Hopscotch at Gillman Barracks is a cosy bar and restaurant by Mixes from Mars, nestled within the arts cluster at 45 Malan Road. It continues a Singapore bar story that began in 2014 at the Red Dot Traffic Building on Maxwell Road, where four former Bar Stories employees set out to fill a gap in the local cocktail scene with Singapore-themed craft cocktails. In 2018 the team relocated to Gillman Barracks, renovating the space themselves and adding something new: a full-fledged kitchen dedicated to charcoal-grilled food.
The kitchen runs on the belief that charcoal fire produces the best grilled meat. Skewers come off the grill basted with one of four homemade glazes, main courses are meticulously prepared, and the sharing plates are a highlight — Hyogo Oysters, Satay Pork Cheeks and the epic Chargrilled 'Panggang' Pork Belly, alongside starters like Chili Crab Cakes.
Behind the bar, 'fusion' takes on a new meaning. Familiar Singaporean tastes — hand-roasted kopi, homemade sour plum syrup, durian, osmanthus jelly — are reworked with modern techniques, quirky infusions and tinctures. Each outlet pours four specialty cocktails exclusive to its own setting, and for something truly personal the team crafts bespoke, off-menu cocktails built around whatever flavours strike your fancy.
Hopscotch is also known for its parties, playing host to signature annual fixtures like the Art After Dark After Party, the National Day Party, its anniversary celebrations and the Hop In countdown. On quieter days there's a daily happy hour from 5pm to 8pm, and a promise kept since 2014: great-tasting food and drinks, made with fresh, quality ingredients and served with warm, homely hospitality.
Tucked into the quiet, gallery-lined enclave of Gillman Barracks at 45 Malan Road, Hopscotch is a cosy bar and restaurant from the team at Mixes from Mars — and a love letter to Singapore in both glass and plate. Charcoal-grilled food comes out of a full-fledged kitchen dedicated to the grill, while behind the bar, familiar local flavours are spun into craft cocktails you won't taste anywhere else.
Hopscotch's story began in early 2014, when four former Bar Stories employees — Roger, Louis, Kino and Joe — took over a pop-up space in the Red Dot Traffic Building on Maxwell Road. They saw a unique gap in Singapore's cocktail scene for drinks themed around the island itself, and the debut menu of 14 Singaporean-style craft cocktails was presented on foolscap paper, a nod to school-day nostalgia. After a soft launch on 18 September 2014, the bar celebrated its grand opening on 17 October that year.
What followed was a run of beloved, ever-changing menus: a Hong Kong-inspired collection in 2015, a comic-book menu illustrated in-house in 2016, and a 'Best Of' farewell series in 2017 when the Maxwell lease came to an end. In 2018, Hopscotch found its current home at the Gillman Barracks arts cluster — further from the CBD, but with a beautiful outdoor setting that feels like stepping into a world beyond Singapore. True to form, the team did the renovations themselves, finishing in just two months. The move also brought something new: food, with a kitchen devoted to charcoal grilling and a fifth cocktail menu of 16 entirely new drinks.
The kitchen runs on a simple belief: charcoal fire produces the best grilled meat. Skewers come off the grill basted in one of four homemade glazes, and heartier main courses are prepared with the same meticulous care. Sharing plates are a point of pride — Hyogo Oysters, Satay Pork Cheeks and the epic Chargrilled 'Panggang' Pork Belly headline a list built for groups and fans of shared dining, while starters like the Chili Crab Cakes nod to Singapore's most famous dish.
The cocktail programme is where Hopscotch made its name. Here, 'fusion' takes on a new meaning: hand-roasted kopi, homemade sour plum syrup, durian and osmanthus jelly all find their way into drinks, paired with modern techniques, quirky infusions and tinctures. Each outlet pours four specialty cocktails exclusive to its own environment, so Gillman Barracks has a quartet all of its own. Feeling adventurous? The team also specialises in bespoke, off-menu cocktails — decide what flavours strike your fancy for the night, and they'll take care of the rest.
Hopscotch plays host to some of the biggest, wildest parties in the neighbourhood. Signature annual fixtures include the Art After Dark After Party, the National Day Party, the anniversary celebration and the Hop In countdown — a tradition dating back to the Maxwell days. On ordinary evenings there's a daily happy hour from 5pm to 8pm.
Practicalities: the bar serves two windows daily, 12pm to 2.30pm and again from 5pm, closing at 10.30pm Sunday to Thursday and at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations can be made on +65 6339 0633.
Whether you come for a smoky plate of panggang pork belly, a kopi-laced cocktail or simply the arts-cluster atmosphere, Hopscotch delivers the same promise it has since 2014: great-tasting food and drinks, meticulous technique, and warm, homely service with a strong sense of Singaporean identity.