Lobster Bar & Grill

In the unpromising surroundings of the Island Shangri-La, a luxury hotel accessed from a blindingly white luxury mall, the wood-and-glass entrance to Lobster Bar & Grill really doesn't present much hope of a decent drink. Yet, from the spirits ageing in retired bourbon and sherry casks at one end of the bar to the hoppy, malty custom-created house beer on tap at the other, this bar seriously impresses.

Lobster's cocktail menu spans the gamut from crowd-pleasers to in-house creations by way of forgotten classics with class and verve: a house-made "ratafia" invigorates the much-maligned Kir Royale, while a Creole Cobbler, from the Cobbler selection, hit the spot.

Oil paintings and faux art deco may not be to everyone's taste, even after Gatsby, yet Jakarta-born Agung Prabowo has done sterling work revivifying a rather tired bar. Money to burn? There's an 1847 Armagnac on the menu, plus an expansive wine list at the grill.