Escaping the world at Las Palmas
The poolside bar provides a Californian getaway in the heart of Novena
Janice Heng
NOVENA is not the most obvious neighbourhood for a poolside rooftop bar. But at the Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena, the lift takes guests from the 22nd floor lobby’s elegant tones to summery colours, wooden decking, and an infinity-pool skyline view.
“When the lift opens, they can’t believe that there’s a place like this,” says Las Palmas head bartender Ron Aransay.
Named after the retro celebrity playground in Palm Springs, California, the bar offers poolside seating alongside a main indoor space lined with floor-to-ceiling windows – not least to showcase the sunset view.
Plush sofas, padded chairs, tropical-print cushions and low tables feature in a range of bright and pastel hues. “It’s a fun environment,” Aransay sums up.
The idea is for the bar to play the same role as its namesake. In the 1950s, the Las Palmas neighbourhood represented a getaway from everyday woes. “People went there to leave their stress behind. It’s just pure catch-up, pure chilling out.”
Yet even as the bar evokes that Californian atmosphere, it does not confine itself to poolside cliches of fruity, tropical drinks.
“Guests might think that this is a place with only pina coladas,” notes Aransay. But the cocktail menu has a range of categories, to ensure that every guest will be able to find something to their liking. “You’re empowering the guests to be free to have whatever they like to drink.”
The “fresh and spicy” category, for instance, features herbs and citrus. It includes the Rose Bowl, a fizzy gin-based drink with mint and thyme that is one of the bar’s best sellers.
The pale pink concoction is not only “very Instagrammable” – “the same vibe of the colours of the bar itself” – but is meant for easy sipping: “You can drink it any time of the day.”
Similarly breezy is the “bright and snazzy” category, which Aransay describes as “fresh, but with nutty flavours” such as hazelnut and sesame.
Meanwhile, the “sweet and supple” selection ranges from fruity to milky – such as the dessert-esque vanilla vodka-powered Cheesecake Factory, with limoncello, mascarpone, citrus and blueberry.
In general, the cocktails at Las Palmas are designed to be fresh, easy to drink and “not too bold”, in line with the idea of kicking back and enjoying the view, says Aransay.
Nonetheless, there is still a selection of “strong and brooding” tipples for those after something darker, such as the rye whiskey-based Nighthawks and the rum-and-sherry L.A. Confidential.
Beyond these four flavour categories, there are highballs and slushies for the tropical vibe. Small touches aim for a specifically Latin American rather than Asian tropical vibe – the use of purple corn powder, tequila and mezcal in the Tijuana Collins, for instance.
To go with the food menu of nachos, tacos and ribs, Aransay particularly suggests the Big Sur highball for its use of lemonade – that “very American” accompaniment to a meal.
The spirits menu is similarly themed, with particularly extensive collections of American whiskey, agave and sugarcane spirits.
As incongruous as a slice of Americana might be in Novena, that contrast is precisely what guests remark upon, says Aransay. “They say this is like an unexpected gem.”
LA Confidential 60ml Cacao nib-infused Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum 20ml Taylor’s Fine Tawny Port 20ml Luxardo Cherry Sangue Morlacco 2 dashes of Scrappy’s Orleans Bitters Garnished with sea salt chocolate
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