Rainy Day in Singapore Panorama of the Marina Bay Harbourfront
While I’ve had my share of spectacular views and gorgeous Tahitian sunsets in the past few months, I wanted to use this special FriFotos “view” edition to focus on a different travel reality that cares nothing about if you’re paying a luxury price point… and that is rain.
My trip to Singapore in early December was incredibly rainy, which gave the glistening southeast Asian banking city-state an extremely interesting vibe, and made for some spectacular pictures. There is nothing like a tropical downpour to make you want to curl up and give in to the jet lag, and focus on taking a long nap and reviewing the comfort of your hotel’s bed. Instead, I fought the urge and headed to Lantern, the uber-stylish rooftop bar at the exquisite Andre Fu-designed Fullerton Bay Hotel.
A Dark & Stormy at Latern
Even in the rain, you could tell the the rooftop pool at the Fullerton Bay is beyond cool, complete with hot tubs with panoramic views of Singapore’s Central Business District. The hotel is set on the Marina Bay waterfront and has a gorgeous view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the ArtScience Museum among the most distinctive buildings in the skyline.
Latern is delightful, even in the middle of a tropical storm. The floors were slick with rain and bright orange umbrellas are set outside the elevators to cover you until you get to your table. The music they play is interesting– some really good cuts combined with the worst K-Pop covers of your favorite tunes, which made me very curious to stick around to see what was next on the song rotation. Latern has a great cocktail menu and, to fit with the weather, I ordered a Dark & Stormy (made with dark rum, citrus and ginger beer). When the rain got even heavier after the first round, I decided it was time to try some of the tapas.
As a general rule, I prefer appetizers to entrees and like the pupu platter concept of trying a bunch of small plates. Sometimes when you’re at a seriously cool bar, the food is not that great. Fortunately, that is not the case at Lantern (or really, anywhere in Singapore. You eat well in this city). The satay with peanut sauce was delicious, as one would expect in this part of the world. The signature duck spring rolls with chili dip were delicate and crispy and a nice contrast to the soggy weather. The mini Wagyu burgers were exceptional enough that my husband and I went back for another plate of them later during our stay.
One of the things you need to make peace with as a traveler is that you can’t control the weather. No doubt Lantern is even more spectacular on a sunny day or clear night. I know I’m dying to swim in that pool the next time I’m in the city. But the view was pretty interesting, rainy day quirks and all, and it was a delightful place to spend a few hours on a rainy afternoon in Singapore. It’s worth a visit even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
Poolside on a Rainy Day
The Marina Bay Waterfront on a Rainy evening
Pool Next to Lantern, at evening when the rain had cleared. Pretty nice, huh?
Lantern Bar
Address: Rooftop at The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay, Singapore
Reservations: +65. 6597 5299