It doesn’t matter if you’ve been to Singapore once or 10 times—there are plenty of reasons to go back. Here are some of our recent discoveries:

THE PROJECTOR
#05-00 Golden Mile Tower 6001 Beach Road (www.theprojector.sg)

It was “Amy,” the documentary about Amy Winehouse, that led us to The Projector, a two-theater indie cinema that was borne out of a desire to provide alternative fare for Singapore’s cineastes.

Pocket Projects, a group of young design professionals, transformed Singapore’s iconic but rundown Golden Theatre with the help of their supporters on the crowdfunding site Indiegogo. Since it opened last year, The Projector has been holding special events and regularly screening a curated selection of films (indie, foreign, art house, cult classics, horror and more) including those not usually released in Singapore.

The Projector isn’t just a cinema, it’s also a café/bar with an interesting menu that includes artisanal coffee and draft beer (we drank the light and fruity Kronenbourg Blanc while watching “Amy”). And it’s such a well-kept secret that when we posted about The Projector on Instagram, friends who live in Singapore had to ask us where it was.

SINGAPORE'S Golden Theatre gets an indie makeover with The Projector — SINGAPORE’S Golden Theatre gets an indie makeover with The Projector

If you love movies, if you like beer, if you enjoy discovering secret places, visit The Projector. It’s open from 4 p.m. on Tuesdays to Fridays; and from 12 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It’s closed on Mondays.

KEEPERS
Orchard Green (Junction between Orchard Road and Cairnhill Road) 230 Orchard Road (www.facebook.com/keeperssg)

SPOTTED at Keepers: Putri Soediono, the designer behind Pubumesu; Carrie K.’s Morse Bling Collection

Keepers celebrates Singaporean talent by bringing together different designers under one roof, a lot of whom have been making waves abroad.

Our favorite finds are Carrie K.’s fun and inventive jewelry; we’re obsessed with the safety pin and paper clip earrings and her stackable Morse Bling Collection, which lets you wear your initials on your fingers in morse code, with dots and dashes made of gold and diamonds. We also like the stories behind the collections of Gnome & Bow—the Tortoise and the Hare on the bag zippers are adorable. Also spotted at Keepers: Ling Wu’s bags, Marilyn Tan Jewellery, PU BU MÉ SU’s bags and more.

CARRIE K.’s safety pin and paper clip earrings at Keepers

SINGAPORE PINACOTHÈQUE DE PARIS
Fort Canning Arts Centre

CLAUDE Monet’s Suzanne with Sunflowers at the Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris; Rembrandt’s The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist’s copperplate on display at Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris; Portrait of Julius Caesar from the end of the 1st to early 2nd century A.D.

Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris, a special treat for art lovers, opened just four months ago. This private museum is the first expansion of Pinacothèque de Paris in the world.

It boasts three galleries: Heritage, which displays Southeast Asian artifacts; Features, which houses temporary exhibits; and the Collections Gallery, which has a permanent collection of rare artworks including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Claude Monet and Picasso—US$1.5 billion worth of art in just one room.

“The Myth of Cleopatra,” which showcases an array of pieces including archaeological finds, paintings, movie costumes and props (including Elizabeth Taylor’s dresses from the 1963 film) and two of only four busts from 1st century B.C. in the world, will run at the Features gallery until Oct. 4.

ELIZABETH Taylor’s costume from the 1963 film “Cleopatra” at Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris’ “The Myth of Cleopatra” exhibit

The Singapore Tourism Board provides free shuttles to the Singapore Art Museum, National Museum of Singapore and Singapore Pinacothèque de Paris from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Get a museum shuttle sticker from the museums’ reception counters.

THE INTAN
69 Joo Chiat Terrace (www.the-intan.com)

Explore Peranakan culture The Intan, a home/museum run by Alvin Yapp. Alvin has devoted his time to sharing Singaporean culture with tourists, including Filipinos. Get to see Peranakan treasures that Alvin has been collecting since his teenage years, have traditional tea, or choose to have a full Peranakan meal. (By appointment only.)

ARTICHOKE CAFE & BAR
161 Middle Road Sculpture Square (www.artichoke.com.sg)

ARTICHOKE'S Bacon and Eggs — ARTICHOKE’S Bacon and Eggs

Artichoke has been getting good reviews; after having brunch there, we agree. Everything we ordered—from the bacon and eggs and the chicken and pancake to the grilled cheese sandwich with truffle oil and Branston Pickle and smoked tomato soup—was good.

GRILLED Cheese and Smoked Tomato Soup from Artichoke

BIG HOTEL
200 Middle Road (www.bighotel.com)

Why we fell in love with Big Hotel: its universal sockets (no need to bring an adaptor!); free movies on demand (yup, no need to pay per view); the cushy lobby where it would’ve been nice to spend more time if only we weren’t busy running around Singapore; each room is equipped with a Nexus 7 that you can use in the room or bring out for constant GPS access (you just need to buy a SIM at the front desk); and the great service.

Will we stay there again? You bet.