Singapore - Ku De Ta bar at MBS - avoid cover charge?

I will be in Singapore in a few weeks and meeting up with some friends to do some super-touristy stuff...

One of the things we were hoping to do is have a quick drink at Ku De Ta. We will be there on a Saturday afternoon around 6pm. Apparently they charge a $50/head cover charge which is a bit ridiculous if you only want to go there for a quick drink so you can say you've been there. I have read that the cover charge doesn't apply until 9pm or 10pm - can anyone confirm?

Also I will be staying at the Mandarin Oriental around the corner which apparently has a great bar too (Axis) - has anyone been there? Any comments?

One more question - does anyone know if it is possible to order a pre-paid SIM card online (before arriving in Singapore) and have it delivered to your hotel?

Many thanks in advance!

Can't answer question about bar, but you can purchase prepaid SIM at currency exchange counters in arrivals area.

Can't answer question about bar, but you can purchase prepaid SIM at currency exchange counters in arrivals area.

That is awesome, thanks. Another reason to love Singapore!

Do you know if they are open 24hrs? Arriving in Singapore at 9:45pm and next day going straight into three days of back-to-back meetings - so would be great to sort out the SIM card on arrival.

That is awesome, thanks. Another reason to love Singapore!

Do you know if they are open 24hrs? Arriving in Singapore at 9:45pm and next day going straight into three days of back-to-back meetings - so would be great to sort out the SIM card on arrival.

They will be open at 2145. No worries there.

If you have an Amex Plat Charge card, call Amex and they'll get you in for free with a guest. Or maybe that's only for Singapore-issued cards...

If you have an Amex Plat Charge card, call Amex and they'll get you in for free with a guest. Or maybe that's only for Singapore-issued cards...

Thanks! I do and I will give it a try :)

Hi there, to answer your questions... cover charge at KU DE TA Club Lounge applies only on Fri, Sat and Eve of (Singapore) Public Holidays from 9pm.

Cover Charge is at SGD$38nett per person (inclusive of one drink).

Other than that, there's no cover charge to head up to the club lounge.

So to speak...
Sun - Thur (No Cover Charge)
Fri, Sat, and eve of PH (No Cover Charge before 9pm)

For any enquiries, you may visit the KU DE TA Singapore website.

Is there a charge for the elevator ride to the top or for admission to the roof deck?

You can pick up a prepaid SIM card at any 7-11 store, and those are 24h. Just remember you need to bring your passport along as all cards need to be registered at time of sale.

As for Ku De Ta, I would suggest going to the Swissotel 'The Stamford' to the New Asia Bar up top, where the view is even better and you end up looking slightly downwards at the MBS. Plus they have a "Sundowner" special with 2-for-the-price-of-1 drinks.

And of course the Stamford is that much more convenient a stagger to the tourist must-do of the Long Bar at Raffles...

And of course the Stamford is that much more convenient a stagger to the tourist must-do of the Long Bar at Raffles...

Oh yes, right across the street. :)

Well, I ended up going to Ku De Ta club lounge bar last night. Arrived just after 9pm and the cover charge had kicked in. It was 30 something SGD++ per person and included a drink. Apparently the cover charge doesn't apply for girls until 10pm (if I recall correctly) so our female companion got in for free.

Mostly out of principle, I tried getting Amex Platinum charge card concierge (in Australia) AND the concierge at the Ritz Carlton to get us on the guest list to avoid the cover charge, but both said there's a minimum spend of $2000+ SGD if you want to do this.

I couldn't imagine spending more than half an hour there, much less $2000, so politely declined this very generous offer.

The place was every bit as lame as I expected. It is a triumph of money over style that makes the Ivy in Sydney look like a cool Melbourne laneway bar. The view is quite stunning though.

The place was every bit as lame as I expected. It is a triumph of money over style that makes the Ivy in Sydney look like a cool Melbourne laneway bar.

Welcome to Singapore.

I don't typically make an effort to go to places that I expect will be lame.

If you have an Amex Plat Charge card, call Amex and they'll get you in for free with a guest. Or maybe that's only for Singapore-issued cards...

Tried the Plat today. The new free entry deal seems to be with the Citi Ultima; the relationship with AmEx Plat ended in November, they said, which is interesting because they're pretty heavily AmEx branded. I was invited up to the club to talk with the supervisor about this, and while talking with her at the door, noticed that the club was pretty lame; the music was old 90s music, and the crowd was clearly there trying to prove their wealth and (failing to prove their) youth.

Anyway, for future reference, there's the club with SG$38 cover that includes a drink, and then there's the SkyBar, which offers table service drinks at about SG$20 each and has no cover. If your goal is just the photo from the top, you can get that right outside the elevator (forward left as you exit the elevator) without even walking into a bar to buy a drink.