SINGAPORE – Patrons can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the island from the top floors of One Raffles Place when a multi-concept nightlife venue opens there in December, offering a bright spot in a sector hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Slated to open on Dec 12, the venue comprises restaurant and high-end lounge HighHouse, on levels 61 and 62, and Nova, the tallest rooftop bar in Singapore, which will reside at the top of the skyscraper.

Spanning 10,300 sq ft and spearheaded by OUE Restaurants, it will be the largest nightlife venue to open since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project cost more than $13 million and is the home-grown restaurant group’s first foray into the nightlife business.

The nightspot takes over the space occupied by 1-Altitude, which shuttered in March 2022.

OUE Restaurants’ wide-ranging culinary portfolio of over 15 brands includes Chatterbox, Hashida Singapore, Vue, Rempapa and Delifrance.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Wayne Lee, general manager of HighHouse and Nova, said: “The rooftop has a spectacular view, and we wanted to do justice to it for the guests coming.”

HighHouse will be a dining and lounge venue that can hold around 170 patrons across both levels. The capacity will almost double after it transforms into a club setting later in the night.

The food and beverage on offer will draw inspiration and influence from any city or country whose shores line the Pacific Ocean, whether it is the cuisine or ingredients. This extends to the wine menu, which features wines from the likes of South America and Australia instead of Europe, and signature cocktails inspired by Japan, Thailand and Mexico, among other countries.

A massive 14m by 3m LED wall panel on level 62 will flash artwork by Berlin digital art and design studio Onformative and change throughout the day.

The venue fits in with the likes of Sexy Fish in London, KOR in Taipei or Amazonico in Dubai – all of which are lounges with strong design elements and music programmes.

HighHouse will offer a lunch service in 2024.

Nova, on the other hand, is meant to be more high-energy and casual, said Mr Lee. Modelled after music festivals with food trucks and cabana beds in the VIP areas, the bar with a seating capacity of 200 will have 360-degree panoramic views of downtown Singapore.

It will feature international DJs a couple of times a year, he said.

For a start, HighHouse and Nova will open from Tuesday to Saturday. In time, both will open seven days a week.

“From lunch and dinner services for the CBD crowd, to after-work drinks for the same crowd as well as tourists and nighttime programming for the partygoers, we’re looking to cater to every demographic,” said Mr Lee, a veteran of the nightlife scene and former general manager of Zouk Singapore, where he worked for 11 years.

“We decided to give nightlife a shot because we found that guests at our restaurants enjoy a great wine and cocktails programme, so why not translate that into a space.”

Singapore Nightlife Business Association president Nasen Thiagarajan said that the industry, which was hit hard by the pandemic, welcomed the new offering.

He noted that consumers now have a new larger-scale nightspot to add to their list, besides the usual suspects like Ce La Vi, Zouk and Marquee.

“It’s been a soft year overall for bars, restaurants and nightlife, and we’re not sure how next year is going to turn out... so this is a positive development,” said Mr Nasen.

In April 2022, Mr Lee was brought in to bridge the gap between the OUE team’s expertise in the dining sector and its nightlife venue aspirations.

The team also comprises other industry veterans like Mr Andrew Ing, who is chief operating officer at OUE Restaurants and former chief operating officer at the Lo & Behold Group.

HighHouse and Nova can hold about 600 people in total.

Mr Lee said: “Singapore has its super clubs that can hold thousands, as well as a thriving cocktail bar scene that has smaller, more intimate spaces...and I think we fit right in between.

“At Zouk, I was handling a club of 1,500 to 2,000 people and guest DJs coming in weekly... it’s interesting to now be able to curate an experience that’s a little cosier and sophisticated.”

He added that venue operators, chefs and bartenders alike are looking for a more intimate connection with their customers after the Covid-19 pandemic.

At HighHouse, the dinner bill is expected to be about $125 a person with drinks, while table prices for the club will range between $500 and $4,000.

Mr Lee said: “I think Singaporeans are a little more adventurous now, especially post Covid-19, and they are willing to pay for experiences over something commercial – whether it’s in the music or culinary scene.”

A former 1-Altitude regular, Mr Jagaganesh Vejayaretnam, is looking forward to having a new player on the scene. “I thought that no one was going to take over after (1-Altitude’s) lease expired and was sad, as I consider the location and its views of Singapore iconic,” said the 36-year-old petrochemical trader.

“Now this will likely be my go-to for hosting any clients from out of town, for lunches, dinner or otherwise... I fully intend to be a regular.”

HighHouse

Reservations are open for table bookings for Dec 1 via highhouse.sg, or e-mail hello@highhouse.sg

Nova

General admission: $40 on weekdays, $50 on weekends and the eve of public holidays (includes two drinks)
Reservations open from Dec 1 for table bookings, which can be made via hello@novabar.sg