Native's Vijay Mudaliar reveals his top spot for negronis

He says Telok Ayer speakeasy Shin Gi Tai is the place to order them, though it can be difficult to get in

- Teo Kai Xiang

Bar industry veteran Vijay Mudaliar has made a name for himself by spearheading two of Singapore's most acclaimed and unusual bar concepts: Native and Analogue Initiative.

"When we started, there wasn't really a bar that wanted to highlight locality and regionality - things that are familiar to us," the 35-year-old says of Native and the story behind it.

"Even now, it's always about imported produce and ideas. We wanted to be a bit more raw and authentic, representing this time and place, where we're from and who we are."

Native, located in Amoy Street and launched in 2016, stands out in the local nightlife scene with its focus on ingredients and flavours from South-east Asia.

Mr Mudaliar's other venture, Analogue Initiative, founded in 2021, specialises in sustainably sourced decor and ingredients.

His journey was not without challenges.

"In the beginning, we had a lot of pushback, especially in the first two years of running Native," says the industry veteran of over 17 years.

"I think sometimes our ideas might have jump-started too early. It took a while for people to get used to it. After a lot of international bartenders came and really liked it, word spread, and we started to get a bit of recognition."

That recognition is now evident. Native was ranked 67th on the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2024, climbing 16 spots from its previous position in 2023.