What: Cin Cin
Where: #01-02 Oasia Hotel Downtown, 100 Peck Seah Street
Opening hours: Friday to Saturday, 5pm to 1am. Sunday to Thursday, 5pm to 12am.
Tel: 6812-6900

[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]here are those among us who would be happiest if they had the time and energy to just handle everything themselves. You may be among the fastidious folk, with little patience for anything short of perfection on your terms. If so, then Cin Cin is the bar for you. Well, if you like gin, that is.

The bar, which sits next to the lobby of Oasia Hotel Downtown, is pegged as a secret agent-themed bar that does little to honour its theme save for the “coded” entry to their unfinished website and the occasional Facebook promotional password. Heaven knows why Cin Cin feels the need for a theme, when its chic decor (never has teal looked this good on so many things at once) and menu are enough of a sell.

The latter is especially impressive as you have the option of fully customising your ideal gin cocktail. You can choose from well over a dozen gins as your base, followed by mixers that include a variety of tonics, soda waters and ginger beer. There are 14 types of bitters to choose from and while they’re optional, it’s hard not to want to experiment with things like Bittermens Orange Cream Citrate and Dr Adam Elmigirab Dandelion & Burdock.

Finally, you pick a garnish and the barman would mix up your recipe. The custom martini menu swaps out mixers for seven types of vermouth, with the option of having your drink shaken or stirred.

If you’re overwhelmed, the mixologist will be happy to make suggestions to complement whichever component you are familiar with. If you have decision fatigue after a long day, Cin Cin also has original cocktails, but that takes the fun out of micromanagement, doesn’t it?

Best bits: No one will judge if you ask for a shaken martini.

Check out our previous Bars of the Week: Joo BarBob’s Bar | SPECIAL – #NegroniWeek | The Westin’s Lobby Lounge | Bar-roque GrillSmoke & Mirrors