Wine Connection

I’m very torn about this place. It has a really nice menu with decent food and wine at reasonable prices, which is a recipe for success in an area like Katong/​Joo Chiat. It’s flabbergasting how many other similar venues failed in this neighborhood because they didn’t get the price/​quality balance right, and Wine Connection has to be commended for not assuming that just because there’s more expats living here, there’s a market for European food at 30+ dollars a dish, and wine at 15+ dollars a glass.
They do a lot of things right, from, again, reasonable prices for reasonable food and wine, to a pretty well done interior that gives the right ambiance, to — finally — reasonably late opening hours, something unheard of in this still pathetically early closing neighbourhood! Yes everyone else on east coast road and Joo Chiat, are you listening? If you want to ever become the Holland Village of the east, last order at 9:30 won’t cut it.
Now, to my biggest, and only issue with Wine Connection, which is a total deal breaker: the noise. This place is popular, and generally quite full, and the interior architect who was responsible for making this place look trendy-​hip seems to have gone to great lengths to carefully choose materials that are sure to create the absolute maximum possible reverb, with everyone’s voices bouncing off tiled floor, glass/​concrete walls, making this place about as loud as the runway at Changi. Having dinner with spouse becomes an eternal ‘say again’ match, unless you’re willing to join in with everyone else and scream your voice hoarse.
Wine Connection would be an easy 4 star, but unless the noise is addressed — and it’s not so hard, use fabric on the ceiling and it will be much better — it’s a 3.

Alcohol is ridiculously expensive in Singapore and so my co-​workers and I were very excited when our new office moved very close to Wine Connection. I’m not going to say that the wine is cheap, but the prices are decent. You can get a bottle of wine for as low as $ 30! I have to say that that’s pretty good for any country standards.
Although the place says that it’s a tapas bar, there is a fairly limited tapas menu, and not that exciting. But I have to say that the fried risotto is pretty fabulous. Their normal food menu, which are all full sized dishes, are all good. The pasta dishes are well cooked and are tasty. The pizza is a bit on the dry side, but good.
This is really the place to come if you want to share a bottle of wine with your friends (or maybe just with yourself.) The atmosphere is lively, although it can be very loud. I will, no doubt, be coming here often.

The auntie inside is friendly, knowledgeable and ready to assist. Most of the stuff is rather affordable, and they also carry more exotic items. I was looking for Velho Barreiro, a Brazilian liqour and popped by to check if WC carried it. Unfortunately no, but the auntie was quick to point out other rums the shop carried. Still, my heart was set on only the Velho Barreiro. After poking about the place, I found a tiny range of Elixia Lemonade at the back of the shop. Artisan lemonade from France! It was really a be-​still-​my-​beating-​heart moment. And what’s even better was that they carried both the 330ml version as well as the 750ml one, and even the wild strawberry flavoured version. You’d think they’d be pricy but nope, it’s all wallet friendly.

Perfect if you’re stocking up on your own supply, heading to a house party or simply want to chill out by one of Singapore’s river with a few select friends (or just by yourself) with a good bottle of wine.
What’s great about Wine Connection is that besides the fancier, more expensive stuff you can find instore, the first thing you see as you enter or walk by are the bottles on offer… and they’re often really good offers.
I recently got a bottle of red for $ 14, and though I’m not enough of a wine expert to describe it in detail, it was good wine, and it was really cheap. So, look out for these offers if you’re in an economical state of mind.
Head all the way inside and you’ll find gourmet bites like truffle oil, spreads, fancy cheese and then some.
The only thing about this place I dislike is that they sell Foie Gras, which we all know is about as cruel as shark fin. Besides that, this place is great for all the gooood wine and excellent prices they have to offer.