I got my first drink, a Scotch and Bourbon tipple called Over The Sea, that’s served garnished with mirin-soaked sea grapes. Andrew Pang, the man behind Taylor Adam’s beverage programme, dressed to impress. Suited-up bartenders and front-of-house staff look cool in their tailored attires, yet feel warm and forthcoming. Most of the light in this shrouded hideaway falls upon the stocked back bar shelves that are lined with a multitude of bottlings, both familiar and uncommon. The space is dimly lit and cosy, as a speakeasy should be. Now entering the actual doors leading to the bar, I felt transported, as if leaving the hustle and bustle of the central business district behind (Taylor Adam is located smack in the middle of the CBD, just a minute’s walk from Raffles Place MRT), and entering a world where I can be myself away from prying eyes. “Welcome to Taylor Adam,” she says cheekily, perhaps happy to have finally made her grand reveal.

As I got (too) comfortable and went ahead to view myself from various angles, the staff pushes a button, and the panels slide open. She balks, but ushers me along to the multi-panel mirror, the kind often used at fancy tailor shops. “Yes, I’m here to have my wedding suit made.” An impeccably-dressed staff greets me, asking: “Have you made an appointment with us?” I decide to play along.

So I enter, but the charade doesn’t end there. Just a regular tailor shop or so it seems. To the right is a door, an unassuming entryway I wouldn’t think to bother with if I didn’t know any better that behind this facade supposedly lies a speakeasy cocktail bar – and the reason why I’m here in the first place. The store’s window display screams Savile Row, what with a half-body mannequin dressed in a well-fitted suit (complete with pocket square) being exhibited front and center, flanked by various clothing materials, tailoring tools and spotlights to guide your attention.

“Am I at the right place?” is the first thought that raced through my mind when arriving at the shop front of Taylor Adam.

Hidden bar bandung