Photos and outtakes from our jaunt around Singapore's top dining spots in a hot Audi A1 Sportback
We at Honeycombers live to eat. Sometimes, we even surprise ourselves at the distance we’re willing to travel for amazing food in Singapore. So, when Audi offered us a test drive of its new, super-sleek A1 Sportback, we hopped on it and decided a culinary journey was in tall order.
What was our itinerary? We made the most of our sweet wheels with a drive to Singapore’s best secluded restaurants (see the top hidden dining spots here!). We then picked up cool points by cruising around one of the city’s trendiest neighbourhood (a spot of showing off to the hipsters was surely in order in our new car). And on our final day in the A1 Sportback, we did a ‘cafe crawl’ – a hop around our favourite coffee shops across the island. Sniff, we didn’t want to say goodbye (although we won’t miss parallel parking along the busy streets!).
Read on for a full, behind the scenes look at our three days with Audi.
DAY ONE: Go farther, faster to secluded dining spots
It was love at first sight. The striking Audi A1 Sportback we were lucky enough to drive has a petite, five-door hatchback body, but still manages to look as commanding as the other Audi types. Interiors are super slick and minimalist, with well-bolstered seats of luxurious upholstery and a seductive dashboard that boasts clever and clear controls.
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Our first stop: The Naked Finn at Gillman Barracks. The drive to the art cluster was easy; thanks to the quick, precise steering and a powerful Audi engine that makes whisking from place to place a breeze. Inside our smooth ride, it’s quiet – although it does give a bit of a roar with harder acceleration – which allows the fab Bose sound system to shine with crystal-clear audio.
After slurping down prawn noodles and freshly shucked oysters at The Naked Finn, we zipped to Wildfire Kitchen & Bar along Evans Road for hearty, wicked burgers. The sharp, narrow bend right in front of the restaurant where we were shooting was a piece of cake for the Audi to manoeuvre, and we wrapped up in 15 minutes tops.
DAY TWO: The parking test in Keong Saik
Keong Saik can be a nightmare for drivers: parking (mostly parallel spaces) is limited, and the streets are often teeming with cars and people. But it sounds like the perfect challenge for the Audi A1 Sportback. Despite the solid feel of the car, it feels pleasantly light and seriously agile for parking. The compact size, see-all side mirrors and the not-too-annoying reverse beeper certainly did help make moving the car into a tight space easily.
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The Study wasn’t open on the day we hit the hot ‘hood, but we couldn’t resist shooting against brightly colored heritage townhouse structure before making our way to cool tapas spot Esquina for lunch. Click through the slideshow (above) to see what deliciousness that filled our table! That wasn’t all – we headed to The Working Capitol to catch up with chef Issac from Lollapalooza (and made him whip up a couple of dishes for us), then later to Neon Pigeon in the evening for even more tasty small plates.
When we checked the fuel consumption at the end of the day, the indicator had barely moved, even though there were lots of waiting (with the engine on; too hot otherwise) and driving around the neighbourhood for parking lots. That, in our books, is a winner.
DAY THREE: Coffee run
As Braveheart would have it, “you can take our lives, but you can never take our coffee!” A visit to our favourite cafes in Singapore was definitely part of the plan, and Wheeler’s Yard gritty, industrial look (plus that famous blue door) provided the perfect backdrop to shoot our chic Audi A1 Sportback.
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Suitably caffeinated, we hopped back into the car and made our way to – where else? – Tiong Bahru Bakery for brunch, where we had more of its awesome savoury croissants, great brews, and sweet pastries.
Then, it was time to let go and return our gorgeousness (reluctantly). We’ve been missing it ever since. How can we not? It’s a desirable city car that is practical, stylish, posh, fun and all at once – as if it’s made just for us savvy urbanites. Watch on to see us (and the car) in action in a short video clip below!
This article is sponsored by Audi.
