Orchard Road: Shopping Capital by Day, Cultural Void by Night
Orchard Road has long been the city’s daytime capital, where luxury shoppers flock, tourists pose, and office workers grab power lunches. But after dark? The energy usually migrates elsewhere, to neighbourhoods like Keong Saik or Ann Siang. With the arrival of Millim After Dark, however, there’s finally a reason to keep your night squarely in the shopping district.
Housed inside COTE Singapore, the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse’s only international outpost, Millim After Dark flips its jungle-inspired cocktail lounge into a late-night playground every Friday and Saturday. Think: back-to-back DJ sets, a serious drinks programme, and the kind of lush interiors that feel more like an urban escape than a mall-adjacent bar.
Why COTE Chose Singapore for Its First International Outpost
Before diving into the nightlife play, it’s worth remembering what COTE represents. This is no ordinary steakhouse. Founded in New York by Simon Kim, COTE is the world’s first Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse. Its combination of USDA Prime beef, American chophouse drama, and Korean barbecue conviviality earned it cult status in Manhattan, before expanding to Miami’s Design District and now, Singapore.
That Orchard Road, not buzzy Keong Saik or the CBD, was chosen for COTE’s first international site already says something. Orchard still carries symbolic weight as the nation’s front window to the world. But to thrive here, COTE understood it couldn’t just replicate the formula. It had to create experiences that resonated with how Singaporeans actually spend their nights. Hence: Millim After Dark.
Dining to Dancing: A Seamless Transition
Where most restaurants shut down by 10 p.m., COTE leans into the late hours. After the final steak leaves the grill, Millim Bar transforms into a high-energy space curated for night owls. DJs take over the decks every Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. till late, with Saturday adding a twist: Ladies’ Night, complete with complimentary cocktails from 10 p.m. to midnight.
This isn’t an add-on but a deliberate extension of COTE’s ethos. The steakhouse already boasts a James Beard–nominated wine list with over 1,200 labels, alongside a cocktail programme that splices Korean and American influences with local Asian notes. At Millim After Dark, this beverage culture takes centre stage.
The Drinks Line-Up
- Classics, Done Right: Espresso Martini, Negroni, Old Fashioned, Margarita, Martini.
- Signature Creations: The Last Grape, The Blanc, Apple of My Eye, The Cosmo, The Esteban.
- Beyond Cocktails: Premium spirits, champagne, and late-night bar snacks (served until midnight).
Orders run until 1 a.m., designed to keep the night flowing without the frantic cut-off that plagues many Singapore venues.
The Jungle in the Lion City
Step inside Millim Bar and you’ll see why it feels different from Orchard’s usual glass-and-marble aesthetic. The space is lush, almost transportive, filled with greenery that blurs the line between tropical Singapore and an imagined urban jungle. The design pays homage to the city’s nickname, the Lion City, while setting a stage that feels equal parts vibrant and intimate.
This matters because ambience is half the equation. In a city where nightlife often defaults to either hotel-lounge slickness or basement-club grit, Millim After Dark aims for something in between: elevated, but not intimidating. It’s a place you could slide into post-dinner and stay until closing, without feeling the need to bar-hop elsewhere.
What Millim After Dark Says About Singapore Nightlife
Seen in context, Millim After Dark is less about a single bar and more about a shift in how nightlife is conceived in Singapore. Three points stand out:
- Integration over Fragmentation
Instead of making guests commute from dinner to bar to club, Millim After Dark integrates the entire evening. This reflects a broader trend of “lifestyle enclaves” where dining, drinking, and music intersect seamlessly. - Orchard’s Revival Play
Orchard has been criticised for being sterile after dark. By situating a nightlife concept here, COTE is betting on the district’s potential to reclaim cultural ground from Keong Saik and the CBD. - Quality Over Quantity
Singapore doesn’t lack bars. What it lacks are late-night options that balance design, drinks, and atmosphere without descending into generic nightclub territory. Millim After Dark fills that gap by keeping the focus on craft and curation.
So, Is Orchard Back on the Nightlife Map?
That’s the provocation. For years, Orchard has been written off as a place for shopping sprees and Sunday brunch, not late-night discovery. Yet Millim After Dark reframes the conversation. It suggests that Orchard doesn’t need to mimic other nightlife hubs; it can create its own rhythm, rooted in gastronomy, design, and a global standard of hospitality.
Whether it sparks a wider renaissance or remains a singular enclave remains to be seen. But at the very least, Singapore now has one more reason to linger in Orchard past midnight—and not just because the malls close late.
FAQ: Millim After Dark
What is Millim After Dark?
A late-night DJ and cocktail series hosted at COTE Singapore’s Millim Bar every Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. until late.
Where is it located?
Millim After Dark takes place at Millim Bar inside COTE Singapore, Level 3, COMO Orchard, 30 Bideford Road, Singapore 229922.
For reservations visit: https://www.cotekoreansteakhouse.com/locations/cotesingapore
What makes it unique?
It merges fine dining, world-class wine, inventive cocktails, and a curated DJ programme in a jungle-inspired setting — all under one roof.
What drinks are on offer?
Expect a balance of cocktail classics, Millim’s own signature creations, a 1,200-label wine list, premium spirits, and champagne.
Does it include food?
Yes. Bar snacks are available until midnight, with the full COTE dinner menu served until 10 p.m.
Closing Take
Millim After Dark doesn’t just give Orchard another bar. It adds a new layer to Orchard’s nightlife — not by chasing the loudest beat, but by weaving music, cocktails, and cultural intent into one experience. Whether you’re coming for the steak or staying for the soundtrack, Orchard finally has nightlife worth staying up for.
