Newly-opened temper. at Mondrian Singapore Duxton is a wine bar and restaurant that offers up a sensorial, sophisticated, and soulful ode to how Singapore can drink (and dine) again.
For a district once synonymous with Singapore’s cosmopolitan dining swagger — a blend of craft, conversation, and quiet confidence — Duxton Hill’s star had dimmed somewhat in recent years. But the arrival of temper. may just change that.
Perched right across Mondrian Singapore Duxton, this 4,000-square-foot temple to wine from the ever-ambitious Ebb & Flow Group serves as a much-needed jolt of electricity not just for the neighbourhood, but for Singapore’s wine scene at large.
Even better? It’s thankfully not the kind of stuffy wine bar we’re too used to seeing.
In fact, the concept is deliberately layered. Upstairs, a low-lit wine room curated by Roberto Duran MS — formerly of 67 Pall Mall Singapore — anchors the space with the kind of sophistication that’s been sorely missing in Singapore’s post-pandemic drinking landscape. Duran’s carefully-composed cellar houses over 2,100 bottles from around 30 winemaking countries, but it’s not the selection that’s the real draw. It’s his ethos of playful discovery, as opposed to the usual intimidation one too often finds at snootier wine venues.
With 250 labels available by the glass, it’s a space that encourages exploration without pretence. Here a suggestion might just lead you to an obscure Jura, an offbeat Greek Assyrtiko, or a surprising Chinese Marselan poured with the same care as a Bordeaux First Growth.
Downstairs is a whole different vibe. There’s a pulsating rhythm beneath, with soundscapes curated by nightlife veteran Joshua Pillai that slides from live jazz to rare groove without missing a beat and elevating the space with visceral energy, while happy chatter punctuate throughout.
That alone would be enough to make temper. a conversation piece. Then add in cocktails created in consultation with seasoned bartending veteran June Baek of Hup San Social Club (and formerly Madame Fan and MO Bar); the Dirty Martini here swaps brine for starfruit vinegar, while the T.T.K. Old Fashioned nods cheekily to tutu kueh.
Then there’s the food. As with many progressive dining venues these days, culinary inspiration is borderless. Executive Chef Nicolas Tam (previously of one-Michelin-starred Willow) and Head Chef Ronald Sim (ex–Burnt Ends, Candlenut) combine to offer high-calibre cookery with the likes of the Red Shrimp Carpaccio with its heady shrimp emulsion to the Tajima Picanha kissed by Josper smoke, while bar bites — the French Dip Sandwich or the temper. Burger dripping in cheddar and ego — carry the same confident minimalism that defines the space.
Our favourite? A well-composed dish of 900g Turbot in Pil-Pil Collagen Sauce that showcase technique without pomposity, carrying the same confident minimalism that defines the space.
Dining at temper. feels like stepping into a conversation between eras — where Duxton’s colonial bones meet Mondrian’s modern sensuality, where wine can be serious but only if you want it to be. For a city whose wine rooms often oscillate between sterile minimalism and rowdy chaos, temper. finds a sweet spot: playful without irreverence, social without flightiness, and progressive while respectful of heritage.
In other words? Well tempered.
temper. Wine Bar and Restaurant
Address 83 Neil Rd, #01-07, Mondrian Singapore Duxton, 089813 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 5pm to 1am Mondays to Saturdays; closed on Sundays
Website www.temper.sg
Instagram @temper.sg
Reservations book here
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