When you've lived somewhere and then go back to visit, the question of where to stay is potentially quite an important one. Do you stay in the predominantly touristy parts a million miles away from where you lived, but giving you the chance to be a total tourist or do you stay back where you used to live for old times sake? I'm sure many who return to an old home deliberate on this and good reasons could be given for either option but for us it was a bit of a no-brainer, we wanted to stay back on the East Coast of Singapore. This was our former neighbourhood, where a lot of our friends still live and where a lot of our favourite places to eat and hang out were. Once that decision was made the choice of where to stay was an even easier one, it had to be at Rabbit, Carrot, Gun.
Rabbit, Carrot, Gun and its linked next door neighbour, The Trenchard Arms (a British style pub) were regular haunts of ours whilst we lived in Singapore. The restaurant (that's the Rabbit, Carrot, Gun part) and bar, as I said, are in the east of Singapore in the Katong/Joo Chiat area on East Coast Road. The area has really developed since we first moved there and is certainly now a real hotspot on the island both for living and for the opening up of businesses. There's a whole variety of independent stores as well as the inevitable shopping malls and chain stores of course and it is also full of good spots for eating and drinking, though to be fair go anywhere in Singapore and you'll usually find some very tasty food. These though might be just a couple of reasons why it might be a good alternate base for your stay as opposed to the centre of the city.
Both the restaurant and bar, and obviously the rooms above, are located in traditional shophouses and as well as giving you good access to that part of Singapore are close to public transport (buses and MRT) to take you into the city. Staying outside of the main city area also gives you the chance to see a little more of what life is like day to day for both locals and expats and, if I'm honest, the opportunity to see something more of Singapore than just shopping malls. If you do decide to stay in this area and explore the east coast you'll be spoilt by a plethora of beautiful Instagram worthy shophouses, access to the relatively low rise feel of the neighbourhood as opposed to the towering buildings in the city centre and, if you enjoy stretching your legs, the open space and sea breezes of East Coast park to name just a little of the surrounding area.
As I said, Rabbit, Carrot, Gun was always a favourite spot of ours and when we were leaving Singapore and at the stage of having had our furniture packed up and getting the place professionally cleaned etc. before handing our keys back to the landlord we opted to stay there too. Partly because of its convenience to our then condo whilst doing all that essential stuff but also simply because it was one of our favourite places and staying in a large chain hotel just didn't appeal. As I mentioned in my earlier 'eating Singapore' post I did have some nerves about heading back. I well remembered the gut wrenching feeling I had had as we'd stood on East Coast Road flagging a taxi on the morning we left, with everything we possibly could take with us in a couple of suitcases, wishing things could be different and wondering if we'd ever see the place again. So it felt good (especially once I reassured myself that it was OK to be back again) to be able to stay and have some fun times there again one more time.
Asides from a few days in Malaysia (more on that soon) our whole stay in Singapore was based here, in two of the suites (there are five in total) that are available. Firstly we stayed in the Kubric Suite (our first time in this one), situated at the front of the shophouse over looking East Coast Road. Despite that you don't need to be concerned about noise, the room is sound proof and you really don't hear any of the traffic or noise from the restaurant, bar or road below. Of the two suites we stayed in this was the slightly smaller but had everything we needed for our stay, a comfortable bed, wardrobe space for any clothes you wanted to hang up and en-suite shower and toilet facilities. The furniture in the room is quite vintage in style but suits the place perfectly and gives it a really unique and far more homely feel than a standard hotel room would. It also fits well with the style of the old shophouse you're staying in.
We do tend to leave things to the last minute when booking trips and so we needed to swap suites during our stay, pro tip there - book in good time, the suites are incredibly popular and you don't want to be disappointed! For us it was only a case of moving across the floor though so really wasn't a problem and for the last part of our stay we moved to the Rabbit's Retreat, the suite that we had when we stayed there just before leaving Singapore. This room and the adjoining bathroom are bigger than the Kubric suite so plenty of space to relax and unwind. The décor of the Rabbit's Retreat is very stylish and really has a feel of luxury but with a real welcoming homely feel too. As I mentioned the bathroom is massive and I just love the tiled floor (check out the photo below) and the extra décor touches in the rooms, such as the huge candlestick that you can see in the photo next to the bath.
In between these two suites I should mention there is a communal area complete with table, chairs, a sofa and TV for relaxing and a kitchenette area with basic facilities, a hob, fridge and kettle to ensure you won't starve if you don't want to go out to eat. Although I honestly can't think you would not want to go out somewhere to eat whilst visiting Singapore with all the amazing food available to you. Plus the options on your doorstep, i.e. eating at Rabbit, Carrot, Gun or the Trenchard Arms, are pretty fantastic so you don't even have to venture beyond descending a flight of stairs if you don't want to. It was great to have this extra communal space too (not that we used it for eating as my previous post on how we ate our way through Singapore will attest) and it made it really feel like a home away from home.
Although you're staying above the Rabbit, Carrot, Gun restaurant and Trenchard Arms pub as I mentioned above they are very soundproof so you don't need to worry about being disturbed by noise from below. Since we stayed there the first time around a secure coded entry feature has been installed at the street entrance to the suites. When you check in you get given your unique code for the door which is only valid for the length of your stay so there is no need to worry about anyone unexpected turning up. In addition you then also obviously have a key to enter your room, so it's completely secure. Obviously a great extra feature to have as once the restaurant and bar close for the night there are no staff around until the next morning. However these are open late and open again early for breakfast plus (if you haven't visited Singapore) it is a very safe city so this really isn't something to be concerned about.
If you're looking for somewhere different from a chain hotel to stay on your visit to Singapore or maybe you are based there but thinking about a staycation then Rabbit, Carrot, Gun's boutique suites may just be the option for you. The owners and staff are lovely and are sure to give you a very warm welcome and fantastic experience and base from which to explore Singapore further or just kick back and relax for a few days.
If you are interested in making a booking yourself for any of their suites this can be done via the link in their website, go on do it today!
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| View from our first suite, the Kubric Suite |
Rabbit, Carrot, Gun and its linked next door neighbour, The Trenchard Arms (a British style pub) were regular haunts of ours whilst we lived in Singapore. The restaurant (that's the Rabbit, Carrot, Gun part) and bar, as I said, are in the east of Singapore in the Katong/Joo Chiat area on East Coast Road. The area has really developed since we first moved there and is certainly now a real hotspot on the island both for living and for the opening up of businesses. There's a whole variety of independent stores as well as the inevitable shopping malls and chain stores of course and it is also full of good spots for eating and drinking, though to be fair go anywhere in Singapore and you'll usually find some very tasty food. These though might be just a couple of reasons why it might be a good alternate base for your stay as opposed to the centre of the city.
Both the restaurant and bar, and obviously the rooms above, are located in traditional shophouses and as well as giving you good access to that part of Singapore are close to public transport (buses and MRT) to take you into the city. Staying outside of the main city area also gives you the chance to see a little more of what life is like day to day for both locals and expats and, if I'm honest, the opportunity to see something more of Singapore than just shopping malls. If you do decide to stay in this area and explore the east coast you'll be spoilt by a plethora of beautiful Instagram worthy shophouses, access to the relatively low rise feel of the neighbourhood as opposed to the towering buildings in the city centre and, if you enjoy stretching your legs, the open space and sea breezes of East Coast park to name just a little of the surrounding area.
As I said, Rabbit, Carrot, Gun was always a favourite spot of ours and when we were leaving Singapore and at the stage of having had our furniture packed up and getting the place professionally cleaned etc. before handing our keys back to the landlord we opted to stay there too. Partly because of its convenience to our then condo whilst doing all that essential stuff but also simply because it was one of our favourite places and staying in a large chain hotel just didn't appeal. As I mentioned in my earlier 'eating Singapore' post I did have some nerves about heading back. I well remembered the gut wrenching feeling I had had as we'd stood on East Coast Road flagging a taxi on the morning we left, with everything we possibly could take with us in a couple of suitcases, wishing things could be different and wondering if we'd ever see the place again. So it felt good (especially once I reassured myself that it was OK to be back again) to be able to stay and have some fun times there again one more time.
 |
| Traditional shophouses on the east coast of Singapore |
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| East Coast park |
Asides from a few days in Malaysia (more on that soon) our whole stay in Singapore was based here, in two of the suites (there are five in total) that are available. Firstly we stayed in the Kubric Suite (our first time in this one), situated at the front of the shophouse over looking East Coast Road. Despite that you don't need to be concerned about noise, the room is sound proof and you really don't hear any of the traffic or noise from the restaurant, bar or road below. Of the two suites we stayed in this was the slightly smaller but had everything we needed for our stay, a comfortable bed, wardrobe space for any clothes you wanted to hang up and en-suite shower and toilet facilities. The furniture in the room is quite vintage in style but suits the place perfectly and gives it a really unique and far more homely feel than a standard hotel room would. It also fits well with the style of the old shophouse you're staying in.
 |
| Artwork in the room |
We do tend to leave things to the last minute when booking trips and so we needed to swap suites during our stay, pro tip there - book in good time, the suites are incredibly popular and you don't want to be disappointed! For us it was only a case of moving across the floor though so really wasn't a problem and for the last part of our stay we moved to the Rabbit's Retreat, the suite that we had when we stayed there just before leaving Singapore. This room and the adjoining bathroom are bigger than the Kubric suite so plenty of space to relax and unwind. The décor of the Rabbit's Retreat is very stylish and really has a feel of luxury but with a real welcoming homely feel too. As I mentioned the bathroom is massive and I just love the tiled floor (check out the photo below) and the extra décor touches in the rooms, such as the huge candlestick that you can see in the photo next to the bath.
In between these two suites I should mention there is a communal area complete with table, chairs, a sofa and TV for relaxing and a kitchenette area with basic facilities, a hob, fridge and kettle to ensure you won't starve if you don't want to go out to eat. Although I honestly can't think you would not want to go out somewhere to eat whilst visiting Singapore with all the amazing food available to you. Plus the options on your doorstep, i.e. eating at Rabbit, Carrot, Gun or the Trenchard Arms, are pretty fantastic so you don't even have to venture beyond descending a flight of stairs if you don't want to. It was great to have this extra communal space too (not that we used it for eating as my previous post on how we ate our way through Singapore will attest) and it made it really feel like a home away from home.
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| The Rabbit's Retreat |
The bathroom is as big as the bedroom and as well as a shower has a luxurious bath!
Although you're staying above the Rabbit, Carrot, Gun restaurant and Trenchard Arms pub as I mentioned above they are very soundproof so you don't need to worry about being disturbed by noise from below. Since we stayed there the first time around a secure coded entry feature has been installed at the street entrance to the suites. When you check in you get given your unique code for the door which is only valid for the length of your stay so there is no need to worry about anyone unexpected turning up. In addition you then also obviously have a key to enter your room, so it's completely secure. Obviously a great extra feature to have as once the restaurant and bar close for the night there are no staff around until the next morning. However these are open late and open again early for breakfast plus (if you haven't visited Singapore) it is a very safe city so this really isn't something to be concerned about.
If you're looking for somewhere different from a chain hotel to stay on your visit to Singapore or maybe you are based there but thinking about a staycation then Rabbit, Carrot, Gun's boutique suites may just be the option for you. The owners and staff are lovely and are sure to give you a very warm welcome and fantastic experience and base from which to explore Singapore further or just kick back and relax for a few days.
If you are interested in making a booking yourself for any of their suites this can be done via the link in their website, go on do it today!
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