Just when you thought New Bahru couldn’t get more exciting, along comes TopTable—Singapore’s first ping pong social bar that blends sport with social drinking.
The business is led by Nick Li, a 28-year-old former table tennis coach from Hong Kong, together with his Singaporean wife Jobeth and sister-in-law Jonique.
Having spent over a decade in the UK—where he first met Jobeth—Nick relocated to Singapore with her in late 2021. Here, he sought to build something fresh, something that fuses his lifelong love for table tennis with the city’s nightlife.
And the outcome of that is TopTable. We spoke with Nick to find out how his family-run business came to life and what makes it a unique spot in Singapore’s social and nightlife scene.
Inspired by London’s bounce bars
Nick’s love affair with table tennis began when he was just 14. By 18, he was already coaching students at London’s bounce bars, known for their combination of ping pong, food, drinks, and lively atmosphere.
Immersed in that buzzing atmosphere, he found himself inspired, and the idea of one day running his own ping pong bar began to take root.
Still, when he moved to Singapore, he realised that the concept was largely unheard of here, and carried its risks. So Nick decided to start small: in 2022, he launched TT LAB, a table tennis academy that has since grown to three outlets across the city-state.
It was while scouting for new spaces for TT LAB that Nick discovered New Bahru. Drawn to its energy as a lifestyle hub, he decided it was the perfect place to finally bring his ping pong bar venture to life.
Conceptualisation began in 2024, and by June 2025, TopTable officially opened its doors.
Blending sports with social fun
With TopTable, Nick wanted to go beyond the usual table tennis experience. “Table tennis in Singapore is still very traditional—I wanted to spice it up by creating a place where people can play, drink, and hang out.”
Rates are based on playtime, starting from S$13 per person for 55 minutes. Groups of three or more can opt for packages starting at S$170, which include 85 minutes of games as well as food and drinks. Visitors can also take lessons from Nick and his team of TT LAB coaches, or simply play for fun in a lively, social setting.
For those less inclined towards table tennis, there’s also beer pong or darts.
The menu at TopTable is expansive, and to ensure it appeals to both sports enthusiasts and casual visitors, the team worked with an F&B consultant to refine it. But they also made sure to keep personal touches, like Jobeth’s homemade mocktails.
Jonique oversees the kitchen, completing the family-run setup.
Building with passion and grit
Though TopTable is a relatively new venture, its novel concept seems to have already found success. Despite being located in a residential area and offering premium pricing, it broke even within its second month.
But the road to opening the venture was far from smooth. Renovations stretched to six months, with festive seasons like Christmas and Chinese New Year causing costly delays.
Nick joked that his first piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: “Never start renovations at the end of the year.”
To keep costs low, the family handled their own marketing, drawing on Nick’s social media know-how from TT LAB and experimenting with online ads. A few micro-influencers also dropped by to make promotional videos, giving the concept early visibility.
Today, the club’s buzzing energy is a far cry from the quiet first month after opening.
Despite this early growth, Nick emphasised that TopTable’s journey is still ongoing. Adaptability, he said, is key. Every business will face challenges, and customer preferences will differ, so learning to adjust quickly to feedback can make the difference between survival and closure. Above all, he shared that it’s important to dream big—but to pair those ambitions with a solid, realistic plan.
TopTable wants to reimagine nightlife in Singapore
Nick’s journey shows what can happen when passion meets perseverance.
When he first moved from the UK to Singapore, he had no network of coaches or contacts to lean on. Building both TT LAB and TopTable from scratch was daunting—and when he first floated the idea of a ping pong bar, even friends and family doubted that Singaporeans would pay a premium to play.
But Nick chose to trust his instincts and lean on his roots in table tennis. Over the years, he has learned to filter advice, take scepticism with a pinch of salt, and focus on what feels right.
Opening day at TopTable became a milestone for the three co-founders: “I had my family team on board, and I didn’t want them to go down with me just because of my dream,” Nick recalled. “That pressure actually pushed me to give my very best.”
Looking ahead, Nick and his family plan to expand concepts similar to TopTable to more locations, creating spaces where various sports and social drinking can go hand in hand.
For them, it isn’t just about table tennis—it’s about reimagining nightlife in Singapore, and proving that sports can bring people together in fun, fresh, and unexpected ways.
Noting that Clarke Quay and other traditional nightlife districts are losing their shine in recent years, they envision TopTable as a more wholesome and engaging alternative, where sport, play, and community intersect.
- Find out more about TopTable here.
- Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.
Featured Image Credit: TopTable