That Singapore had 11 bars on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list isn’t surprising. During the past decade, our favourite watering holes have consistently provided excellent drinks and service. There was one establishment, however, that was just as astonished as we were at its placement.
At the prestigious awards ceremony, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore’s Republic Bar came in 12th — an impressive achievement when you realise the bar had to open during the height of the pandemic and is run by the hotel’s former housekeeper.
“We were happy just to be invited,” enthuses head bartender Martin Villareal. “I was prepared to be at the lower end of the list. But as the rankings moved up, I teased the promoters, saying, ‘I think you guys have the wrong bar. It’s okay. We know where the exit is, we can quietly make our way out’.”
His lack of expectations is not unjustified. By the time the hotel approved the renovation of the original Chihuly lounge into Republic Bar in 2020, the team faced the same uncertainties and erratic restrictions that plagued the rest of the F&B industry. The bar scene was also relatively new to Villareal, in comparison with many of his peers.
Born and raised in the Philippines, he enrolled in hospitality school “as a form
of rebellion” after failing his first year studying engineering, which his parents almost forced him into. “I became depressed because I was held back for something I didn’t even want to do.”
His hospitality education included an international internship, which led him
to The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore’s housekeeping team. Impressed with his work and diligence, the hotel offered him a full-time position in 2014. His career path would pivot once again a year later.
“A cocktail competition was held for hotel staff. It was just for fun, but I ended up winning,” he says. “It was a simple, tropical-flavoured drink, but they liked how I explained it and balanced the flavours, a lesson I still remembered from my bartending module.”
Impressed, the hotel bar team took him on as a junior bartender, and promptly flung him into the deep end. “I had a 16-hour shift on my first day because a colleague had called in sick. They trusted I knew my way around the bar because of my bartending course in school, so they just gave me the hotel’s handbook to read.”
His responsibilities then were straightforward, consisting mostly of counting inventory and polishing glassware. “But I grew to love it. I discovered my creative side. It wasn’t part of my job, but I suggested a few changes. I would put myself in the guest’s shoes and think maybe they wouldn’t like this style of glassware because it was too old-fashioned.”
Villareal’s consideration for others existed long before he had to face actual customers. “You don’t get to interact with guests in housekeeping, but you notice little things like their habits and preferences,” he explains. One of his favourite encounters was with a gentleman who tended to fold down the pages of his books before leaving the room. Catching this, Villareal looked for hotel bookmarks to offer the guest. “When he checked out, he left a book for me with a note saying he hopes it will help in my career. I felt like I had given him a memorable experience, and I fell in love with guest interaction. Being behind the bar gives me that.”
Villareal emphasises excellence in both concept and delivery at Republic. The bar pays homage to Singapore and the 1960s (the era when the country became a nation, hence the name), with cocktails inspired by iconic movements, people, and events from around the world.
Every one of the 20 signature cocktails has a story, and everyone on his team must know and memorise them all. “But they also read body language well, so they know when to share more, and when to stop,” says Villareal, laughing.
Some are straightforward, like the sweet and creamy Satisfaction. Others, like the Miura and High Society play with savoury flavours such as pumpkin and porcini mushrooms. “For me it’s always about balance, since flavour is very subjective,” says Villareal.
“If the guest is unsure, I tell my team not to be afraid of saying ‘Let me make you something I think you might like’. If the guest doesn’t enjoy it, they don’t have to pay for it. The hotel empowers us to provide the best guest experience.”
Villareal reveals that it’s rare for someone to have fewer than three drinks once they come to the bar, and many will stay from the minute they open till closing time. “We make sure we have a plan for them, and they trust us to give them a great night. I don’t even call them regular guests; they are friends for life.”
The reason Villareal and Republic Bar have been successful is that they care enough to do things exceptionally well. In retrospect, that 12th place ranking doesn’t seem as surprising now.
