Cards on the table at 3 of Cups

TAKE a seat at 3 of Cups on Haji Lane, and you’ll be handed a slim deck of cards – each corresponding to one of the bar’s signature cocktails.

The bar is themed after tarot, the European card deck often used in divination, and is itself named for one of the cards, says co-founder Shamini Dass: “It means ‘come celebrate with us’.”

A disco ball sets the mood on the ground floor of the slim shophouse unit, scattering points of light across the bar and two small tables. More seating is available on the quieter, lavender-hued second floor.

Outside are a few more tables – as well as a tarot reader, at least on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. “If you order three cocktails, you can get a free tarot reading,” explains Shamini.

She and two fellow tarot enthusiasts opened the bar in August 2021. Since then, the roster of tarot readers has grown from four of five to around 20.

A full tarot deck has 78 cards, but 3 of Cups keeps its selection of signature cocktails to a more manageable list of 10. While a QR code menu is available at each table, most customers choose to look through the illustrated deck to see what catches their eye, says Shamini.

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Each card comes with a tagline that captures the corresponding tarot meaning. The card for Justice depicts a woman with a sword and weighing scales, and is captioned “Make that move!”; that for The Emperor, on which a man reclines at ease, reads “You are in control”.

The cocktail recipes reflect the underlying tarot meanings of each card, says Shamini. The Justice card’s central idea of balance is represented by its gin-based namesake’s use of passionfruit, which is both sweet and sour. The Emperor is a traditionally masculine card and thus uses rum, which is “a stronger spirit”.

The card imagery is another source of inspiration, says bar manager Selvakumar Manimaran. The Lovers cocktail, for example, mirrors the red-hued illustration with its use of French raspberry liqueur Chambord and cranberry juice.

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Then there is The Devil, which sports a pair of chilli padi “horns” on the rim of its glass. “It’s a very interesting cocktail,” says Shamini. “When some customers see it on our Instagram page, they come here looking for it specifically.”

The bar’s own eponymous cocktail is one of the strongest on the menu, with three types of gin. But it remains sweet, in line with the card’s connotations of celebration and joy.

Beyond the deck of signatures, there are classic cocktails and a selection of wines and spirits. The food menu focuses on Asian flavours, including otak brioche sliders; a Thai-inspired pasta with minced chicken and basil; and dory poached with lemongrass, lime leaves and chilli.

The Devil 40ml dry gin 30ml white wine 20ml Cointreau 30ml house sweet-and-sour syrup 4 slices of ginger Garnished with chilli padi