Peranakan Place

Chill-out zone and party venue on Orchard Road Read about the bars and restaurants at Peranakan Place in the Orchard Rd Wine & Dine section April 3, 2006: Is there anything else to do besides shopping along Orchard Road? You bet – there’s Peranakan Place! Orchard Road isn’t exactly known for its tourist attractions – rather it is known for its world-famous shopping stretch that grew from the spent earth of failed nutmeg and pepper plantations that fringed the road in the 1840s. But during your shopping spree on Orchard we guarantee you will get very hungry and thirsty from all the walking. Which is why one spot in particular – Peranakan Place – is the perfect place to stop, unwind and refresh from touring Singapore. Situated at the bottom of the historic Emerald Hill on Orchard Road, Peranakan Place makes full use of the glorious old shophouses that proliferate in the area to provide a bunch of four bars and restaurants that have become some of the most popular wine and dine destinations in Singapore. Emerald Hill itself is a destination worth visiting amongst the hustle and bustle of the modern Orchard area. Tucked in behind the glitz of huge shopping malls, the hill is populated by dozens of beautiful shophouses built by wealthy Chinese between 1902 and 1930. Most of the original owners were Teochew Straits Chinese who built the shophouses in a mix of Chinese and European architecture. Take a wander along here amongst the quiet of the street and you’ll see some of the best examples of early Singaporean architecture. Note as you’re walking here the way each house has a dividing concrete wall separating it from its neighbour, and the way there are small alleyways behind each row complete with spiral staircases connecting the floors of each house from the outside. All these features were due to government rules for fire safety at the time of building. On a more romantic note, the spiral staircases became known over time as “lovers’ steps” as it was here that servants would meet for their romantic liaisons. With all this in mind, Peranakan Place has been designed to provide for the modern city’s thirst for restaurants and bars amongst all the shopping on Orchard. There are four restaurants and bars here – Alley Bar, Acid Bar, Rouge and Rouge Outdoors. For daytime and evening dining, check out Rouge Outdoors, which straddles Emerald Hill as it leaves Orchard Road. Here you’ll be able to sit admiring the beautiful old architecture whilst also doing a bit of people watching as you tuck into the excellent international menu. Next door, on the right hand side, you’ll find the Alley Bar, which is worth, at the very least, a look at how modern design can mix seamlessly with old architecture. The bar is today in what was once an Alley – surprise, surprise! In here you’ll find an airy atmosphere with hanging lamps and even shutters from the adjoining buildings, making you feel as if you really are sipping on your cocktail outdoors in an alleyway. Lok out also for the Acid Bar in which the old shophouse has been restored, complete with its original Peranakan-style arches to provide an open, yet intimate after-hours venue. Complete with live music, this is a spot where the young and trendy of Singapore congregate. The fourth wine and dine location at Peranakan Place is the popular Rouge. Upstairs from Acid Bar, Rouge is one of the best live music joints in Singapore. Complete with its own resident band, this is a great place to party the night away. GETTING TO PERANAKAN PLACE Peranakan Place is opposite Somerset MRT Station (exit B). Sandwiched between Centrepoint and Orchard Emerald, you can’t miss Rouge Outdoors which is located directly opposite Specialists’ Shopping Cente. For more information, call (65) 6732 6966, or visit www.peranakanplace.com. You can also email them for more information at events@peranakanplace.com.