Escaping the world at Night Hawk

WITHIN the laid-back cafe space of Five Oars Coffee Roasters on Tanjong Pagar Road, there lies a portal to another world. Black pillars flank an alcove; within it, a narrow window offers an amber-tinted glimpse of a bar counter and a bottle-lined wall.

Next to the window is a door, and behind it is Night Hawk: a bar that aims to transport patrons to an imagined point where past and future collide. Or as co-founder Peter Chua puts it: “You’re taken away from your current life and the reality of the world, for a fleeting moment.”

The intimate space contributes to the sense of being in a sealed-off time capsule. At the far end, the floor sinks down to a sofa pit. Opposite the bar counter, there is just enough space for two double-seater tables against the wall, like mini booths.