Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tired of cycling through a list of the same few restaurant-pubs serving the same selection of deep-fried snacks? Or having to travel to far flung places like Changi Village for a change of scenery?
Nickeldime Drafthouse
Nickeldime is not a new player in the growing craft beer scene in Singapore, but they have recently moved to another block,just next door. While the new premises is slightly smaller, it still feels spacious and given that it’s a corner unit, the alfresco area remains just as refreshing!
New interior aside, they still boast a wide range of craft beers on tap (at the last count it was 19!), and an even wider selection of bottles; from old favourites like Stone Brewing, Anderson Valley to newcomers like Tuatara Brewery and Mountain Goat Beers. Craft beer selections can change from season to season so you guys got to find out for yourselves!
Another feature of Nickeldime is their beer-infused cuisine. These novel and hearty eats, handcrafted by their own kitchen with various brew styles, are sure to tantalise your tastebuds!
It was (supposed to be; yeah right) a slow and simple lunch so I got myself the Stout Braised Beef Ragu, and the Stout (again!) Shepherd’s Pie at the side. Paired with a pint of saison on a warm dreary afternoon, it’s the life!
After that we had more beer-infused goodness from their bar snacks and (more!) beer, like their popular stout (see a trend here?) meatballs, the mini Jalapeño IPA burgers (i.e. sliders) and garlic fries. Their buffalo wings, served with a generous slather of spicy marinade and dressed with blue cheese sauce, is a heavenly match with a refreshing american pale ale (also on tap)! Other dishes recommended here are their signature 510 burger, the pizzas, such as the Salami pizza, and beer-desserts (yes!) such as the beer-infused waffles. May I also mention that their pizzas have really cheesy (hehe) names, such as “I Wanna Hold Your Ham”, “The Fun Guys(mushroom pizza, geddit)” and several others?
The Verdict
hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”3″]
It’s a little bit out of the way, but this block of shops are known for being a F&B centre which lots of office workers will visit, so not that much of a hole-in-the-wall factor here.
Price: [star rating=”3.5″]
I heard their pizzas are a steal at nothing more than $20 for a 11″ pizza, but there was so much 2 guys can eat that day that we didn’t order that. They do have weekday lunch specials (1 for 1) for more value too! For best value, try out their platter sets on their menu!
Quality: [star rating=”4.5″]
Each of their dishes is well thought out and balanced in taste, even though they are largely beer-infused and meant to be washed down with copious amount of beer. Speaking which, beers on tap are fresh, which is imperative for any place selling decent beer.
Overall: [star rating=”4″]
While it may not be the most convenient place for lunch unless you work in the Novena/Thomson Road area, it is a good getaway in the evenings thereafter where you can enjoy a good pint of craft beer and some really creative food!
More Information
Nickeldime Drafthouse
273 Thomson Road
#01-01
Novena Regency
Singapore 307644
p.s. It’s just the next building from where they were previously located!
Sun-Thu – 11:00am to 11:00pm
Fri-Sat – 11:00am to 1:00am the following day
Phone: 62560261
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The restaurant itself has a industrial and rather minimalistic finish, which is also prevalent in the linear kitchen design (given that space is a luxury in these shop units). The design helps both kitchen and service staff run like clockwork, as dishes get pushed out efficiently to hungry diners on a (from what I was told is a long, busy) weeknight.
