SINGAPORE - Better known for its nightlife options, riverside lifestyle precinct Clarke Quay is getting a new lease of life as a day-and-night destination after a $62 million rejuvenation project.
Besides existing tenants like nightclub Zouk Singapore, the precinct – which has already seen 93 per cent of its tenancy spaces occupied – now also includes a FairPrice Finest and an upcoming fitness studio as part of its refresh.
CQ @ Clarke Quay’s official reopening on April 26 comes almost two years after a rejuvenation exercise that kicked off in August 2022.
The aim was to extend the appeal of CQ from a nightlife attraction to a vibrant day-and-night destination, said CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT) management chief executive Tony Tan at the launch event.
CQ is owned by CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and managed by CapitaLand Investment.
As part of the revamp, CQ @ Clarke Quay is split into three zones – namely The Riverfront (Blocks A and D), The Warehouses (Block B) and The Circuit (Blocks C and E), housing around 60 dining, retail and lifestyle concepts – of which half are new.
New-to-market and refreshed concepts
Many of the new food and beverage additions to the area are open till late, or round the clock, such as 24-hour modern kopitiam SG Hawker by the Fei Siong Group, and Mexican restaurant Senor Taco, which is open till 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.
New-to-market concepts include FairPrice Finest Clarke Quay, which has a Grocer Food Hall with vendors offering meals and heritage dishes that honour the area’s history. It also has a bar with curated cocktails infused with local flavours that are exclusive to CQ @ Clarke Quay.
This is the supermarket chain’s 40th Finest store in Singapore, but its first experiential store that pays tribute to the heritage of the precinct.
“Since the store’s opening in February, we have seen increased footfall from both locals and tourists,” said Ms Tan Huey Ling, head of channels (Hyper, Finest and eCommerce) for the retail business arm of FairPrice Group.
As for Clarke Quay’s reputation as a nightlife destination, CQ general manager Richard Phua said: “It’s about the balancing act to curate between the day, and day-and-night trade.”
In line with the repositioning of Clarke Quay as an all-day destination, venues like Home Singapore are offering both day and night options in one space. The dining spot offers brunch specialities in a cafe setting in the day, and live music in a lounge setting after sunset.
Mr Phua said that such venues help to lengthen the dwelling time of visitors in the area as well.
Another new addition is Swee Lee, which houses a bar and cafe, vinyl listening stations, a creator corner with music editing set-ups and a large hall that doubles as a dining space and performance venue.
Wellness offerings are also on the cards, with fitness studio Lava set to open in the third quarter of the year. It will offer reformer pilates, kick-boxing and Electro Muscle Stimulation training.
Catering to a new demographic
Longstanding tenants like 1-Group, which runs two-storey multi-concept space Riverhouse, have also refreshed their offerings.
Besides the existing modern Chinese restaurant Mimi and Greek restaurant Zorba, it will be launching Pulse, a live entertainment concept, in June.
“There’s been a concerted effort by Clarke Quay to make the whole area more inclusive to a wider demographic of people, especially with the upcoming residential developments and hotels in the area,” said Mr Tony Coughlan, senior director of international nightlife at 1-Group.
“We’re seeing a more mature demographic and a lot more tourists coming back as well,” he said.
He added that Zorba, which used to only open for dinner from Monday to Sunday, has since added a lunch service from Wednesday to Sunday as CQ relaunches. Pulse, which takes over Yang Club Singapore, will cater to an older crowd of those aged 25 and up, as opposed to the previous demographic of 18- to 25-year-olds.
Pet-friendly destination
CQ now comes with amenities such as well-placed pet hydration bays, waste bins and designated pet parking zones. There are also eight pet-friendly establishments, each labelled with logos for easy identification.
Among them is riverfront bar and restaurant Chupitos. Besides an outdoor space where pets can dine with their owners, it also offers pet-friendly “cocktails” made of ingredients like pumpkin puree and bone broth.
“We wanted to create a space that is more inclusive and, as a dog owner myself, I wanted to ensure that pets would be cared for and tended to just like any other customer,” said Chupitos owner Jamie Koh.
The revamp is part of the ongoing urban renewal of the Singapore River precinct to incorporate more leisure amenities as well as residential and hospitality developments.
CICT’s Mr Tan noted that Clarke Quay has tremendous historical significance in the development of Singapore as a regional trading hub, and in recent years it has played a key role in enhancing Singapore’s tourism.
“We are confident that the refreshed offerings and active placemaking will captivate the hearts of all visitors, locals and tourists alike,” he said.
“It will also inject new life into CQ as Singapore’s iconic riverfront lifestyle destination, and enliven the Singapore River precinct.”
Correction note: Zorba’s dining hours have been updated in this version of the story.
