Would you drink a scent? A visit to Luni Bar, Singapore’s first scented cocktail experience

Once in a while, we come across a truly unique find—not to say the others aren’t. But even among unique places, there’s a spectrum. Luni Bar Singapore sits firmly at the far end.

As the first scented cocktail bar in Southeast Asia right here in Singapore, Luni Bar explores an experience many of us may not even realise exists. If you haven’t heard of scented cocktails before, you’re not alone. This concept is a relatively new foray into blending more felt experiences into eating and drinking.

Stepping into the bar, I noticed – apart from the beguiling scents – that the space itself is shaped like a half moon. This, according to Zack Lee, Mixologist and Founder of Luni Bar, was “intentional... and [also] expensive for renovations (laughs).”

Dressed in a black shirt and jeans, Zack greeted us with an easy, ear-to-ear smile. If he was flustered by the incoming group of ten (who were there for a make-your-own cocktail workshop), it didn’t show.

Founder Zack Lee, sharing passionately with us about the concept and the different scent-cocktail pairings.

Upon entering, a staff presented us with a tray of volcanic rocks dressed with carefully curated scents.

“Sometimes people accidentally lick or taste it,” Zack laughed, watching as our noses edged a little too close to the rocks. “It’s not truffles.”

We nodded and carried on sniffing, encouraged to lean into the scents that drew us in. Once a favourite emerged, we flipped the card to see the cocktail built around it.

I thought this was the most interesting part – how all four of us gravitated towards different drinks. Nick picked Clove | Old Street ($30), Gwen chose the Clary Sage | Passionfruit Sage ($14), Tricia picked the Neroli | Moonflower ($25), and I ended up with good 'ol rose flavoured Rose Geranium | Ember ($25).

Flavour profiles:

Old Street: Smoky and strong. Macallan classic cut with plum wine and fortified wine. Strong is an understatement. It comes smokin' with cherry wood smoke and dusted sour plum powder on the side of the glass.

Passionfruit Sage: Mocktail – passionfruit powered the drink, yes, and that dreamy pinch of rosemary!

Moonflower: Looked fun, tasted fun. It's got heavy cream, chamomile syrup, Jim Beam, neroli flowers and egg white. "It tasted like yakult!" Tricia exclaimed.

Ember: Fortified wine with rose geranium flavour and dried banana chips. It's also Luni Bar's first ever drink – a classic spin on the negroni. Gorgeously floral and balanced. Non-stop sipping from me.

Safe to say, we all enjoyed our drinks — the flavours were incredibly unique, and they didn’t disappoint. That said, I’ll admit I liked mine the best.

Old Street was a little too strong for me, Passionfruit Sage didn’t quite hit hard enough, and Moonflower leaned a touch too sweet for my taste. The rest of the table, however, happily finished theirs, so if any of the ingredients speak to you, it’s worth giving them a go.

What really stood out was the act of sniffing before sipping. The whole experience felt oddly nostalgic, like those childhood scratch-and-sniff stickers but with an added, grown-up dimension (and alcohol).

We didn't take these drinks on an empty stomach, obviously. The dishes below are the ones Zack recommended to us. From the onset, they all sounded as innovative as their drink offering.

Chilled Ikura Vermicelli ($26) – Easily my favourite. I downed most of the bowl to its last drop. The orange miso "juice" (which is both zesty and umami) combined with the softly chewy vermicelli keeps nudging my appetite along.

Salmon Tartare ($22) – Six pieces, four people. Do the math 😔 The salmon is soft and fresh, tucked into a crispy nori shell that delivers a satisfying crackle before giving way to a spicy burst of flavour.

Spicy Jalapeño Crunch ($12) – sounds straightforward and looks simple... but somehow the BBQ sauce paired with cheese and jalapeno is a killer combo that should be introduced in most bars! No leftovers from this one either.

Wagyu beef (a seasonal special), $42 – served with mash and broccolini that’s charred just right, we went with medium rare. The roast beef was chewy (in a good, meaty way), well-seasoned, and deeply satisfying. We also short of fought over the last slices of roast beef.

Apple Crumble ($18) – A twist on the good 'ol apple crumble. A familiar dessert, but with a thoughtful twist. Generous with the fruit, and the pastry delivers a proper crunch and bite!

It may sound like I'm raving, but honestly... we didn't expect to be eating so well in a cocktail bar. The innovative food surprised us in the best way possible (if the drinks hadn’t already done that).

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Leaving us to explore for a moment, Zack moved seamlessly between explaining the menu in meticulous detail and disappearing behind the bar to serve drinks and conduct the mixology workshop.

Mixologist at heart first, founder second.

With a menu that changes every four months and thoughtful collaborations like their recent partnership with BOSS Fragrances, Luni Bar continues to blur the line between perfumery and mixology. It sits comfortably at the far end of the “unique” spectrum, and earns its place there.

It’s an exciting direction, and one that makes us curious about what’s next for this quietly ambitious bar.

📍 Luni Bar, 161 Lavender St., #01-12, Singapore 338750