Our Story
Where Korean Tradition
Meets Modern Soul
Singapore’s First Makgeolli Bar
Joo Bar is more than a bar. Tucked inside a beautifully restored three-storey heritage shophouse on Tan Quee Lan Street in Bugis, we are Singapore’s first venue dedicated to makgeolli — Korea’s ancient, milky rice wine — brewed in-house and served the way it was always meant to be: alive, complex, and shared.
We opened our doors with a simple conviction: that Korean drinking culture deserved a proper home in Singapore. Not a cocktail lounge with a Korean twist. Not a K-pop themed bar. A real place — with real food, real drinks, and real late-night energy.
The Makgeolli Story
Makgeolli (막걸리) is Korea’s oldest alcoholic drink — a lightly sparkling, naturally cloudy rice wine fermented with nuruk, a traditional Korean yeast culture. It has been brewed in Korean households for over a thousand years, long before beer or soju entered the picture.
At Joo Bar, we brew our own makgeolli in-house. Each batch is crafted from Korean rice and nuruk, fermented at controlled temperature, and served fresh. The result is a drink with natural sweetness, gentle effervescence, and a depth of flavour that commercial bottles simply cannot replicate.
We serve it chilled in traditional bowls, in cocktails, and paired with our Korean food menu. Whether you’re a first-timer curious about the taste or a seasoned makgeolli drinker, our team will guide you through the range.
Bold Food. No Compromise.
The food at Joo Bar is built around the flavours of Korean drinking culture — the kind of food that makes you order another round. Joo Kimchi. Kimcheese Bacon Pancake. Korean Army Stew. Grilled Pork Belly. These are not fusion experiments — they are honest, well-executed Korean bar food made to be shared.
Our kitchen sources quality ingredients and cooks with intention. Banchan (Korean side dishes) come house-made. The stews are slow-cooked. The BBQ sets are portioned generously. We believe good food and good drinks should not be a compromise — you should get both, every time.
We also offer a curated cocktail menu that weaves Korean flavours — yuzu, gochujang, makgeolli — into classic forms. Late-night Thursdays through Saturdays, the kitchen stays open until last orders and the bar runs until 1am.
Three storeys of beautifully restored Bugis shophouse. Each floor has its own character — ground floor bar, upper floors for groups and events.
Singapore’s first in-house brewed makgeolli. Crafted from Korean rice and traditional nuruk yeast. Fresh, alive, and nothing like the bottles.
A homegrown independent bar, not a chain or franchise. Every dollar spent here supports a local business and the 26-strong team behind it.
Find Us
5 Tan Quee Lan Street, Singapore 188094 — a 3-minute walk from Bugis MRT.
Mon–Thu: 5pm–midnight | Fri–Sat: 5pm–1am | Sun: 5pm–11pm
Reservations: book a table online or call +65 8138 1628
Ready for a proper Korean night out in Bugis?
Reserve a Table