Cheap Drinks, Casual Vibes: The Dive Bars Singaporeans Actually Love

Singapore’s dive bars are proof that you don’t need artisanal ice cubes or mood-board decor to have a wild night. What you do need: cold beer, mismatched chairs, karaoke that escalates too quickly, a non-curated social media presence (or the complete lack thereof), and patrons who look like they’ve been coming here since GST was 3%. 

Dive bars are Singapore’s unofficial therapy, with affordable drinks and a deeply comforting vibe. They’re the places you disappear into after a long day at work, with friends to dissect a good or bad date, or when you simply can’t tolerate another rooftop bar with a dress code.

This list rounds up the best dive bars across Singapore, from heartland holes-in-the-wall, accidental-concert type of dive bars with live music, to iconic Boat Quay dens of questionable decisions. Bring cash (or don’t), bring friends (or don’t), and bring an open mind (non-negotiable).

Jeffo’s

18 Duxton Rd

Image credit: Jeffo’s | Facebook

Jeffo’s is known for a good dark pint, chicken wings that hit the spot and a great band that'll kickstart any evening. You show up, you grab a $10-ish beer, and within ten minutes you’ve accidentally made eye contact with a regular just like you. The place has that unmistakable dive-bar cocktail of dim lights, loud music, rowdy-but-friendly patrons, and it’s the quintessential “I’ll just have one” spot that immediately derails your good intentions.

Jeffo’s also scores points for its ultra-central location, making it the perfect pre-game, mid-game, or entire-game bar, depending on how wild your night is shaping up. If you want a no-frills, maximum-fun hangout where nobody cares who you are, what you do, or even if you just want to scribble on the walls, Jeffo’s is your new spiritual home.

Georges

Multiple locations

Image credit: Georges | Facebook

Georges is practically a cultural institution, with a pocket of sand, smoke, sambal wings and cold pints that feels like the unofficial neighbourhood clubhouse. Is it a beach bar? A sports bar? A dive? Honestly, it’s all three, and that’s the magic. The vibe is perpetually chill, whichever of the 9 outlets in Singapore you choose to do, the crowd is a blend of barefoot beach people and “just knocked off work” folks, and the food menu is far better than any dive bar has the right to be.

Order the wings (mandatory), grab a bucket of beer, and settle into the kind of evening where you end up swapping stories with total strangers as the sun disappears. Georges is one of those places that becomes a reliable go-to without you even noticing.

Babu’s Place

865 Mountbatten Rd, B1-31

Image credit: Babu’s Place | Facebook

Babu’s Place is the sports bar that's loud, full of character, and it’s exactly where you go when you need a healing night of darts, beer towers, and screaming at the soccer players on TV. It also boast of nostalgic music that hasn’t changed since your schooling days. The charm here is real: the regulars are friendly without being invasive, the staff are quick with refills, and the vibes lean heavily towards “accepted as you are.”

Prices stay wallet-friendly with $10-$11 pints and the layout is perfect for yelling across tables while pretending you’re good at pool. Its heartland location keeps things real with no pretense, no pressure, just pure, unfiltered good times. 

Elixir Code

Blk 125 Bukit Merah Lane 1 #01-168

Image credit: Elixir Code | Instagram

Pet-friendly and craft beers? Make a beeline for Elixir Code. The bar sits in that sweet spot between moody alternative hangout and dive bar with the dim lighting, deep house playlists, and shelves of craft brews that miraculously don’t cost your rent. It’s the place for people who want the soul of a dive bar: casual, unpretentious, a little scruffy, but prefer their drinks to be elevated.

Cocktails are stiff, the rotating beer list keeps things interesting, and the staff actually know what they’re talking about. Add in its central-but-not-chaotic location and you’ve got the perfect hideout for small groups, awkward first dates, or nights where you just need a dark corner and a drink that hits.

Little Island Brewing Co

Multiple locations

Image credit: Little Island Brewing Co | Instagram

Little Island Brewing Co is the industrial, slightly feral cousin of craft breweries and yes, it absolutely counts as dive-bar energy. The self-pour beer wall, the giant metal tanks, the smoky grill station, the communal tables filled with rowdy groups who came for “one pint” three hours ago... everything here screams organised chaos in the best way.

It’s a dive bar with craftsmanship and a brewery with zero pretension, wrapped in a high-noise, high-fun atmosphere that makes you forget you’re technically in a very polished operation. They have an incredible band to boot, and remains this author's favourite live music venue in Singapore. Whether you hit the Changi Village location for its breezy, seaside charm or Gillman Barracks for that gritty art-district buzz, prepare to stay longer than planned and leave fuller than expected.

Nectars & Vine

752 Upper Serangoon Road

Nectars & Vine is a proper heartland dive that's humble, dimly lit, and absolutely killer for cheap spirits and karaoke that ranges from angelic to unhinged. It’s the sort of bar where aunties, uncles, millennials, and random wanderers end up sharing the same mic, the same snacks, and the same loud laughter.

Prices lean generous, seating is mismatched, and ambience sits somewhere between a neighbourhood club and your friend’s living room after too many highballs. This is a place built on good vibes and zero ego. The regulars are kind, the staff know their crowd, and it's a true dive bar gem.

Hero’s

69 Circular Rd, #01-01

Image credit: Hero’s | Facebook

Hero’s has cowboy saloon energy with Singaporean dive-bar pricing, a combination that somehow absolutely works. Think country-western décor, massive screens blasting sports, live bands, and a crowd that gets progressively rowdier in the most loveable way. Drinks are reasonably priced for Boat Quay (a miracle), and promos hit especially well if you’re with a group.

This is the bar for pre-game chaos, mid-week impulsiveness, and “let’s just chill here lah” nights that escalate quickly. If you’re allergic to pretentious bars but still want to be near the action, Hero’s hits the sweet spot.

Al Capone’s

Multiple locations

Image credit: Al Capone’s | Instagram

Al Capone’s is as reliable as your favourite pair of worn-out slippers. It's comfy, predictable, and always there when you need it. The mafia-themed branding is kitschy in the best way, the crowd is easygoing, and the drink promos are infamous for stretching your dollar far longer than your liver appreciates. Pair your pint with their aggressively satisfying pizzas and you’ve got the perfect low-stress night out. Multiple outlets mean you’ll never be too far from one, whether you’re in Balestier, Bugis, Clarke Quay or whacking down beers in the heartlands. A classic “don’t need to think” dive bar.

Buddy Bistro

744 Bedok Reservoir Rd, #01-3043 Reservoir Village

Image credit: Buddy Bistro | Supplied

One of the newer entrants on this list, Buddy Bistro was opened in 2022 and it's is a simple, fuss-free neighbourhood bar for the Bedok and Tampines crowd. It's built for people who want to drink without needing to deal with crowds, queues, or existential dread. The drinks are affordable, the vibes neighbourhood, seating is comfortable enough, and the staff treat everyone like regulars even if you’ve only been there once. You’ll find retirees watching sports, couples decompressing after work, and groups sharing towers like it’s a team-building exercise. It’s relaxed, familiar, and wholesome, and it'll quickly become part of your weekly routine before you even realise it.

Skinny’s Lounge

82 Boat Quay

Image credit: Skinny’s Lounge | Instagram

Skinny’s Lounge is Singapore’s undisputed temple of late-night chaos. You don’t come here for ambience; you come because you’ve made peace with the fact that you’re losing your voice tonight. The space is tiny, the ceilings are low, the air is humid with collective enthusiasm, and every drink tastes like it was designed to unleash your inner pop diva. The playlist? Whatever drunk people feel like singing. The crowd? A deliriously fun mix of service industry folks, night owls, industry creatives, and people who swear they’d “never” do karaoke until they’re screaming ABBA.

Skinny’s is at its best after midnight, when inhibitions evaporate and the whole room becomes a single chaotic organism. If you want dive-bar spirit in its purest form, this is it. Bring friends, or don’t — you’ll make some here.

The Cider Pit

328 Joo Chiat Road

The Cider Pit is the East Coast’s quiet dive bar.Longstanding, slightly rough around the edges, and beloved by regulars who treat it like a second living room. Despite the cider-centric name, this place is far more than a niche bar. It's your friendly hangout where people come for casual conversations and hearty pours. The interiors are simple with mismatched tables, dim lights, chalkboards, but the energy is consistently good. The staff are easygoing, the crowd is a rotating mix of Joo Chiat locals, industry folks and cider geeks, and the outdoor seating makes it perfect for humid Singapore nights. Whether you’re here for a tasting flight, a long catch-up with friends, or a spontaneous post-dinner pint that turns into three, The Cider Pit nails that dive-bar sweet spot between “laid-back” and “dangerously comfortable.”

Looking for more? Check out:

• Cheap Sips And Good Vibes: The Best Happy Hours In Singapore
• The Best Bars In Singapore: Where To Go And What To Order
• Singapore’s Best Rooftop Bars For Sky-High Sips

Main image credit: Little Island Brewing Co | Facebook

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