Club Street Beer Hall With Cask Hand-Pumps: Lion Brewery Co

Lion Brewery Co runs its flagship taproom and microbrewery from a heritage shophouse at 36 Club Street, a short climb up the slope from Telok Ayer in the CBD. It feels less like a cosy pub and more like a beer hall: the brewery's own event page puts the capacity at 150 seated and up to 350 standing, spread over the bar room, the dining tables and an outdoor courtyard. There are 25 taps, a few of them old English cask hand-pumps, and some of the beer is brewed a few metres from where you sit. If you are searching for a beer hall near me around Chinatown or Tanjong Pagar after work, this is the one that makes its own beer.

The name is borrowed from history. According to the company's heritage page, the original Lion Brewery was founded in 1836 on the banks of the River Thames in London, where it brewed India Pale Ales that were shipped to trading posts around the world, Asia included. The brewery was demolished in 1949. The page adds that King George VI asked for its stone lions to be preserved, and they still stand in London today.

The modern company was started in 2018 by a group of friends in Singapore and London who liked the story and the beer style. Singapore's nickname, the Lion City, made the revival an easy fit. In 2021 they opened this brewpub on Club Street, at first under the name Thirty Six Brewlab and Smokehouse. Today the whole operation trades as Lion Brewery Co, and the company says its beers have reached markets on three continents.

Four flagship beers anchor the list. Island Lager is a 4.7% pilsner-style lager meant for hot afternoons. The Pale Ale, at 4.5%, is the beer that started the brand and was first brewed with Southeast Asia in mind. The Boss IPA is a 5.9% Mosaic IPA with mango and berry aromas, and the 4.5% Nitro Stout began as a one-off for Earth Day before regulars pushed it into the core range.

The other taps rotate. The taproom page promises new beers every month from the on-site microbrewery, which the earlier opening coverage described as a 500-litre system, alongside guest beers. Ask the bartender which tap was brewed upstairs most recently; that is the beer you will not find in a can anywhere else. If you like real ale, look for the hand-pumps at the bar. Cask beer pulled by hand is rare in Singapore, and it is the clearest nod to the brewery's London roots.

The January 2026 menu leans British and grill-heavy rather than German. Fish and Chips costs $27 and uses local barramundi in a batter made with the brewery's Straits Pale Ale. Bangers and Mash is $29 and puts a Bavarian weisswurst on the plate next to a smoked pork and thyme sausage, with onions braised in Nitro Stout. BBQ Pork Ribs are $36, and the Wagyu Bavette steak is $38.

Groups who want a proper beer-hall spread should look at the platters. The Lion Brewery Signature Platter is $128 and piles chargrilled spatchcock chicken, Angus rump cap, tempura fish goujons and tiger prawns battered in pale ale onto one board. The Meat Feast Platter is also $128 and swaps the seafood for pork ribs and milk-fed lamb chops. Even the pizza bases are made from a fermented spent grain dough, a brewing by-product, and the Margherita costs $24. All prices are subject to a 10% service charge and GST.

On weekends there is a Sunday-roast style menu. The Weekend Roast sheet lists roast French chicken, boneless leg of lamb or Australian striploin at $45 each, served with Yorkshire pudding, peas, seasonal vegetables and potatoes, with a pint of beer added for $5. Allow 20 to 25 minutes for the kitchen to plate it.

This is a CBD bar, so its rhythm follows the office crowd. On weekdays the doors do not open until mid-afternoon, and the room fills fast after 6pm. The taproom's happy hour runs every day until 7pm, public holidays excluded, and takes 20% off selected Lion Brewery Co pints and selected wines by the glass.

The best-known deal is Pressure 30. Every Thursday and Friday from 6pm to 6.30pm, the brewery pours free beer for half an hour. It makes sense to be at the bar a little before 6pm on those evenings. If you want a table rather than a spot at the counter, book through the online reservation page before you go, and arrive a little early.

Weekend lunches are calmer. From Friday to Sunday the kitchen starts in the late morning, so a Saturday roast and a pint in the courtyard is a very different experience from a Friday night. Sports fans should note that the taproom shows live football, rugby, tennis, F1 and golf on five screens, including a 150-inch projector, so big match nights can be loud.

The microbrewery is open for guided visits. The Brewery Tour Package costs S$60++ per person and includes a 45-minute tour and tasting, a beer flight of four 180ml glasses, beer bites, a piece of Lion Brewery Co merchandise and a 15-minute Q and A with the team. Tours run on Monday and Tuesday from 3pm to 5pm and on Friday and Saturday from 2pm to 5pm, and are booked online.

There is also a pub quiz hosted by Alex Cox, with free entry, drinks specials and a prize of free beer for a month for the winning team. The events calendar lists the next one on 18 November 2026 at 7.30pm. For a private party, the space can take 150 seated or 350 standing guests, and the team handles corporate bookings by email.

Club Street is one of the best walking streets in the CBD, lined with restored shophouses and clan association buildings. Before or after your pint, climb the steps into Ann Siang Hill Park, a small green ridge that links Club Street with Ann Siang Road and drops down towards Amoy Street. It is a five-minute shortcut that most visitors miss.

From the bottom of the park, walk to Telok Ayer Street to see Thian Hock Keng, the Hokkien temple built in the early 1840s where sailors once gave thanks for a safe crossing. If you are hungry before the taproom opens, Amoy Street Food Centre is a few minutes away and is one of the CBD's busiest hawker centres at lunch. In the other direction, Maxwell Food Centre and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple mark the edge of Chinatown, about ten minutes on foot.

Address: Lion Brewery Co, 36 Club Street, Singapore 069469. Hours: Monday to Thursday 3pm to 11pm, Friday and Saturday 11.30am to 1am, Sunday 11.30am to 11pm.

Getting there: Telok Ayer MRT on the Downtown Line is the closest station, about a five-minute walk. Chinatown and Maxwell stations are also within ten minutes. Book tables through the reservation link on lionbreweryco.com. Guests must be 18 or older to buy alcohol, and staff may ask for ID. Plan your evening around Club Street with the Karpo APP, which can suggest a hawker dinner or a second bar close by.