Hopscotch (Gardens by the Bay)

We had a farewell dinner to plan, and since we all liked cocktails, we decided to go to Hopscotch, which has pretty unique drinks

We chose the outlet at Gardens by the Bay for a more scenic experience, as the outlet is decorated to match the environment

Offering Singapore-style craft cocktails and decadent grilled food, the outlet at Gardens has floor-to-ceiling windows that allow natural light to flood the space, creating an inviting atmosphere. Diners can get a nice view of the Supertree Grove and the tranquil Dragonfly Lake while enjoying their dinner

The menu was extremely colourful and attractive since they offer many innovative cocktails which took their inspiration from Singapore flavours and the Gardens by the Bay floral views

The first dish which came was the chilli lobster mafaldine pasta, which is pasta tossed in Singapore-style chilli lobster sauce, using half a Boston lobster. This is an upgrade from our usual chilli crab dish, as the lobster gives a nice sweetness to the dish, and the meat has more texture than crab. The flavours were quite similar to the familiar chilli crab dish, so the overall taste was quite good

Next dish was the duck confit with foie gras served with a mandarin salsa salad and roasted baby potatoes. Slow roasted in red wine sauce, the duck has a juicy skin and tender inside, which was quite well-cooked. The mandarin salad was paired nicely to cut some grease from the duck and foie gras

My colleague ordered the steak and mentioned that it was not the perfect steak, but generally decent enough

My colleague also had the big breakfast, which consisted of creamy coconut and truffles scrambled eggs, toasted sourdough bread, Asian wild mushrooms ragout, German bratwurst sausage, prosciutto ham, and mesclun greens. My photo was blurry due to my shaky hands, but the meal was served nicely on a wooden platter. In terms of flavours, each individual item was ok and nothing too outstanding

For sharing, we had the satay pork jowl and snacks platter. The pork jowl was underwhelming, as I felt the satay sauce and achar flavours were overpowering and covered the flavour of the meat; it could have been another meat cut instead. The snack platter was generally ok since everything was fried and good to have with drinks

We were the most excited when the cocktails were served as they were an utmost display of flair and showmanship. With blinking lights, bubbles, smoke and out-of-the-ordinary containers, the drinks made for perfect Instagram pictures. In terms of flavours, some of them were mediocre, while somewere still considered palatable, while a couple tasted like childhood cough syrup

Overall, there were hits and misses in both their food and cocktails, but it does make for an interesting dining experience as they try to theme their food and drinks according to the location the restaurant is situated, and the drinks do make for the ideal social feed

Address: 18 Marina Gardens Dr, #01-21 Bayfront Plaza (Next to Bayfront MRT Station, Singapore 018953

Opening hours: 12 pm to 2.30 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm