We had planned an early evening aperitif at Raffles hotel one afternoon, before heading back from dinner. But it was raining.
A lot.
So we settled for an after lunch tipple.
Raffles Hotel opened its doors in 1887 and has been magnificent ever since.
^ Not the best photo of the front, but it was taken as a wild "point, shoot, hope" shot whilst two of us huddled/ran under an umbrella
The hotel has it all: bars, shops, tailors (ya’know, in case you need a bespoke suit made on a whim?), a divine Afternoon Tea which I did last time I visited (thoroughly recommended!!) and of course the Institution that is The Long Bar. But first...
Happy to be under shelter, away from the rain, we gaily meandered though the gorgeous walkways and up elegant stair cases exploring.
Even stopping for a quick wash along the way…
...before getting a whiff of our destination and heading there in full force!
"To The Long Bar!"
They said it not me. You are actively encouraged to throw your monkey nut shells on the floor!
When the bowls on the tables get too full, the waiters come along, pick them up, and empty them.
On to the floor!
I loved it.
But enough about peanut shells.
Now for the drinks.
The Singapore Sling is celebrating its 100th birthday! I don’t know about you, but the fact that a drink has a birthday makes it ok by me.
First created by Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender in the bar, it was designed for the ladies of the upper classes. At the time it was considered inappropriate for ladies to drink in public, so the Singapore Sling was born to allow them all to get boozy without judgement. Hurrah!
That said, I didn't really like the sound of the Singapore Sling, so I opted for a Summer Sling instead.
We passed a very pleasurable afternoon sipping, cracking and dropping to our hearts content.
Although there's no air-con, these amazing fans keep you surprisingly well vented while you sip on your ice-cold little cocktail.
After a couple hours, we deemed we had added sufficiently to the Shell carpet. So we settled up and stepped back into the marginally brighter outside world.
I’ll point out, the little Slings definitely aren’t the cheapest of drinks. Small but mighty in the strength department, the same can be said for their price tag and the prices are all quoted "SGD ++” to indicate that VAT and Service should be added, so it does add up. I think it worked out to about 18 squids a drink, which would have been fine for one...
But oh well, it was a holiday!
I'm sorry this whole post was so photo heavy again! Note to Self: be more selective. I think I still just get carried away with wanting to share everything, not just the super, bumper best bits!
Thank you for reading though! Next Up in the Singapore series, Tourist Days {part 2}.
CB x
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