June 24th, 2011
Since opening in July 2010, 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar has enjoyed great popularity with both locals and visitors to Singapore. Most nights find queues at the street level entrance to the express lifts to the rooftop of 1 Raffles Place – Singapore’s tallest building. The killer views no doubt are a major attraction- with fantastic 360 degree panoramic vistas across Singapore city, the adjacent coastline and the nearby islands of Indonesia. Being atop the tallest building in Singapore makes the bar the highest point on the island- at 282 metres above sea level, and 1-Altitude also lays claim to being the world’s highest rooftop bar.
The 1-Altitude complex actually occupies the top 3 levels of 1 Raffles Place- on the rooftop 63rd level is the split level 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar, on Level 62 is Stellar – a fine dining restaurant offering an extensive range of cuisine- including sushi, homemade charcuterie, fresh oysters, wood fired grill & rotisserie, and selections of Patisseries.
On level 61 are the sports bar 282, and CityGolf– with state of the art indoor golf simulators. (see separate review article here)
The layout of the rooftop 1-Altitude comprises of a lower entrance level from the lift lobby with a open courtyard area with the DJ station at one end, and the main bar sunken into one side of the wall. Steps lead up to the upper level with an open, chest-high glass walled decking area around the entire perimeter of the rooftop space. Bar stations are located at opposite corners of the rooftop, and the entire upper decking space has groupings of daybeds, bar stools and tables, and comfortable soft seating providing a casual contemporary style. And then of course there are the views! From every section of the upper area are spectacular views over the city and surrounds, and the period around sunset is always a perfect time to catch the transition to nighttime, and as the city “lights up”. 1-Altitude attracts both the early ‘after-work” / sunset drinks crowds, and then although busy most of the evening, really picks up again when the after-dinner drinks and party crowd start arriving. Resident and guest DJs spin smooth, laid back beats late into the nights.
The drinks offerings at 1-Altitude are extensive in range and depth- comprising large selections of cocktails- both classics and signature creations of the resident mixologists; “Whisky Flight Selections” of 3 x aged single malts, 3 x “Best of Japan” and 3 x “Best of Scotland”. These are complimented by an eclectic range of whiskys sourced from the traditional countries of Scotland, Ireland, Japan and USA, plus less common producers such as India and Wales. The variety of aged single malts available is most impressive.
French NV and vintage champagnes, plus a selection of mostly New World wines are suitably matched to the items on the food menu.
Draft and bottled beers, premium spirits, fruit drinks, sodas, coffees and teas complete the drink menu.
The food menu is based around a selection of flat Turkish breads – served with a selection of dips; 12 inch pizzas , and a selection of snack platters- “spicy”, “satay” and “cheese”, and a selection of tapas plates- all perfect for sharing- either pre-dinner or for late night snacks.
As 1-Altitude maintains it’s status as one of the “must visit” bars in Singapore, it is always recommended to call ahead and make a reservation to avoid queuing for entrance. There is an entry fee of S$20 for a premium drink and S$18 for a standard drink.
1-Altitude Gallery & Bar
Address: Rooftop, 63rd Floor at 1 Raffles Place, Singapore 048616
MRT station: Raffles Place
Reservations: +65. 6438 0410
Website: http://www.1-altitude.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/1Altitude
Opening Hours: Open daily
Monday – Thursday 6:00pm ~ 2:00 a.m
Friday & Saturday 6:00pm~ 4:00 a.m
Sunday 6:00pm ~ 1:00am
