8 of the sexiest bartenders in Singapore

A good night out with your girls is not just about tipping back martinis till you’re gone for good. It’s the whole experience, the ambience of the place, the creativity and taste of the cocktails you’re sipping… Not to mention it doesn’t hurt to get a serving of eye candy along with your drink.

We rounded up some of the best and sexiest bartenders. Some of them come from the best bars in the world, and some of them are known for their crazily innovative drinks. But all of them have their own unique charm.

Click on the arrow to see our list.

Photo: 123RF

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The Ottomani is one our favourite places to hang. This secret supper club hidden behind Fat Prince has delicious food that’s roasted over a pit, a warm and inviting atmosphere with flame-lit lamps everywhere and the bartenders mix their drinks at push trolleys and roll them along to your table to serve you.

Thomas Sobota, the Head Bartender of The Ottomani is one of the friendliest and charming bartenders we’ve met, with a quick smile (and maybe a wink) with each order. We love the impeccable service, not just from him, but the other bartenders as well.

What to try: Ask Thomas to make a bespoke drink if he has the time. We’ve tried one of his creations and weren’t disappointed.

Location: The Ottomani is at 48 Peck Seah St.

Instagram: @sobotatomas

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Luke Whearty, the owner and bartender of Operation Dagger is known for his cocktails that are insanely creative. We’re talking fermented, and frozen ingredients, as well as distillations from unlikely ingredients such as white chocolate and matcha.

The menu is will soon be updated, so be sure to check the official Instagram account for the new 2018 menu.

What to try: Go for the Macadamia. It’s made with roasted and distilled macadamia, vinegar caramel, and bronze fennel for that nutty, herbaceous and invigorating flavour.

Location: Operation Dagger is at 7 Ann Siang Hill.

Instagram: @lukewookie

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Vijay Mudaliar at Native has caused quite a stir last year, in a great way. Though the bar’s been around for less than a year, it became one of the world’s best bars in 2017, number 47 to be precise. Vijay himself won Bartender of the Year at regional Bar Awards.

And it’s not just about the awards. His cocktail Antz, which is made with real weaver ants (foraged in Singapore), and garnished with much bigger Thai-imported ants on a leaf. We’re not sure how to feel about the ants. 

But know that a high part of Vijay’s philosophy is about foraging natural ingredients and using lesser known stuff that comes from regional sources. Now that’s something we dig.

What to try: If you don’t want to try the ant cocktail (and we don’t fault you for that), get the Mango Lassi, a concoction of mango, pomegranate molasses, Indian rum, and yoghurt whey that he makes from milk sourced from a Singaporean dairy farm. 

Location:  Native is at 52a Amoy St.

Instagram: @vijaymgp

Photo: News Asia

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Dario Knox would have probably been an Italian-English translator today, if he didn’t take up bartending as a means to pay for his school fees.

We’re glad for it too. With his creativity, he ended up winning bartending competitions and moving to Singapore to start the FOC Group, which owns The Other Room.

He treats The Other Room as his own laboratory to create unique cocktails that he infuses and finishes himself with casks and spices. The cocktails are beautiful, both in presentation and flavour, as they’re made with all sorts of ingredients, such as spices, roots, coffees, fruits, and even barks.

What to try: Since there are so many different types of drinks available, ask the bartender for a recommendation. But if you want a bit of fun, get the passport ($10) which requires thirty chops (one chop for each drink you buy) to unlock a drink from the secret menu. We can’t say what drinks are on the menu though, you’ll have to find out yourself!

Location: The Other Room is at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel,320 Orchard Rd.

Instagram: @darioknox

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The man on the left is Christian Hartmann. He started out as a bartender since 2005, but moved towards operations and management over the years. But that doesn’t hold him back from developing cocktail menus.

Today, he’s co-owner and manager of Vasco, a Latin bar that brings out the best of southern America, think of countries like Peru, Chile and Bolivia.

What to try: Get any of their signature cocktails for some of that authentic Latin American flavours. All of their cocktails use spirits that are only from South America. So don’t expect vodka or whiskey. Instead, you’ll be tasting pisco, cachaca, and rum.

Location: Vasco is at 42 Hongkong St.

Instagram: @thechristianhartmann

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He’s one of our very own local boys, and he gets his inspiration for drinks from Mustafa Centre, since he says the ingredients there are really interesting.

Boo Jing Heng was the Singapore winner for the Diageo World Class Competition and used to work at Jigger and Pony. To date, you can find him at Tess Bar & Kitchen, whipping up bespoke cocktails to pair with the western food you can order there.

What to try: Get the gorgeous sangria here. It’s garnished with lime rinds and topped with flowers such as baby’s breath and orchids. Such a pretty sight!

Location: Tess Bar & Kitchen is at 38 Seah St.

Instagram: @boojingheng

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He’s just 24 years old and has a boyish charm about him. Vladyslav Buzko from Ukraine is serving up magical looking cocktails, at Elixir Bar, located in Kuvo Restaurant.

The menu includes ‘elixirs’ such as Luck, Beauty, and Courage, as well as mythology themed drinks such as Anubis and Nefertiti Potions.

What to try: We assume you like the whole theme of a magical experience, so we recommend the showy Jupiter Cocktail that comes served in a sea of fire.

Location: Kuvo is at 321 Orchard Rd, Orchard Shopping Centre.

Instagram: @waazzapcocktails

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Another local bartender we have to feature is Edwin Kho, who works at The Rabbit Hole, that beautiful gin garden bar by the Lo & Behold Group. He too had a different start to his career, having initially worked as a barista, but he’s not turned back ever since he started 3 years ago.

In addition to making the drinks at The Rabbit Hole, he also heads the gin and tonic programme there, and holds many gin master classes and tasting sessions, so you can also know your way around gin.

What to try: Honestly, all their G&T cocktails look so pretty with flowers, fruits and bitters in each large glass, so we’re having a hard time deciding. Just go with your favourite ingredients.

Location: The Rabbit Hole is at 39C Harding Rd

Instagram: @edwin_91

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