Singapore’s Cat Bite Club and Manhattan named in The Pinnacle Guide to the world’s top bars
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Cat Bite Club and Manhattan join three other Singapore venues in the fledgling list.
PHOTOS: CAT BITE CLUB, MANHATTAN
SINGAPORE – Two Singapore bars have been added to The Pinnacle Guide, a fledgling global recognition system for the world’s best craft cocktail bars.
Cat Bite Club in Duxton Road and Manhattan at Conrad Singapore Orchard in Cuscaden Road have each been awarded one pin by the guide, as announced on social media on April 15. The venues respectively specialise in agave and rice spirits, and in classic cocktails using artisanal spirits.
Bars are awarded one, two or three pins, which are similar to star ratings, and indicate assessments of “excellent”, “outstanding” or “exceptional” respectively.
Cat Bite Club and Manhattan join three other Singapore venues on the list: Atlas at Parkview Square, Origin Bar at Shangri-La Singapore and Fura in Amoy Street, which have two pins each.
Atlas and Origin Bar were named in the inaugural edition of The Pinnacle Guide in May 2024, along with Ballroom by Barbary Coast in North Canal Road, which was given one pin. But the latter venue closed in February due to rising operational costs.
Meanwhile, Fura, which has earned international acclaim for its focus on sustainability, was added to the guide in October 2024.
Evaluations are based not only on drinks and service, but also on parameters such as sustainability in operations, staff diversity and efforts to encourage responsible drinking.
There is no fixed number of bars that can make the guide, and bars will be added on a rolling basis rather than once a year. Also, bars must be self-nominated for inclusion in the guide.
The initial self-nomination is followed by a short video interview and an assessment by a panel of at least two anonymous reviewers. Physical visits to the bars are required for the final assessment, and anonymous reviewers must pass a training course and selection test to make the final cut.
There are now 85 “pinned” bars across 12 countries, with most hailing from Europe and the United States.
The Diplomat in Hong Kong’s Central area is the only other Asian bar on the list, and only one bar has been awarded three pins: Lyaness in London’s South Bank neighbourhood.
