Praise the Bar arrives in Singapore, celebrating heritage, hospitality, and human connection

Singapore is a city where cultures meet, traditions thrive, and hospitality is woven into everyday life. For the fifth episode of Praise the Bar, we visit one of the city’s most unique venues to explore how bars help bring people together.

At the heart of this story is Joseph Ong, Founder and Managing Director of 1- Group, one of Singapore’s leading lifestyle and hospitality companies. His journey began more than two decades ago and has grown into a portfolio of over 30 concepts across some of the city’s most iconic locations.

For this episode, Joseph welcomes us to Yin Bar, a venue located within the historic River House. With a history stretching back well over a century, the building offers visitors a glimpse into Singapore’s rich cultural heritage while serving as a contemporary gathering place for locals and travellers alike.

For Joseph, a successful bar is about more than food and drinks. It’s about creating an environment where people feel comfortable, welcome, and free to be themselves.

Whether guests arrive after a long day at work, celebrate a special occasion, or simply enjoy time with friends, bars provide a space where connections can happen naturally. They bring together people from different backgrounds, create opportunities for conversation, and offer a sense of belonging that’s increasingly valuable in today’s fast-paced world.

This spirit of openness is reflected in Singapore’s dynamic bar culture. Across the city, bars play an important role in social life, creating places where communities gather, stories are shared, and lasting memories are made.

As Joseph explains, one of the joys of working in hospitality is meeting people from all walks of life and helping create experiences that may become meaningful moments in someone’s day.

Through Praise the Bar, we continue to celebrate these stories and the people behind them. Because while every bar may be different, they all share something in common: the power to bring people together.

Watch the latest episode of Praise the Bar and discover how one Singapore bar is preserving heritage, fostering community and creating connections that go far beyond what’s in the glass.

Click here to watch episode five.

HEINEKEN is the world’s pioneering beer company. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium and non-alcoholic beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 340 international, regional, local, and specialty beers and ciders. With HEINEKEN’s over 87,000 employees, we brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world. Our dream is to shape the future of beer and beyond to win the hearts of consumers. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution, and focused cost management. Through “Brew a Better World”, sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We operate breweries, malteries, cider plants, and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. The most recent information is available on our Company’s website; follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.