There’s something ultimately indulgent about a good hotel bar, and Ginger Lily at the Pan Pacific is no different. This luxurious space is dark and cosy with a speakeasy-type vibe thanks to its moody interiors. At the centre of the space you’ll find an impressive marble bar where you can watch the expert team shake and stir drinks, while around the edges of the room there are comfy upholstered armchairs and small tables, perfect for dates or quiet business meets.
Having been given just as much attention to staffing as the next-door Straits Kitchen (the hotel’s flagship restaurant), the team here is headed up by Francesco Putignano. An experienced mixologist, Putignano joins from The Seabird in Hoxton and has devised a menu inspired by Singaporean flavours.
Signatures include a Monserrat which combines apple infused pisco aba, lemon sorbet, dry white wine, apple akashi reduction and bitters; and the Gold Milk Punch which plays on different colours of rum, vermouth, vanilla, lemon, bitters and a whole host of heady spices for a warm, rich drink. Elsewhere the Cast Away is made up of Zacapa 23, perique, sugar cane, bitters and citrus; while a French spritz is light and floral with elderflower, soda and champagne.
Playing on the bar’s positioning in this Southeast Asian hotel, there’s a nod to rum – Singapore’s unofficial drink. The list is 150-bottles strong and features rare and lesser-known bottles from around the world including Forsyth’s from Jamaica, Neisson from Martinique and El Dorado from Guyana.
As any serious drinker knows, enjoying a few glasses of something special demands lining the stomach properly. Help is on hand by way of a small menu of sharing plates that have been dreamed up by chef Sinclair to complement the drinks offering. Expect vibrant Singaporean flavours brought to life using British produce for a fun contemporary twist on this colourful cuisine.