Long Bar

Long Bar at Raffles Singapore is where Hainanese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the Singapore Sling in 1915. At the time, it was not considered proper for women to drink alcohol in public, so he devised a pink cocktail that looked like fruit juice. The recipe of gin, pineapple and lime juices, curaçao, Bénédictine, grenadine and cherry liqueur has become one of the world's best-known drinks, and the Sling remains the reason most visitors come.

The two-storey bar is styled on the plantation life of 1920s Malaya, with rattan furniture, timber floors, woven palm-shaped fans turning slowly overhead and a long bar counter running the length of the room. The best-loved tradition is the peanuts: every table gets a bag of peanuts in their shells, and guests are encouraged to brush the shells on to the floor. The custom dates back to the planters who gathered here at weekends, and it is a rare piece of licensed mess in tidy Singapore.

The Sling is the obvious order, but the menu also covers other cocktails, beers and wines, plus bar snacks. Prices are high, reflecting the setting and the famous name. Long Bar is open to walk-ins only, with no reservations, so expect a queue in the afternoon and early evening, when tour groups arrive; coming soon after opening at 11am, or later in the evening, usually means a shorter wait. Last seating is at 10.30pm from Sunday to Wednesday and 11.30pm from Thursday to Saturday. Smart-casual dress is recommended.

It is firmly on the tourist trail, but it is still worth a visit for first-time visitors, couples and anyone interested in history. Diners at Butcher's Block, the restaurant next door, can ask the team to arrange a visit to the bar after their meal, which avoids the queue.

The bar is on Level 2 of the Raffles Arcade at 328 North Bridge Road, entered from the North Bridge Road side of the hotel. City Hall and Esplanade MRT stations are both a short walk away, and Bras Basah station is also close. Afterwards, walk through the hotel's courtyards and arcade, or continue to Chijmes and the Civic District's museums.