Rooftop bar Loof closing in February, looking for new home
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Loof - a play on the word "roof" - was part of a wave of bars that popped up in 2005. PHOTO: THE LO & BEHOLD GROUP
Goh Tze Yi
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SINGAPORE - Rooftop bar Loof in Odeon Towers will be closing on Feb 27 next year because the building in North Bridge Road is slated to undergo renovations. But this does not mean goodbye as The Lo & Behold Group is looking for a new location.
Loof - a play on the word "roof" - was part of a wave of bars that popped up in 2005 after the Urban Redevelopment Authority introduced incentives to encourage the use of building and hotel rooftops for commercial purposes in September 2004.
It has clinched several accolades over the years, including the Customer Service Excellence for Nightspots at the Singapore Tourism Awards in 2019.
Ms Charmaine Seah-Ong, 38, remembers going for its opening party in November 2005. The marketing director at a creative agency recalls that it "had a great energy to it" and knew that it was a place she and her friends would return to often. She enjoys the alfresco rooftop bar's "laid-back, unpretentious vibe" and is planning to visit again before Loof ceases operations.
On New Year's Day, the bar will be holding Loof FM, an Internet radio station event which seeks to spotlight local talent who have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. The event will be streamed on the online platform Twitch.
From Jan 3, it will bring back popular dishes and cocktails. Diners can look forward to B.C.M Grilled Cheese ($19), a sourdough cheese toastie stuffed with bak chor mee pork mince; and Uncle Tee-kee ($22), a tipple of gin, mandarin orange sorbet, vanilla, ginger ale and mint.
As for its next home, Mr Wee Teng Wen, managing partner of The Lo & Behold Group, says: "We envision Loof's new location to be on a rooftop with character and a story. Ideally, one that aligns with Loof's mission to celebrate local culture in all its wonderful idiosyncrasies, creating a stage for supporting our creative community."
