28 HongKong Street’s Tamaryn Cooper reveals where she goes after her 3am shift

At just 25, Ms Tamaryn Cooper is making waves as the head bartender of one of Singapore’s oldest and most iconic cocktail bars, 28 HongKong Street.

A rising star in the industry, the British-Thai bartender’s journey began in 2017, when she dropped out of university in Britain to pursue tattoo artistry against her parents’ wishes.

“My parents said, ‘Okay, if that’s the decision you want to make, you’re on your own, you have to fend for yourself’,” Ms Cooper says.

To support herself, she began taking up stints in the food and beverage industry, eventually moving to Bangkok at the age of 19 for a job at Sofitel – her first time working at an establishment with a bar.

Though too young to bartend due to Thailand’s legal restrictions, she had her sights set on the craft early on.

“For the longest time, I was looking through the curtain at the bar area, wishing that I was over there instead of on the boring side, which is the service area,” says Ms Cooper.

When she made the transition to bartending at the age of 20, she won the Campari Bartending Competition Thailand with just a month of experience under her belt.

That surprise win kick-started her career and opened the doors to bigger stints in the industry in Thailand – leading to her joining 28 HongKong Street to become its head bartender in 2023.

28 HongKong Street has been a regular presence on the list of Asia’s Best Bars for most of the past decade and held the top spot on the list’s inaugural ranking in 2016.

Ms Cooper says the bar – which has been around for 13 years – intends to stay true to its speakeasy concept and strong focus on ambience.

“It’s a must-see. Every time you’re in Singapore, even for a short while, you make a point to come here because it’s such an iconic institution of the Singapore bar industry.”

The bar’s current menu, launched in July, was created in collaboration with local tattoo artists, with each artist’s original design serving as the inspiration for a cocktail.

Ms Cooper’s favourite is Femme Fatality ($28), a gin-based cocktail with absinthe, chrysanthemum, Benedictine and honey vermouth. It is inspired by a female samurai piece by local artist Of Gods And Monsters celebrating the women of Singapore’s bar industry.

For first-time visitors, she recommends the Burung Batikan ($26), a batik-inspired drink made with Aba pisco, rambutan shrub, St Germain and Mancino Sakura vermouth.

On her move to Singapore, Ms Cooper says the country’s competitive nightlife scene was a big culture shock for her.

“There are just so many bars and it’s such a small country,” she says, adding that establishments here are constantly fighting to stand out amid a crowded pack, many of them award-winning establishments with an international reputation.

For her, the secret to standing out comes down to finding the right tribe.

“Any bar can make great drinks, a great vibe, great ambience and great music, but a really difficult thing to find in a lot of bars – especially these days – is a good team,” she says. “And if you do find it, that’s what makes your bar stand out. That’s what makes it get the recognition that it deserves.”

With that, The Straits Times invited Ms Cooper to share her top picks for favourite establishments and industry hot spots.

Where do you unwind after work?

My go-to after work is Skinny’s Lounge in Boat Quay because it’s a two-minute walk from here.

It’s an industry hub because it’s a dive bar that opens till late. I think bartenders – when you’re working in these cocktail bars – kind of get sick of this environment, so you want to go to a dive bar and get a beer and hot dog. At the end of the day, you want something more real, more simple.

Unfortunately, because we close super late at 3am, I only ever get there in time to have one drink before it closes (at around the same time).

Fortunately, there’s a spot next to it called Star Bagawan, which has outdoor seating on the riverside. You can get beer towers and it’s run by this lovely family.

The mum’s the door host, the dad’s the manager inside and the son is the manager outside. I like going there for a nice beer by the river and sometimes see otters swimming under the bridge.

What bars left a lasting impression when you first arrived here?

The first bar I went to when I arrived in Singapore was Atlas in North Bridge Road. It’s very grand, very big and beautiful. 

But the bar that caught my eye was Analogue Initiative at Chijmes, though it is unfortunately closing at its current location in November.

It is such a beautiful bar with a strong focus on design. Every time I’ve taken someone there, he or she has been impressed. Its sister bar Native in Amoy Street is just as good.

Another spot that impressed me is The Elephant Room in Tanjong Pagar Road.

When I first came to Singapore, it was still in its original spot in Keong Saik Road. The new location is even better. Its new menu is amazing with good food – it’s a great place to go and grab dinner while having some drinks.

What’s a bar that is definitely worth queueing for?

Night Hawk in Tanjong Pagar Road. It’s been getting a lot of hype recently and it is well deserved. It has been open for a while now and it is only just recently getting worldwide attention.

The service there is unmatched right now. It has good people who put a lot of attention into making sure you are not just getting a good drink, but also a good experience.

For the space that it has, it has really utilised it well because it’s such a tiny venue.

Most unusual concept you’ve encountered?

I like what they’re doing at Fura in Amoy Street.

It opened in 2023 and made it to the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2024, which was an amazing jump for a new bar. It is doing something cool – focusing on sustainable ingredients – and I think there’s no competition in the market for what it is doing at the moment.

Which new kid on the block has caught your eye?

I love White Shades in Boon Tat Street. I’ve had great experiences both times I’ve been there. It has a good Japanese-influenced style: izakaya-style bar bites and Japanese 1980s-style City Pop. The hospitality is amazing and the drinks are fantastic.

Is there a hidden gem that you don’t want to gatekeep?

Nost in Club Street. It has been open for quite a while but struggled to find a permanent space until recently. Now, it is set up on the third floor above Low Tide.

It is run by a cool group of guys who are young and funny, and have great personalities. It serves good food – not just bar bites but proper good food – and the drinks are even better.

What’s your favourite bar in Singapore (other than your own)?

Right now, I would say Side Door in Neil Road. It’s run by Tryson Quek and Bannie Kang, an amazing couple. Tryson’s the chef and Bannie’s the bartender.

Bannie won the World Class Global Bartender of the Year award in 2019 and the Mancino Bartenders’ Bartender Award in 2021, a prize given to the bartender voted on by the head bartenders of Asia’s 50 Best Bars.

They have great hospitality. They just released their new menu and everything I’ve tried on it has been great.

- Your Favourite Bar’s Favourite Bar is a series where The Straits Times dives into the hidden gems and iconic spots that Singapore’s top bartenders and bar owners love to frequent.

This article was originally published in The Straits Times.