BARREL STORY OF HIBIKI: Modern Izakaya In Singapore CBD

Located in the heart of Singapore’s central business district, BARREL STORY OF HIBIKI marks a significant global milestone as the first Hibiki-led concept restaurant to open outside Japan. Rooted in the spirit of omotenashi, where hospitality is expressed through sincerity and thoughtful detail, BARREL invites you and your loved ones into a modern izakaya shaped by fire, whisky and Japanese craftsmanship. Helmed by renowned chef partner Sho Naganuma, the restaurant is conceived as a place to reconnect, savour and share moments shaped by nature, time and harmony.

A Story Told Through Food and Flame

At its core, BARREL reimagines Japanese izakaya culture through wood fire cooking, precise flavour construction and thoughtful whisky pairing. The menu is designed to move seamlessly from lunch to dinner, offering both flexibility and depth depending on how you choose to dine. Fire plays a central role in the kitchen, bringing warmth, texture and character to each dish, while restraint and balance ensure the ingredients remain the focus.

Lunch at BARREL is built around choice and personalisation. You can opt for a two-course or three-course set, selecting from a curated list of midday dishes, or explore the a la carte menu. Lighter starters include the Barrel House Salad with fresh soy vinaigrette and the Hakusai Caesar Salad made with napa cabbage, maple smoked bacon and chirimen sansho. For mains, options range from Curried Butternut with miso curry sauce and pistachio to a fire-grilled miso-marinated Steak and Fries.

Some favourites bridge lunch and dinner, such as Chicken Karaage with yuzu kosho and lemon, as well as BARREL Chicken Rice, a Hibiki-inspired interpretation of a Singapore classic. Side dishes like Mochi Cheese Nuggets with miso curry sauce and Super Fat Fries dressed with shio kombu, wagyu fat vinaigrette and chives add indulgent touches to the table. You can further elevate your meal with premium supplements such as daily sashimi selections, Niku Jaga, TSUJIHAN Don featuring negitoro and ikura, or the TORASHO Cold Stupid Ramen finished with truffle and seafood.

An Izakaya Experience That Deepens After Dark

As evening falls, BARREL expands into a fuller izakaya expression. You can choose the Signature Set, which brings together a selection of light, snackable plates designed to pair effortlessly with drinks, or explore the extensive dinner menu featuring over sixty dishes. Highlights include Smoked Nuts and Raisins, chef-selected Sashimi Moriawase, Tonsoku Harumaki made from braised pig trotter, and Teba Gyoza, chicken wings stuffed with pork gyoza filling.

For heartier plates, the menu extends into Chinmi specialities such as grilled stingray fin and cured mullet roe, alongside house charcuterie like the BARREL Signature Beignet with smoked wagyu bresaola and lardo. From the grill, dishes range from XL Fresh Prawns enriched with wagyu fat butter to Ember Roast Chicken with yaki miso, American Wagyu Bone In Striploin with spiced miso paste and the signature whole grilled TOKYO ISLAND Onaga Tai. These are complemented by comforting rice and noodle dishes, including Wagyu Donabe and Wagyu Yaki Udon.

A Whisky Story Poured with Intention

BARREL offers one of the most extensive collections of Suntory whiskies in Asia, anchored by Hibiki Japanese Harmony alongside the rare twenty-one-year-old and thirty-year-old expressions. The restaurant is the only destination in Singapore where you can enjoy Hibiki by the glass at a refined price point, making fine Japanese whisky approachable rather than exclusive.

Whisky flights form a core part of the experience. The Story of Hibiki introduces three expressions of Hibiki Japanese Harmony served as a highball, on the rocks and mizuwari style, offering a structured way to understand its character. For deeper exploration, elevated flights feature rare anniversary editions and aged expressions. Complementing the whisky programme is a cocktail list inspired by Japanese ingredients and aesthetics, including ice-free highballs, refined interpretations of the Singapore Sling and non alcoholic creations designed with the same care.

Spaces Designed for Connection and Calm

Every space within BARREL is designed to express balance and harmony. The main dining room centres around the rhythm of the wood fire, encouraging unhurried meals and meaningful conversation through warm textures of wood, metal and stone. Beneath the restaurant, The Vault offers an intimate whisky salon housed within a preserved heritage bank vault, lined with reclaimed cask wood from Suntory distilleries and seating just eight. For a more relaxed setting, The Terrace opens up to greenery and natural light, offering an easygoing space for highballs, small plates and after work gatherings.

A Chef Guided by Fire and Philosophy

Leading BARREL STORY OF HIBIKI is chef partner Sho Naganuma, whose career spans over two decades across the United States, Japan and Singapore. Trained under chef Hide Yamamoto and formerly Executive Chef at Marina Bay Sands, Sho is known locally as co-owner of Torasho Ramen and for his modern flame-driven Japanese cooking. At BARREL, he translates Hibiki’s philosophy of harmony into dishes that feel elemental, soulful and deeply expressive.

Plan Your Visit

BARREL STORY OF HIBIKI is located at 19 Cecil Street, Singapore 049704. Lunch is served from 12pm to 3pm, dinner from 6pm to 10pm, with happy hour running from 3pm to 7pm. Reservations can be made via barrelhibiki.com. You can also follow @barrelhibiki on Instagram for updates.