‘The streets were full of laughter': What happened to Clarke Quay, Keong Saik Road and Club Street?

Straits Times

02-05-2025

Nightlife business operators say that a growing quiet is falling over Singapore's once-thriving hot spots. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
'The streets were full of laughter': What happened to Clarke Quay, Keong Saik Road and Club Street?
SINGAPORE – Among nightlife business owners, the sentiment is clear: 2025 will be a big year for bar closures .
But it was not always this way. Singapore's traditional nightlife hubs in Clarke Quay, Keong Saik Road and Club Street once pulsed with a different kind of energy.
However, the years since the Covid-19 pandemic have brought significant changes, including Clarke Quay's $62 million revamp, the end of Club Street's weekend road closures and difficulties in obtaining licences to operate past midnight.
These changes, coupled with rising costs and macro-economic pressures, have exacerbated issues that nightlife operators have long talked about : high rental, alcohol duties, competition from nightlife capitals abroad and patrons choosing to stay at home.
'The current wave of food and beverage (F&B) closures is concerning,' says Mr Ethuan Hsu, head of retail at real estate consultancy Knight Frank Singapore. This is driven by prolonged cost pressures related to rent, materials and labour, he notes.
'At the same time, occupancy costs continue to rise due to demand from new entrants and chain operators, particularly overseas players with deeper pockets.
'Combined with a labour shortage in the F&B sector and a weaker growth outlook stemming from the United States-China tariff war, we are likely to see more closures this year as more F&B businesses become unviable ,' he adds.
In 2024, the number of cessations of F&B service businesses reached 3,047, according to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore. This is the highest figure in the past decade, during which annual closures ranged between 2,000 and 2,800.
Current and former business owners say a hush has fallen over Singapore's once-thriving hot spots.
The Straits Times visits Clarke Quay, Keong Saik Road and Club Street to investigate what is behind this trend.
1. Clarke Quay: A district in flux
The Clarke Quay area is moving away from its nightlife roots.
PHOTO: CQ @ CLARKE QUAY
For decades, Clarke Quay reigned as one of Singapore's premier nightlife districts – a riverside destination packed with bars, clubs and revellers spilling across its bridges and walkways.
Today, its identity is in a state of flux.
Public relations consultant Messiah Abalos, 35, says that when walking through the area now, the difference he sees is stark.
'The once-packed bridge, riverside steps and streets are depressing,' adds the former waiter, who has worked on and off in the nightlife sector since he was 18. 'Gone are the days of pre-drinks that sustained our nights out as young adults.'
In 2015, a new liquor control Bill banned public drinking after 10.30pm. In Mr Abalos' view, this put an end to the bridge-drinking rite of passage for young adult Singaporeans.
More recently, the district's character has been transformed by CQ @ Clarke Quay's 2024 renovation into a day-and-night destination.
The revamped space brought in new entrants like dog swimming pool Fort Canine Swimming Club, music retailer Swee Lee and supermarket FairPrice Finest, which co-exist with older nightlife tenants like Zouk and Level Up.
Zouk is in talks to renew its lease, as its current one ends in 2026.
PHOTO: ZOUK
Mr Andrew Li, chief executive of Zouk, Singapore's longest-running nightclub which launched in 1991, says this transformation has created a district with a split identity.
'O ne side is all daytime-focused and the other side is all night-time-focused, which changes the whole vibrancy of the street,' he says, referring to the waterfront area near River Valley Road.
He adds that the daytime businesses contribute little footfall at night and contribute to a sense of quiet in the area.
Mr Li notes that Clarke Quay was once home to between 30 and 40 bars, and a greater variety of nightclubs. Such businesses fed clients to one another as the evening progressed. 'That's what makes a district,' he says. 'Now, there's probably less than half the number.'
While 2022 was Zouk's best year yet due to post-lockdown revenge partying, the club has since seen a dip in business, which Mr Li attributes to the rising cost of living and patrons opting for nightlife capitals abroad.
This, coupled with the new tenant mix, means that Zouk has had to reimagine itself as a destination venue that can draw patrons from across the island, rather than relying on foot traffic within the district.
The post-pandemic years have seen Zouk shift towards more music programming and experiences to entice partygoers.
PHOTO: ZOUK
'Music is still an extremely strong bonding experience,' says Mr Li, who notes that a greater focus on music programming, starring guests like American DJ Illenium, still sells out the venue. 'What we're seeing from the younger generation is that they do want experiences.'
Zouk is in the midst of lease renewal discussions with landlord CapitaLand, with its current lease ending in 2026. Looking forward, Mr Li hopes to renovate the space into a Zouk 3.0 that places greater emphasis on live music and other offerings that court the earlier evening crowd.
In response to ST's queries, a CQ @ Clarke Quay spokesperson says the district's revamp is happening in tandem with the ongoing urban renewal of the Singapore River precinct and evolving consumer preferences.
'While nightlife and clubbing still draw strong crowds, there are others who are into pets and music, for example,' says the spokesperson, who adds that since the relaunch of CQ @ Clarke Quay in April 2024, footfall has been on a steady upward trend each month.
The district's shift towards appealing to a more family-friendly crowd comes as part of a longer-term evolution of the area.
Other long-time tenants that have closed over the years include Mandopop nightclub Shanghai Dolly, which shuttered in 2018; nightclub Canvas, which closed during the pandemic after seven years of business; and Stickies Bar in 2024.
The year it closed, Shanghai Dolly's operators told ST that the business had become financially unsustainable due to the shortening of liquor licensing hours in Clarke Quay to curb drunken behaviour – which resulted in sales dropping by around 30 per cent since new rules were implemented in 2013.
'Business peaks at 1.30am and customers have less than an hour to enjoy themselves because, by 2.30am, we have to start clearing drinks,' Shanghai Dolly's managing director Gordon Foo told ST in 2018.
For patrons like Mr Abalos, such changes spell an end to Clarke Quay's claim to being Singapore's go-to nightlife district.
' I w ould queue for free entry, pre-drink along the streets, and hustle for guest lists and early-bird tickets to events,' he says, adding that it used to be common for his circle of friends to bar- and club-hop . 'These days, the crowd often thins out by 2am.'
2. Club Street: No more noise, no more road closures
Before 2019, the Club Street and Ann Siang Hill area was known for its high concentration of rooftop bars atop conservation shophouses and a vibrant weekend atmosphere when roads would close to allow patrons to spill out into the streets .
Nightlife veteran Naz Arjuna says Singapore's late-night culture and the city centre's spontaneous revelry is at risk of dying out.
PHOTO: MAD & MIDAS
Bar owner Naz Arjuna, who has worked in the nightlife industry for 22 years and runs the underground cocktail bar Mad & Midas in Ann Siang Road, laments the area's fading energy.
' It's really sad to see. The streets were full of laughter, people were drunk, dancing in the streets – just enjoying themselves. That's what a weekend should look like,' he says.
For Mr Arjuna, the clearest sign of decline is the end of the weekend road closures that once allowed businesses to extend their tables into the pedestrianised street on Friday and Saturday nights.
Such car-free initiatives were launched across the city in areas like Club Street and Haji Lane in 2013. As Club Street has not had weekend road closures since 2019, its nightlife culture is now more subdued.
Mr Naz Arjuna hopes Singapore can take inspiration from other nightlife capitals by relaxing operating-hour restrictions and adding more late-night transportation options.
PHOTO: MAD & MIDAS
At his bar, Mr Arjuna keeps a chalkboard recording notches for regulars he sees 'more than my mum'. These patrons visit less frequently than they used to in previous years, typically just once a month.
This is a common sentiment among nightlife business owners speaking to ST, who say the post-pandemic years have seen a shift away from casual drinking, such as after-work drinks with colleagues or no-frills Saturday night catch-ups over drinks and supper with friends.
Instead, a more discerning and considered style of consumption has emerged, with high drink prices – cocktails typically cost $28 in the city centre – and expensive late-night transportation pricing out many potential customers.
The corner shophouse in Ann Siang Road formerly occupied by gastropub Oxwell & Co remains vacant.
ST PHOTO: TEO KAI XIANG
Mr Arjuna says the street's atmosphere reflects this change. For instance, a corner shophouse previously occupied by gastropub Oxwell & Co has remained vacant for nearly five years. The lack of a vibrant atmosphere inviting regular footfall also means bar owners must do more to convince their clientele to come out at all.
'It's a big loss. If the authorities allow people to sit outside and drink in public, and not be so strict, I think life will c ome back,' he says , adding that the area i s on its last legs .
Mr Wayne Liu, founder of Ann Siang Road bar-restaurant Honcho, which closed in 2023, says his business fell victim to changing regulations and declining foot traffic. 'High rental, low traffic and noise complaints were the key factors as to why it did not work out.'
He adds that noise complaints are a likely reason a car-free Club Street is unlikely to return.
Like many venues in the area, Honcho pivoted from a bar to a restaurant licence during the Covid-19 pandemic, which meant shorter operating hours and a closing time of 10.30pm.
As Singapore left the pandemic's restrictions behind, attempts to extend hours failed, leaving the business financially unfeasible.
'When I was trying to revert my Honcho rooftop bar licence to one that could open until 3am, the Singapore Police Force's answer was, 'yes, I can let you extend, but your music has to stop at 10.30pm',' says Mr Liu.
'That's just as good as closing at 10.30pm,' he adds, noting that additional hours beyond that time would mean incurring manpower and electricity costs for a venue without a good vibe.
Farther into Telok Ayer, other business owners share Mr Liu's concerns about their streets' loss of character .
White Shades is planning on downsizing or shuttering its four-storey shophouse venue in Boon Tat Street.
PHOTO: WHITE SHADES
At White Shades, a bar-restaurant in Boon Tat Street, owner Bai Jiawei says his four-floor shophouse establishment will downsize significantly or close in 2025, after just two years in business.
He observes a dampening mood among patrons. 'Once the liquid is there,' he says, indicating the lowest third of a pint glass, 'they will maintain it at the same height so the servers don't take it away and there is less peer pressure to order another round.'
In his view, the days when patrons used to order multiple rounds, or spread their evening over multiple locations, are over. 'Now, it's just one dining spot and one drinking spot, or just one dining spot, full stop.'
Just 200m away at fusion restaurant Birds Of A Feather , operations manager Teh Yong Sheng concurs with this assessment. He says his restaurant has been shifting its focus towards an earlier evening crowd that calls it a night after a single stop.
'Around this area after 9pm, you barely see anybody anymore. It's really not like last time when you saw plenty of people walking around looking for bars to hop between ,' he says. Birds Of A Feather has been operating in Amoy Street since 2016.
Not all is doom and gloom , however, as the Telok Ayer area continues to host a collection of award-winning cocktail bars, including Fura, Native and Employees Only.
Ms Liz Teo, general manager of Employees Only, acknowledges a clear shift since late 2024 – 'there's been a decline in foot traffic, reduced spending power and a drop in overall revenue' – but remains optimistic. 'With adaptability and a strong identity, the nightlife sector can remain resilient.'
3. Keong Saik Road: No licence to party
A 2017 photo of Potato Head, now known as 1939 Singapore, in Keong Saik Road. Business owners in the area say the district is losing its late-night buzz.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Once a red-light district transformed into a buzzy late-night are a, Keong Saik Road now has few venues open past midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
' E ven on a Friday night, you can easily find parking lots,' says Mr Chua Ee Chien, owner of bar-restaurant Jekyll & Hyde, which used to operate in adjacent Neil Road and closed in 2023.
He says the area's nightlife businesses have fallen on hard times because of bureaucracy.
Like in Club Street, many bars pivoted to restaurant licences during the pandemic, meaning earlier closing times. Mr Chua adds that many businesses later could not acquire licences that allowed them to open past midnight, killing the area's late-night vibe.
Jekyll & Hyde's owner Chua Ee Chien (far right, with his team) says red tape and manpower woes plague those trying to revive Keong Saik Road.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHUA EE CHIEN
Rising manpower costs present another challenge, says the former Singapore Nightlife Business Association committee member .
Tough working conditions and a prevailing attitude that white-collar jobs are better mean that few Singaporeans want long-term careers in F&B.
This labour shortage was exacerbated by the pandemic, which led to many hospitality workers being laid off . Mr Chua hopes sector-specific employment passes can be introduced to ease this manpower crunch.
His is not the only business in the area to have bowed out. 2024 saw the closures of the Heart of Darkness taproom and bar-restaurant Col nearby.
But not all operators share this pessimistic outlook.
Maggie's bistro, which focuses on 'almost Chinese' fare, opened in Keong Saik Road in March.
PHOTO: PLEASURECRAFT GROUP
Mr Tong Hann, founder of the PleasureCraft Group , which operates bar-restaurant Parliament in Teck Lim Road and Maggie's in Keong Saik Road, says that while late-night traffic has tapered off, early evenings are 'still buzzing'.
'People are being more intentional with their nights. Instead of hopping between multiple spots, they're choosing one or two places to really settle into.'
Mr Ganeshvara Kurukal, who operates dive bar Pocket Rocket Asia in Keong Saik Road, renewed his lease in April for two more years and says business is growing. 'We intend to build a community within the heart of Keong Saik with simple good vibes and service,' he says. 'I wouldn't say we have achieved it to our hearts' content, but we are surely getting there, bit by bit.'
One bright spot is the area's LGBTQ nightlife. Neil Road nearby remains a haunt for the city's queer community despite the closure of gay bars DYMK, Taboo and Tuckshop over the past decade , and the downsizing of Tantric , one of the country's longest-running gay bars, in 2021.
Mr Terry Tan, owner of LGBTQ-friendly bar Salud in Keong Saik Road, says having a licence for longer operating hours has been crucial.
Salud is an LGBT-friendly bar in Keong Saik Road.
PHOTO: SALUD
The venue's bar licence allows it to close at 1am on Fridays and 2am on Saturdays, making it one of the few venues in the street where music still pulses past midnight.
In Mr Tan's view, Singapore's changing drinking culture means bars without a clear selling point, which rely on proximity to nightlife hubs for regular footfall, are on their way out.
He says Salud's niche is offering a no-frills watering hole for Singapore's queer community and others who feel out of place in more mainstream venues .
1939 Singapore – which rebranded from Potato Head in 2024 and was once the area's most well-known tenant – also announced in April that it would extend opening hours until 1am on Fridays and 2am on Saturdays , returning some post-midnight colour to the street .
Where to next for Singapore nightlife?
While some traditional venues fade, others continue to thrive, such as Joo Chiat, China Square and Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
Despite the nightlife closures, the city's tourism receipts have risen above pre-pandemic levels, with 2024 seeing $29.7 billion in spending from visitors, an increase from $27.6 billion in 2019.
Ms Guo Teyi, director of leisure events at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), says STB is working on initiatives such as partnering the Orchard Road Business Association to introduce a year-end bar-hopping passport experience , as well as collaborating with CapitaLand to refresh offerings at CQ @ Clarke Quay with marketing support and programme curation .
Ce La Vi co-founder Harry Apostolides says nightlife businesses will increasingly court earlier evening crowds.
PHOTO: CE LA VI
Ce La Vi founder Harry Apostolides, whose establishment has operated on the MBS roof for 15 years, says: 'I think MBS is really the epicentre of entertainment today.'
' A lot of other districts have floundered a little bit because MBS has been able to more effectively curate the tenants that it has and really spend a lot of attention on that,' he adds , noting that MBS is more likely to prioritise a healthy tenant mix than individual landlords just seeking the highest possible return .
MBS' tenants include nightclub Marquee, which draws a younger crowd and those interested in spectacle , while cocktail bars like Avenue and Ce La Vi attract a more mature audience.
Ce La Vi is undergoing a $11 million restaurant revamp set to complete in June. 'We had a record-breaking year in 2024 in terms of revenue and profit. But that's because we implemented a lot of changes to the way we operate,' says Mr Apostolides.
The post-pandemic years have meant focusing more on local clientele and music programming to draw visitors all week, as well as more corporate events and extended daytime hours to accommodate MBS pool guests.
Mr Apostolides believes the future of nightlife lies in smaller, specialised venues and pop-up events, rather than large-format clubs and spaces trying to appeal to all demographics.
'You have to adapt by doing more with less,' he says.
Saying goodbye to nocturnal Singapore
Mr Abalos (pictured in 2014 during one of Butter Factory's last parties) believes Singapore's nightlife scene used to be more vibrant than it is today.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF MESSIAH ABALOS
Ask any Singaporean what his or her favourite bar is and there is a good chance he or she will look wistfully into the distance and name a place whose doors have shut .
Mr Abalos, the PR consultant, looks back fondly on his time working at bar-restaurant Loof and nightclub Kyo, both of which have shuttered.
'The scene's noticeably less vibrant now,' he says, although he acknowledges many party collectives and new entrants are attempting to fill the void.
'It's becoming much harder to sustain the traditional model of 'just a bar or a club', unless the concept is acclaimed or perceived as value for money,' he says. 'As costs continue to rise across the board, people, especially the younger generation, are increasingly conscious and selective about where and how they spend.'
On the menu for Singapore's nightlife: fewer casual offerings reliant on bar-hopping and proximity to hot spots, and mor e businesses courting patrons in the earlier evenings with events and musical programming that can justify the rare night out.
For Mad & Midas' Mr Arjuna, the gradual loss of the casual late-night drinks and supper habits that once defined Singapore's nocturnal urban culture is cause for concern.
'A city needs unique F&B establishments to bring in tourism, and nightlife is a part of that. People who go out at night support other businesses. If there were no bars and clubs, I think places like (dimsum restaurant) Swee Choon or late-night bak kut teh joints would never have existed.
'It 's our Singapore thing: At night is when we eat and congregate ,' he says, adding that late-night eateries will be impacted by the loss of nightlife and drinking establishments.
Nightlife operators suggest several solutions for supporting the industry: relaxed restrictions on operating hours, more accessible late-night transportation and lower duties on alcohol .
Mr Arjuna says Singapore's alcohol duties can amount to over half the cost of a bottle of spirits, creating a hard limit for businesses trying to bring back crowds by cutting prices.
In October 2024, Hong Kong reduced duties on imported alcoholic beverages as part of a tiered system that imposes lower duties on higher-priced spirits, aiming to revitalise the city's nightlife and tourism.
According to Hong Kong's commerce minister, trading volumes rose by 60 per cent in the first few months of 2025 following the duty reductions.
Mr Arjuna fears many small players in Singapore's nightlife sector will close their doors permanently if nothing is done about the cost of goods and the steep price of participating in nightlife.
'Nightlife is all about spontaneity,' he says. As hot spots fade away, more young adults might never have that experience of piling out of a nightclub to find supper, or welcoming the sunrise at a 24-hour McDonald's after a big night out. 'We're on the last legs of a dying lifestyle.'
Teo Kai Xiang is a journalist at The Straits Times' Life desk, covering emerging trends, unusual subcultures and lesser-known facets of life in Singapore.
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