Fordham & Grand

F&G was pretty decent, but not too noteworthy. The dishes were good. We liked the lobster pasta and eggplant appetiser. The tomato salad was however a bit sparse. I was not too impressed with the wine selection and noticed many of the same labels seen at other restaurants. We had a good waiter who spent time explaining the dishes and specials. The décor is mostly black, which creates a nice, subdued feeling.

Great drinks but crowded given its proximity to clark quay. Drinks are overly expensive but hey, they are craft and well made. Nice staff who gave us recommendation of other speakeasy type bars to try.

Was just there and discovered an awesome wine. Also; the steak is pretty good. My mom had the linguine … Delicious!!!

We had the loveliest experience dining here one evening. I couldn’t find the door but it was a pleasant surprise. The bartender, David and Vincent are a great duo and bring personality to the drinks. The food is good and honest. The cooks/​chefs have great culinary experiences so expect quality dishes. Save space for dessert, I regret not doing so. More reasons to come back for more.

I’ve lived in Singapore for one whole year! WOOOOO!
Initially, I was supposed celebrate this momentous occasion by having dinner with my husband at 81 Duxton, but when I arrived and inquired about my reservation, the server quickly said, «We don’t have any reservations tonight.» Super weird. Instead of causing a ruckus (I heard bad reviews of the place anyway) I decided to change venue and go to F&G instead, since it was within walking distance.
I think fate brought me there to have a good time! Miguel was going to be an hour late, and although I had no reservation on a Friday night, the staff at F&G had a spot for me at the bar (my favorite spot anyway) and I was able to spend the hour sipping one of their wonderful cocktails.
My first choice was the g’imlet (not sure why it had an apostrophe in the name.) There was nothing special in the presentation, but taste-​wise it was on par with the cocktails that I’m used to having in NYC. I wanted to stick with the same alcohol, so when I asked the bartender for a recommendation, he mentioned that there’s a contest in Singapore for the best gin&tonic style drink. Places like 28 Hong Kong Street and Spiffy Dapper are participating and creating their own take on this classic cocktail. Once you’ve tried a few, you’re supposed to vote for your favorite on Facebook. F&G’s take is called an «autumn tonic», and I swear it took the guy 10 minutes to make. The process is very complicated, but the wait was well worth it, especially since it was served in a tea cup! I’m tempted to vote for it on Facebook, even though I haven’t tried anyone else’s!
For dinner, I ordered the 2 most popular dishes– the green pea risotto and the lobster linguine. Both were a treat! The risotto had a light flavor and was garnished beautifully. I loved the subtlety of the seafood flavors in the linguine, along with the decent portion of lobster.
Although I was full, Miguel wanted dessert, so we went for the one with banana, chocolate, and ice cream. Divine. I also noticed that a lot of couples were ordering only drinks and dessert; looks like this is a good after dinner spot as well.
A name like Fordham and Grand sounds familiar to me and Miguel, because it reminds us of the Bronx in New York. Miguel finally asked the bartender where they got the name, and sure enough, he confirmed that the bar was named after Fordham Road and Grand Avenue in the Bronx. Apparently, there used to be a lot of speakeasies in that area during prohibition. To add to the New York feel, the interior is dark with almost no windows, which help you forget that you’re in Singapore. A quote from Billy Joel’s «Piano Man» seems fitting, with the idea of «making love to your tonic and gin.»
Add in their humorous menu (they’ll give you high fives if you order a double, and they have a blank page for their non-​alcoholic beverages) and I’m in love. Lesson learned– make a reservation on Chope next time and enjoy a trip down memory lane in «mini New York»!

Fordham & Grand is a wonderful concept. The venue is one of the best looking in Singapore, in my opinion. Totally understated but oozing class and not a trendy gimmick to be seen anywhere. It’s all dark, wooden, leathery and wonderful.
They have a pretty good drinks list and an interesting supper menu. The inclusions of Ortiz anchovies and Willett Rye Whisky both warm the cockles of my heart.
But the recent departure of their head bartender, Tron, has dented the bar’s credentials. The drinks aren’t bad — sure — and the service is both professional and hospitable. The food is pretty good also. I had a bite of late night steak here and it was wonderful (and a bargain at $ 20). Their pamplemousse Negroni is still an interesting drink. But there’s a certain amount of finesse behind the bar that seems to have disappeared along with Tron.
Fordham remains one of my Singapore favourites. Let’s hope they find an able replacement for Tron so that it can take its place in the pantheon of Singapore’s best bars.
Pro tip: this is something of an industry hangout, due to its late opening hours (til 3am! Awesome!). Come by on weeknights to see bartenders and sous chefs from around Chinatown smashing down shots and gobbling fries.

It’s 1am and i just left Fordham and Grand and I simply have to rave about this place. The food is great and the service stellar. Strong and yummeh cocktails too! Was recommended this blueberry cocktail which was very refreshing. In short, go with the server’s recommendation. They really know their stuff.
We had the burrata, tartare (salmon I think), lobster linguine, kurobuta sausages, banana bread and French toast and we were very happy with every dish.
Will certainly be back again!

I went into this place with high hopes, and as we sat down and admired the dimly lit, yet classy ambiance, it was a nice place to just talk. We were going there after dinner for a few drinks.
But when my first drink appeared, those hopes clashed with reality, and I was very disappointed. The Black Russian I had tasted very strange, and tasted watered down almost, which is odd considering both ingredients have alcohol. Also, my friend C ordered a Jameson straight, but when it arrived, we both wondered where the drink was. Haha.
Overall, disappointing. Beautiful surroundings, and good mood for relaxing and talking with friends, but they need better quality and consistency with their drinks.

I’ve had a lot of watered-​down drinks in Singapore, and in this bar I had one of the best Manhattans I’ve had in recent memory. It’s quiet and beautifully decorated, and the service is excellent. It’s on the whole an extremely slick, hip, and yet relaxing experience. I also had a great conversation with the staff about the best bars in the area; they were friendly and knowledgeable. I was extremely pleased.

Updated review for the supper menu.
I had previously very generously bestowed 4 stars on F&G, but either the standards have waned or the supper menu was never that good to begin with. So as per my last review, where I listed in an orderly fashion all the things I loved, let me share some updates.
1. Service
Perhaps there is a different set of crew for Supper? Or… have the good peeps left? Very unimpressed that I had ordered a sparkling water and it cropped up to be a 750ml bottle… for myself! Surprised that they could not let me know that this amount of water was just slightly excessive for one person?
2. Food
My friend remarked that he could drive to Mickey Dees and get the same quality fries. Which was true.
The calamari was good, but for $ 15ish bucks?
Steak and fries were purportedly good and at a reasonable price.
3. Lack of crowd
Still the same. But perhaps because it wasn’t as wonderful an experience as before. On a Saturday night? Hmm.
Suggest only patronizing for dinner. The search goes on for a decent supper place :)

Had a simple dinner of lobster pasta, pan seared fish of the day and a bucket of fries. All our dishes were good. What I liked most about the place is its central yet quiet location. Makes for rather intimate gatherings. Nice ambience and I’d certainly be back especially if I’m craving a late night meal with drinks.

What is it with these new places?
I can’t decide if I’ll be back because it seems so similar to the many gastrobars and hole in the wall cocktail bars that we see mushrooming in every gentrified district in the city.
The service was efficient but cold. The drinks looked promising but were very tame (a watered down old fashioned is unforgivable in my books).
The only saving grace, aside from the menu design, was the green pea risotto, done just so. I daresay it’s the least pretentious thing on the menu!

give me a second i
i need to get my story straight
michelle is in the bathroom getting higher than the empire state
my Unilocalers they are waiting for me
just across the bar
my seat’s been taken by some pineapples
asking ’bout a tart
and i know i gave 5 out at wok & barrel
i know you’re trying to forget
but between the drinks and subtle things
those golden wings on my jeans
you know I’m trying hard to show my back
so if by the time the bar closes
and you feel like falling down
i’ll carry you home
tonight
we are Unilocal
so let’s set fordham on fire
grand can burn brighter
than the sun
tonight
we are Unilocal
so let’s set fordham on fire
grand can burn brighter
than the sun
now if elite or not
Unilocal’s all that you got
i guess that i
i just thought maybe marcus and josh could give you tarts
but our friends are back
so let’s raise a toast
cause i found someone to carry me home
tonight
we are Unilocal
so let’s set fordham on fire
grand can burn brighter
than the sun
tonight
we are young
so let’s set fordham on fire
grand can burn brighter
than the sun
whiskey sours tonight
raw oysters and squid tonight
whiskey sours tonight
raw oysters and squid tonight
amanda’s by kah’s side
i have no reason to run
so will someone come and carry me home tonight
angeline never arrived
but I can hear the choir
so will someone come and carry me home
tonight
we are Unilocal
so let’s set fordham on fire
grand can burn brighter
than the sun
tonight
we are Unilocal
so let’s set fordham on fire
grand can burn brighter
than the sun
so if by the time
the bar closes
and you feel like falling down
i’ll carry you home tonight

I had been handed the business card of this new bar by a dear friend as kind of a parting gift. «Here, go to this bar, it will make you remember me.» And it does since my friend is always on the lookout for the next cool speakeasy type bar.
Luckily, I had the chance to visit last night with a large group of Unilocalers, always good company. My first order was their version of a dark and stormy, my go-​to cocktail on the East coast. This dark and stormy was very different. It lacked the ginger taste and instead was very citrusy and served in a martini glass. It was delicious and went down quickly, but under a blind taste test I wouldn’t classify it as a dark and stormy. The rum was masked under the lime. I did enjoy my diligent water refills.
In the meantime my husband has ordered a single shot of whiskey and it was probably the smallest pour any of us had seen in our lives. He was mad for a while.
Anyway, the night went on and we very much enjoyed ourselves. We all drooled over the dinner and then supper menu but didn’t order anything. I will give this bar props for serving food until 2pm. Chances are I will come back for that.
After the Unilocalers dispersed a few of our crew stumbled in so we joined them at the bar where I had their Kentucky bourbon cocktail. All I tasted was the bourbon so I had to let it sit in the ice for a while. This gave me time to nibble on my friends chorizo and prosciutto platter: so good.
By 1:30 we were exhausted and headed home. I would say that the cocktails are good here if not exactly true to their moniker. The food looks and smells promising. I would be sure to sit at the bar to get the best service.

Opened a month ago and it is piped to be a speakeasy that serves a full dinner menu till 4am!
Hidden in a nondescript shophouse along Craig Road, you have to look out for their signature piggy sign for the entrance. Space is dark, intimate and classy.
I didn’t try any food, was only here for drinks and they are good.
A place to remember if you need real food in the wee hours, to go down with some good cocktails.