Bold claim: a single-idea bar survived 15 years without a menu or marketing by building every drink around what guests feel in the moment. Here’s how Bar Stories did it, and why its approach continues to resonate today.
I first encountered Bar Stories as a doorway into bespoke cocktails more than a decade ago, and that memory still lingers. Tucked along Haji Lane, a street now crowded with photo booths, tarot readers, and plushie shops, the bar wears a quiet, almost secret signage. Its letters are difficult to spot unless you already know where to look. If you know, you know. The space remains upstairs, untouched by the neighbourhood’s rapid makeover.
Inside, the familiarity persists. The layout is consistent, except the first floor now houses Li’l Habibi, a restaurant that also supplies food to the bar. Yet the essence endures: no traditional menu and a room-temperature vibe that invites curiosity rather than spectacle.
Return to your seat, and the bartender won’t slide over a glossy menu of cocktails. Instead, they’ll ask what you’re in the mood for tonight. Perhaps you crave something acidic, gin-driven, and presented in a Tiki-inspired form. They’ll craft something tailored to that feeling. This fully customized experience has been the heartbeat of Bar Stories since day one.
THE PIONEERS OF SINGAPORE’S BESPOKE COCKTAIL SCENE
Back in 2008, craft cocktails weren’t yet a mainstream thing in Singapore. Pubs and hotel bars dominated the scene, and modern mixology hadn’t broken through to a wider audience.
There was a cocktail heritage to lean on—the Singapore Sling, born at Raffles Hotel in 1915, remains a benchmark—but beyond the hotel circuit, only a handful of independent pioneers were pushing the envelope: Nektar, Tippling Club, and Klee.
Nektar opened in 2010, known for creative presentation, before closing in 2014. Tippling Club paired high-end food with avant-garde, chef-led cocktail concepts and eventually closed in 2024. Klee, a tiny, mood-led bar on Portsdown Road starting in 2008, is widely regarded as Singapore’s first true bespoke cocktail bar. Its no-menu ethos—tell us your mood—was carried forward when Klee closed in 2010 and contributors brought that DNA to Bar Stories on Haji Lane in the same year.
FROM CUSTOMER TO CO-OWNER
David Koh, the bar’s current owner, joined Bar Stories a year after it opened. His first encounter was almost accidental. While shopping for boxing gloves along Haji Lane, he wandered into a sign he couldn’t quite read. Curious, he climbed upstairs and found herbs and fruits being unpacked. As a cook at the time, the produce immediately grabbed his attention.
Behind the counter, herbs and fruits were prepped like a kitchen station. “What are all these herbs for? Roasting a chicken?” he recalls asking the bartender. “Back then, no one juiced citrus to order. Everything was sour mix and bottled stuff. Here, everything was fresh. They made their own syrups and infusions. I thought, wow, this is very interesting.”
His interest sparked a life-changing moment. While Koh was contemplating leaving his restaurant job, the bar manager overheard and invited him to join. From walk-in customer in 2011 to staff member, then manager, and finally co-owner in 2014, Koh has grown with Bar Stories for nearly its entire history.
A MENU THAT NEVER EXISTED
Singapore’s bar scene is extraordinarily dynamic today, with new concepts popping up and shifting trends yearly. Yet Bar Stories has stayed true to its original identity: no menu, and Koh believes it will stay that way. This isn’t a gimmick but a core part of their DNA. The approach pushes the team to think creatively every day and teaches both customers and bartenders. In the early days of bespoke cocktails, most customers still ordered classics like Long Island Iced Teas or Screwdrivers.
“People mainly asked for classics,” Koh notes. “So it was rewarding to create something new—an original drink—introducing diners to different flavours.” Fresh produce has always been fundamental. Koh still sources much of his fruit from wet markets near home, while citrus is bought in bulk and seasonal fruits are chosen by what looks and smells best on a given day.
New bartenders start with fundamentals: technique, balance, and flavor understanding. “We don’t rely on classics because we create everything,” Koh explains. “But we teach them. Every recipe comes with a roadmap for branching into ten different drinks.”
Although there isn’t a formal menu, one constant remains: the drinks must be visually appealing without being flashy to the point of satire. Garnishes still matter.
SMALL IN SIZE, BIG IN IDENTITY
Bar Stories operates with minimal external pressures: no marketing team, no PR push, no brand sponsorships steering the shelves. The team chooses ingredients they genuinely believe in, prioritizes flavor, and preserves a hospitality style that feels intimate and personal. That independence shapes how the bar views recognition and its place in the industry.
“I’m not beholden to any sponsors or brands. We pick what we want to work with. I’m always focused on flavor, not forced ingredients simply to please a sponsor.”
With 50 Best standing as a marquee award in the bar world, Koh says chasing accolades isn’t the aim. “Of course, everyone would like to be recognized. But if the pursuit becomes marketing and lobbying, the payoff isn’t the customers who actually sustain the business. My benchmark is when a guest says, ‘We’ve visited many bars, and this is the best cocktail we’ve had.’
The industry has nonetheless acknowledged Koh’s work. He was nominated for Bar Manager of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit in 2019.
Being small has reinforced a strong internal culture. “We’ve always had a laid-back, casual vibe. Ownership feels closer to the front line, which translates into more personal hospitality,” Koh notes. The team—four full-timers and three part-timers—keeps operations deliberately tight-knit.
Despite its size, Bar Stories has cast a wide influence. Alumni have moved on to top Singaporean bars such as Jigger and Pony, 28 HongKong Street, Offtrack, and Native.
THE DOUBLE-EDGED REALITY OF INDEPENDENCE
Independence brings its own hurdles. A major concern is limited internal career paths, since an independent bar lacks a larger corporate ladder for staff growth. Changing consumer habits add pressure as people spend less on nights out, and rising rents threaten every small venue.
Prices haven’t climbed much at Bar Stories. Koh notes, “We haven’t raised our prices in 15 years. The ceiling is around 26, and 28 or 29 felt excessive.” A rental increase arrived abruptly, prompting questions about staying or relocating.
In 15 years, a familiar cycle—busy, slow, busy—has emerged, yet the last two years have broken that rhythm. “That’s the scary part,” Koh says. “We don’t know when the rebound will come.” The pandemic reshaped drinking habits, recovery has been uneven, and staffing remains tight. Still, loyal regulars kept the doors open.
A LIFE POURED INTO A BAR
Bar Stories holds a special place in many lives: first dates that turned into long-term memories, regulars who eventually married nearby and returned for photos, and overseas visitors who return years later and feel at home all over again. For Koh, this is the most challenging period yet, yet the emotional pull remains strong.
There’s a palpable sentimentality around the place. “On one hand, it hurts to think about leaving. On the other, a fresh environment might be welcome, so long as the spirit stays intact.”
What’s next? Koh’s straightforward answer: survival for now. Bar Stories sits at 57A Haji Lane, continuing to write its quiet, character-filled chapter in Singapore’s cocktail story.
