Natural wine bar review: Nothing Fancy Singapore is really nothing but fancy

“ENTER FROM THE BACK!!” shouts Google Maps. At the nameless back alley entrance, amidst the stretch of black walls that back cafes and restaurants along Hamilton Road; a pinkish, other-worldly neon glow beckons us.

It’s hard to ignore the mesmerising glow behind the display of wine bottles at the window. In an almost “Spirited Away” manner, we walked into an immersive play of senses that is Nothing Fancy.

With fluorescent-neon lights filling up the space, it was as though we were transported into another dimension, one that was dreamy and mysterious.

Before we made it to our table, the luminous mural, hand-painted by local visual artist Nicholas Ong, caught our eyes.

The abstract wall art looked 3D from different angles. We loved how it shifts and dances under moving, coloured lights – trippy!

Like its name Nothing Fancy, the restaurant serves natural wines produced without a fancy wine-making process.

Relying on traditional methods of fermenting, grapes are handpicked by the winemakers (as opposed to machine harvested).

Without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and sulfites in the wine-making process, natural wines are lighter, see more acidic tones and more varied flavour profiles.

The La Nuit Aussi Vin de France by Beaujolais-based winemaker Sebastien Morin, hints pleasantly of lychee and longan. It was a smooth, fruity drink that prepared us for our meal and paired well with the dishes. This is by design, as the wine list is curated based on the food menu, which changes with the seasons.

To start, we had two European bistro bar classics with a Nothing Fancy twist.

Instead of lemon and hot sauce, the Oysters ($36, six pieces) arrived with a special concoction of rice wine, vinegar, and shallots. Tangy and textures, it contrasted well with the fresh, creamy bivalves.

Served with baguette, the salty Anchovies ($12) were dressed in jalapeno cream and tomato concasse continued to help us whet our appetites. 

Sitting on a large dollop of beurre noisette mash, the Beef Bourguignon ($32) was braised to such tenderness that it took no effort to dig in.

The beef cheek and mash were delights on their own; when paired together, it felt like the best comfort food money can buy.

The night’s highlight is Duck Two-Ways ($38), featuring grilled duck breast and confit pulled duck leg salad to be wrapped in a crepe with pickled daikon, cucumber, and a sweet glaze.

Sounds familiar? Like its Peking cousin, Duck Two-Ways is served with a tasty crepe that keeps all the juices in. This dish is completed with a fragrant and flavourful shot of duck broth.

Other dishes worth a try include the ASMR-level crispy Lechon Kawali ($28), where Kurobuta pork belly is accompanied by with homemade achar and Vietnamese-inspired sauce.

For a belly-warming bowl, look to the Tom Yum Mussels ($28) served with crusty sourdough.

We ended our meal with the refreshing Coconut Lime Pie ($12) with coconut cream, calamansi sago custard, and toasted coconut flakes.

Food portions were decent as they are for sharing to encourage interaction and conversation.

Accompanied by the atmospheric dark disco music in the background, it created a cosy and comfortable ambience, not unlike what you’d expect of a friend’s house and hospitality.

From the captivating pink glow and mural to the tantalising food and wine selection, right down to the music, Nothing Fancy engages every step of the way. Where everything is meticulously designed and curated for an immersive dining experience, we can’t say it’s nothing fancy.

Yet, this is Nothing Fancy.

Nothing Fancy is located at the back alley of 11 Hamilton Rd, #01-00, Singapore 209182, p.+65 8133 4819.

Open Wed-Sat 6pm-12 am, closed Sun-Tue.

This article was first published in City Nomads.