The Place It was a rainy weekend and we just had our coffee at the nearby Jimmy Monkey café. Perhaps it was the rain which aroused my appetite, and hence the thought of exploring options in Portsdown Road. I excitedly recalled that there is an old rustic kopitiam in this part of Singapore and Colbar came to my mind. Short for Colonial Bar, this was once the canteen of the old British army camp, which still retains its old charm all these years thankfully. This place feels like a throwback to the past, with the old style layout of tables and chairs, and even the antique weighing machine that greeted us at the entrance which I vividly recalled from my primary school days.

The Food Western fares such as Fish and Chips, Chicken Chop and Steak dominates the menu at Colbar and ranges from $11 to the range of the $20s. Think of Colbar as the more atas version of your usual kopitiam in the heartlands. Surprisingly, there is also a wide range of ciders on sale here.

We had our hands on the Roasted Chicken with fries and mushrooms ($11) and we dare say there is nothing impressive about this dish. It feels like the usual western food available anywhere.

Rants The food did not wow us, but the charm of the place did.

Will I return again? Colbar is great for a different vibe and ambience to a weekend as its location, history and structure feels so withdrawn from modern Singapore. I feel the urge to be back again to sip some cider and just chill. The food is just secondary.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 2.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 3/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 3/5

Colbar
9A Whitchurch Rd
Tel: +65 6779 4859

Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun 11am-8:30pm