', you'll be glad to know the old haunt is still going strong.
In celebration of its 35th anniversary, it hosts live music every Monday, with the band Kabin Crue taking the stage from 7pm to 11pm – happily, the same hours for one-for-one drinks. Wednesdays are Ladies' Night, featuring live music and free-flow drinks from 8pm to 10pm at S$10 for women and S$45 for men.
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Check their website for the latest band lineup. And while you're at it, revisit old favourites from the menu, like the Famous Fajitas or the hot fudge brownie, whose portion size, unlike our waistlines, has gotten smaller over the years.
3. LE NOIR
Le Noir's terrace faces Marina Bay Sands, which makes it easy to forget you're in a live music venue and not some slick cocktail bar. But then the music starts – usually around 8.15pm – and you remember why you came.
On weeknights, acts like Nick Zavior and Live Conclusions play a set of soul, funk and crowd-pleasing covers. On weekends, the tempo picks up with bands like OK Ready! and the Jukuleles delivering classic rock anthems and clever medleys that span decades.
You'll find plenty to love on the menu here, too. Think soba with tuna tataki, truffle shoestring fries and Argentinian grass-fed beef skewers.
4. LITTLE SAIGON
ENT, Little Saigon's house act, is fronted by Abdul Thaqif, whose Anugerah-winning vocals are backed by a band that plays everything from Marvin Gaye classics to Maroon 5 bops.
The Vietnamese food here, which includes octopus and pomelo salad, snapper banh mi, and nourishing bowls of pho, is reason enough to go. Expect inventive cocktails like the Pho King, made with a splash of actual broth, and Vieto, a twist on the mojito with crushed fresh pomelo. On cooler evenings, ask for a table by the river.
5. SENOR TACO
It's not uncommon to feel intimidated by the dance floor at Senor Taco in Clarke Quay. Some nights, it looks like an audition for Dancing With The Stars, with many regulars clearly seasoned Latin dancers.
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The good news for your left feet (and heart health) is you can take Latin dance lessons at Senor Taco at 7.30pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays at S$15 per session, and practise your moves when the live music kicks off an hour later. That's when the house band and guest musicians take over with a high-energy mix of salsa, reggaeton, merengue and more. When you need a break, the mezcalitas and lamb birria make for heady, delicious fuel.
6. WAREHOUSE
A Clarke Quay fixture, Warehouse draws a crowd that loves Queen as much as Coldplay. The lineup rotates between six house bands who play everything from pop to blues to late-night rock. It's not unusual to hear back-to-back sets that move from Fleetwood Mac to Dua Lipa. Early birds get half-price drinks from 5pm to 7pm, while those who stay late can order from a surprisingly extensive food menu with offerings like chicken satay, steak sliders, lamb kofta and pastas.
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