Tippling Club is not just a meal, it is unabashedly an experience. A meal there is certainly an occasion one will not forget quickly. Located in a pre-war shophouse, the restaurant offers a quirky living room setting, with plenty of wood, industrial-chic fixtures, a large open kitchen and a goodmusic playlist.

Dinner is confined to two degustation menus—the five-courseClassic menu and the 10-course Gourmand. Expect very clever, skilful combinations of flavours and ingredients, and consistently imaginative and tasteful presentation, from the menu to drinks to dishes. In a nutshell: ingenious.

Three snacks precede the first course of the Classic menu—a light, yet intense tom yam mousse with battered coriander; shamelessly charred peppers with wasabi, tomato and miso; and a delightful cheese puff filled with manchego mousse and hazelnut oil. This is followed by a parade of standouts—the ocean trout with smoked ox tongue, beetroot and horseradish cream is a lovely combination of fresh grassy, subtle, earthy flavours with a delightful layering of textures. The wild turbot with watercress emulsion and risotto is a more conventional dish nicely lifted by the watercress, while the Iberico pork with braised salsify, pennyworth and other herbs is excellent.

Desserts are the most fun. An orb of orange sorbet, called Mandarin Madras Asteroid is served together with a whiff of ‘space’—a card infused with specially created aroma based on the smell of a used space suit. Cocktails are of course, a must-do at the Tippling Club. The menu takes the form of a bouquet of aroma tags which try to capture the essence of the cocktails. For those who love theirs boozy, go for Leather, a heavy, spirited choice.