This bistro brings you back to the 1920s speakeasy bar scene

Fordham & Grand is open from 6pm to 3am daily.

Reminiscent of the 1920's speakeasy bars, Fordham & Grand is a 45-seater bistro and bar that targets Singapore's mid-tier market. It is located along Craig Road with doors open from 6pm to 3am daily. 

Diners get to indulge in its detailed interior which features long narrow dining area, dark walls, and leather banquette seats. Dim lighting and wooden wine racks also compliment the space which offers private ambiance to every guest.

Some of the menu highlights include lobster linguini with ginger, chilli, coriander and olive oil ($28), French toast with dark rum sabayon ($15), and beef steak with shoestring fries and mesculn salad ($30). On top of this, the bar and bistro also boasts of 100 carefully curated wines which are individually priced under $100.

Singapore Business Review interviewed Timothy Lim, owner/director of Fordham & Grand, to know more about the inspiration and concept behind the restaurant.

What motivated you to open this restaurant in Singapore?

Singapore has and will always be my home; hence, it will always be worth giving a try, regardless of how tough the F&B competition is. Tron (restaurant manager) and I always felt that there was a gap in the mid-tier market of F&B in Singapore and the quality and standard of such a restaurant was lacking as compared to overseas or Australia.

Having been in the industry since 1998, I have seen many changes to the F&B industry in Singapore, especially since 2010. The changes have been far and great amongst the mid-high tier and the high tier restaurants.

With the opening of Fordham & Grand, our dedicated team strives to bridge the gap and create a mid-tier level experience that can cater to anyone on a daily basis.

What can Singaporeans expect from your restaurant that they can't find anywhere else?

Excellent ambience, service and vibe that contributes to an awesome experience! Within our own constraints, we have created a place that has a standard of quality that runs throughout everything from the décor, food, beverages, service and even, pricing.

There will always be other places that have better food, better drinks, better décor or better service, however, to put it into a package like Fordham & Grand, is indeed a challenging task.

We have been fortunate to be able to carve a path into the F&B industry with Fordham & Grand although more challenges will continue to come our way. In essence, Fordham & Grand is a place that anyone can enjoy not just on occasions, but on a daily basis.

How does the interior of the restaurant complement with your menu? What do you hope to achieve with the atmosphere inside the restaurant?

The interior of the restaurant matches our menu perfectly! The F&B industry is essentially a “live for the moment” industry where people on a daily basis would generally enjoy a place without fully appreciating or paying attention to the little details.

Similarly in our menu and interior, it may look “standard and normal” on the surface to some, but a lot of thought processes have been put into both aspects.

These thought processes can be translated to the little design aspects of the interior and little extra tedious processes of creating a dish. This is all achieved, not just to satisfy ourselves, but to maintain a level of professionalism and showcase our expertise which we have culled from our previous experiences.

More importantly, it is for the guests that notice and appreciate these aspects!I hope to achieve an atmosphere that is non-pretentious and approachable while ensuring that guests will forget that they are in Singapore once they step through the doors of Fordham & Grand.

It is a place that one can be themselves and enjoy a genuine experience with us.

What can you tell us about this restaurant that is exclusively for SBR's editorial coverage?

Fordham & Grand is driven by a team of passionate people with a common vision to create a fun, cosy and uncomplicated eatery and bar. Coupling the individual skills, passions and uniqueness of the entire team, Fordham & Grand is what it is today.
 
Without all of their efforts, we would not have been able to have Fordham & Grand!