Copper

Copper is a small steampunk themed bar located on the first floor of a shop house on Jiak Chuan Rd. Careful thought and consideration have been put into every detail (the décor, the cocktails, and the food menu) — and they get most of it right!
The Décor: The bar is small, but they make good use of the space. There’s a long raised upholstered banquet bench seat along one wall. All of the tables are raised with bar height tripod stools. Although I had a great seat on the comfortable banquet, some of the other guests were uncomfortable (and exposed feeling) awkwardly perched on top of the high stools. The stools were chosen because they perfectly fit the theme, but are a huge mistake and negatively impact the experience.
The entire space is themed: Cool lighting fixtures, old wooden tables, aged and distressed parchment menus, vintage looking tripod stools, A faux patina copper ceiling and bar, an expansive and intricately detailed wall of shadow boxes. In the restroom, a framed vintage ad for «Steam Engine Sales and Distribution» sits behind the toilet while the sound of an operating steam engine fills the small room. Hats off to the owners and designers who made this such an immersive environment. Guests will appreciate all of these details.
The Cocktails: Copper is a full service bar, but specializes in delicious Gin based cocktails. There’s an extensive list of infused gins with flavors like basil, pink peppercorn, and lavender, I stuck with a Tanqueray Ten and Tonic (served in real copper mug!) but tasted a few of my friends’ concoctions and would have been happy with most any of them. There were no complaints on the drinks!
The Food: With a restaurant upstairs, a large kitchen is located downstairs behind the bar. They are serving up a delicious menu of bar snacks. With 7 in our group, we tried several items: The Char Siew Sliders, Mac & Cheese Balls, Crispy Pig’s Ear, Spam & Fries, Potato Skins, Nachos, Sisig Crostini. Standouts were the Sliders, Crostini, and the Spam. All of us disliked the Beef Tendon Nachos and left most of it untouched. Beef tendons and a cheese sauce served under temperature on a small plate of cold bagged tortilla chips — this item should be removed from the menu or the recipe reworked. A more traditional minced beef nacho served on homemade tortilla chips would be more successful. They make too much use of a runny thin cheese/​cream sauce that gets squirted onto everything — the potatoes, nachos, mac & cheese balls. The food is not quite gourmet, but for bar grub it’s above average.
The Service: Our server was attentive and helpful. In such a small space, he was never far away and kept the food and drinks flowing.
The Good: The décor, the service, the cocktails, and the food all elevate this venue into a destination, and make it more than just a neighborhood hangout.
The Bad: One of their aircon units was broken. It was warm when we arrived but as the room filled with guests, the temperature became increasingly unbearable. I’d like to see this concept in a larger space. My fear is arriving and being forced to perch atop one of the tripod stools. Beef Tendon Nachos, runny cheese sauce, and bagged tortilla chips should be improved.
The Verdict: Copper is a great little bar with a whole lot to like. We arrived at 7:30. By 9, the place was standing room only. Looking forward to a return visit. No reservations so arrive early to get a good spot.

Copper is a newish bar right off of Keong Saik Road that also recently added a more serious food menu. We only stopped by the bar, and for the most part, it’s a nice addition to the area. The entrance is verynon-​descript and once inside, it has a dark cozy feel. The specialty here is gin and lots of it — in bottles and house infused versions. They also have 4 variations of negronis, and while they were decent, not sure if I would serve them on the rocks. We also tried a couple of dishes and the lamb keftas were awesome. Served with a spicy harissa sauce, the skewers were grilled beautifully, packed with flavor and not dry at all. The Babi guling tacos didn’t quite live up to expectations though. They looked like hand rolls and the ratio of tortilla to filling and the texture of the babi guling were a bit off. The kitchen now is serving 5 and 8 course dinners upstairs, and the menu looks ambitious for a bar. In any case, Copper shows promise and next time, would like to try more of the food, if not a tasting menu, as well as some of their house infused gin.

I liked this bar. They smartly used a small space and created a hide-​out and a go-​to for snacks and cocktails.
A friend recommended Copper for its lamb skewers. Served with a spicy peanut sauce and flat bread, the lamb was alright. Quite delish, but definitely not up to par with Xinjiang lamb skewers that you get on the streets in China.
We couldn’t resist the spam fries. Really, who can? They were cutely packaged in a spam tin and served crispy good. I love!
Then we had the bbq buns which were sweet. The bread wasn’t warm but kinda charred and yums. Got the babi guiling (pork) tacos too — not my fave thing because they were packed with onions.
Come on a Wednesday night and it’s free flow of prosecco for the ladies till 9pm. Such a tip. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to add this slip but here you go, a bonus for reading this to the end! Overall a lovely spot — enjoy great company there!