Colbar – Colonial Bar

4 stars for ambience.
I am unsure of how to categorize Colbar
«Oldschool, good preservation, nostalgic in the midst of modernity?»
it’s specifically the kind of place you hang out with your buddies to catch up and have a few beers. They serve curry chicken rice and other western cuisine. There’s quite a number of expats visiting, there’s an old school charm to it.
They allow dogs as I saw a little frail chihuahua sitting obediently outdoors.
it’s a Little out of place if you’re not driving.
I would say that there are many places who try their darnest to recreate a hipster/​industrial chic meets old school but this is truly genuine.

Tucked away from the rest of Singapore is Coldbar a cool and historic
Place. With construction around its a bit of a challenge but worth it just to hang out and be relaxed and feel like your in another place and time.
Local food is served and a very good price, and you can also get a traditional English breakfast of you are so inclined. Good beer selection and most importantly, COLD!
Great place to hangout away from the tourist and crowds

Our go to place for a casual lunch or dinner. Good selection of local and western food. our particular favs, beef horfun, and a proper English style, eggs, sausage and chips (chunky and homemade) and not forgetting a side order of curry sauce for dipping. Lots of space for kids to run around. We always love it there.

I was going to give this 4 stars but getting to the place is so difficult even by car, due to the new roads and all. Once u reach though, it’s a pretty neat place.
Colbar or Colonial Bar is nestled amidst lush greenery — and not the artificial-​looking, neat rows of plants. It kinda looks like something you stumble upon while trekking through the jungle. That said, it was pleasantly cool when I was there last evening thanks to the afternoon shower; I would think it might get a little humid on other nights.
The high barn-​like ceiling and large concrete floor space makes you feel like you immediately stepped back 60 years into the past where space was not an issue for restaurant owners. And they’ve cleverly kept the authentic «kampung» ambience with the blue-​paint wood plank panels and kopitiam tables and chairs (love it!). It’s actually a really old restaurant (thanks to my know-​it-​all boyfriend) and kudos to them for keeping it this way because the expats living in the area obviously love it. It was crowded even on a Tuesday night!
OK menu — personally I preferred the Chinese food. Served piping hot, the horfun and stir-​fried veg with garlic we had was better than your average zichar stall in the heartlands. The fish n chips was kinda ‘meh’ — nice chunks of potato but the fish was dry. Pork chop was alright too.
The range of craft beer is supposedly impressive (didn’t drink cuz working on my summer body). The great thing is you don’t need to worry about being too noisy in the middle of the jungle.
All in all a good place to chill with old friends, or with your german shepherd (they’re pretty dog-​friendly from what we saw). Just bring cash!

Finally managed to grab dinner here after 2 visits (both times it was closed) and I guess my expectations were a little high the 3^rd time…
But I digress. This place is so rustic, so vintage, so unintentionally cool… Everything the hipsters aspire to be, except for its authenticity. It was originally a bar for British soldiers half a century ago when Singapore was still a colony (hence the name).
Location wise– difficult to get to without a ride (though not impossible). Décor– distinctive blue building with very simple, practical details, none of your carefully sourced vintage kitsch here. A bit too practical, felt even more run down than the hawker center opposite my house (but I suppose that’s part of its authenticity).
Food– surprisingly expensive (was not expecting $ 20-​$ 30 meals here) though came in a good-​sized portion. However, the taste left much to be desired. The ribeye steak I had was fine (but quite salty) but my dining companion commented that his mom could make a better version (yes he’s biased, no she’s not a chef). Mixed grill came with beans which were mehhh.
Overall, it felt like hypertension on a plate.
Would come again for the ambience and the drinks (looks like a very good selection of cider) but as for the food… Maybe not.

This rustic place brings back memories of the bygone era with the house reconstructed using the original design. However, the food quality is certainly not what grandma would have approved. I had a Pork Chop with Mushroom and the food was way too salty which would have raised my gradmas blood pressure up! I had to send the food back and despite that, it was still salty.
Nonetheless it’s a cool hangout place for drinks with its wide array of beverages. Just don’t expect too much for food so I’m giving it a 2 star

Yes, it’s like going back in time. Beer selection good, but found the fridge to be a bit warm. Food is OK. Nothing special. Bottom line — go for a brew and a break from the CBD craze.

What do we do on Fridays? We drink to our hearts’ content as we celebrate the end of another trashy work week. Well, everyone has the same idea of course and come tonight, all the watering holes at Clarke Quay and Robertson alike would be packed with desperate alcoholics.
To escape the crowd and enjoy an ice cold beer (or cider for me) the laid back way, without too many of the CBD worker bees or the local coffeeshop flock, I would head to Colbar at Wessex Estate, an up and coming dining estate. This is probably the most laid back hippie bar, old school Colonial style, in Singapore.
Colbar, or Colonial Bar as it is officially known, was the canteen and unofficial mess for the old British army troops while it was still at Jalan Hang Jebat. The whole bar was literally dismantled part-​by-​part, and all the tiles, timber screens and swing doors were used for the reconstruction of the new Colbar. I’m glad they did all they could to preserve this bit of history.
Simple and old furnishing– Formica tabletops, mini pale green tiles, faded old photographs on frames. Love the air of nostalgia and days long gone. I wish i could travel back in time.
Basic Western and Asian fare is served here. The cooking isn’t great but really, who goes to a bar for food? The highlight here is the impossible selection of imported beers and ciders (mostly English and Irish). Beer lovers rejoice! I saw my favorite Brothers Toffee Apple Cider here. Oh yea.
The outdoor area is very open and i love how it’s surrounded by an oasis of green. Listen to the birds and crickets sing in the background and occasional tune from the arty group next table (highly possible considering the crowd) while enjoying your happy juice. Cheers! You deserve it. ;)

A trip to Colbar is like taking a trip back in time, everything is really retro and vintage. It’s located in Wessex Estate amongst lush greenery and is a great place to chill out on a weekend. It might be a bit out of the way for those who don’t drive but for those who do, it’s worth checking out.
They have a selection of Western favourites and local dishes, very Hainanese in flavour. I particularly love the Hainanese pork chops!

Don’t be surprised if Colonial Bar (or Colbar, as patrons affectionately remember it by) is a living fossil from the days of banana money, with the walls lined with memorabilia from our British colonial rule.
I rather enjoyed their delicious bar fare like the Roasted Chicken Chips & Mushroom (S$ 10), which comes with thick cut potato fritters, and if you’re feeling like reveling in the oldschoolness of it all, take in the flavour of their smoky fried rice ($ 5.50) and ‘reminisce’ about the older days as you look across the room at the road sign that reads JLN HANG JEBAT.
A tiny drawback is the location though, being tucked away in a largely upscale private residential neighbourhood with only one direct bus service (191). This is a great place to bring both new (and old) friends as you laugh the evenings away with blithe smiling faces while knocking back a few cold beers.

Vintage settings, old style table and chairs describe the ambiance at Colbar. Oh and did I mention payment is also in the vintage era, cash only please! Colbar offers a decent selection of beers and ciders along with simple food like chicken chop, fish and chips etc. I order a roast beef and cheese sandwich and was quite surprised that it was basically your regular bread slice with a slice of kraft cheese and small chunks of roast beef almost like an amateur sandwich you would make at home. The bread was even starting to get wet from the juice of the beef which was quite a turn off. And it was served on a side plate, the plastic kind you get at the coffee shop for you soft boil eggs. Granted it suits the outlook of the place, the food can still be greatly improved!

Take a step back into the 60s and enjoy the kampong feel when you visit Colbar. Nestled in the lush greenery of Wessex Estate, Colbar, is a nice, quiet little gathering place that serves up a very delicious smattering of Hainanese inspired western food. The spacious outdoor sitting area makes it a very suitable chill out zone to catch up with a large group of friends, and tables can be moved around freely with the owners consent. The food, while reasonably priced, comes in a fairly small portion, so it might be wise to order some sides to make up for it. Last orders for dining are at 8.30pm but you’re more than welcome to stay for drinks till closing. Dog lovers will be glad to know that animals are welcomed at Colbar, just take note that over the weekends, you’ll get a lot of kids coming along as well, so it might be wise to leash them up.

Pretty extraordinary experience. Colbar feels like you’ve gone back in time or have landed suddenly in Pulau Ubin.
Clean, refurbished, out of the way, and plugged in the middle of trees, and maintaining 100% of its old school charm, this is the perfect weekend hideout.
There’s lots to choose from in the cute old-​style menu, ranging from fried rice to finger food and an inviting selection of beer.
Definitely coming back again and again.