Like the painting for which it’s named, Night Hawk has a timeless feel to it, simultaneously retro and futuristic, which extends not only to the design, but the approach to drinks here too. 

While the Edward Hopper masterpiece depicts a diner, Night Hawk in Singapore is most assuredly a cocktail bar, and a striking one at that. Located behind sister venue and cafe Five Oars Coffee Roasters Heritage, the bar features an abundance of mirrors, and decor that combines warm wood elements with striking chrome details, all lit by LED smart lights that can be adjusted to suit the mood. They also highlight the venue’s centrepiece – a backbar that spans the length of the room, holding more than 200 bottles. This is a stylish, elegant space, and a cosy one at that, with room for just 25 guests.

Like the decor, drinks here take inspiration from the past while simultaneously looking to the future. These are presented as a matchbook, of the kind you’d find in an upmarket hotel back in the day, but with a modern touch in the form of a QR code that leads to the menu itself. The drinks on the list all draw on the classics, but made with contemporary techniques, and with an eye on the future too. The bar’s namesake cocktail, Nighthawks, takes inspiration from the Espresso Martini, but is made with rum, vodka, amaro, cold brew concentrate and MSG, finished with a warm maple coconut foam.

Drinks here are presented with inventive elements that are either edible or reusable, such as the white chocolate wax seal served with the Nighthawks, or the mini pancake and smoked maple mousse with the Kick Artist Fix, a maple pancake-inspired Manhattan. Non-alcoholic options are far from an afterthought, with a selection made using in-house ingredients, and some zero-ABV replicas of the menu drinks too.

Space is at a premium here, to the extent that the bar counter was made to accommodate various equipment brought out for prep, including sous vide, centrifuge, dehydrator and Thermomix. These are used to create an array of ingredients, including cordials and syrups.

When they’re not working, the diverse team enjoy various outings and events together, including dinner parties at the owner’s house, and there’s budget allocated for international guest shifts too. The bar is supportive of side hustles and hobbies, from DJ shifts to pop-up events. The bar is also host to F&B training that’s free for anyone to join, and the team volunteers bartending services for charities, such as animal adoption drives.