Family-Friendly Restaurant: Timbre @ Gillman

Media Invite

This is by far the best family-friendly restaurant in Singapore. No kidding and I will not be sharing about this if we haven't had a good time. Granted, this was a media invitation but it was one with no strings attached. All Timbre offered was an evening of fun for the whole family and there was no requirement of any kind for shout-outs, shares or write-ups. I am doing this voluntarily because we had such a great evening. So good that I couldn't sleep that Saturday Social BBQ [#SatSocialBBQ] night because of an after-math adrenaline rush.

The theme for #SatSocialBBQ in April is Spies, complete with spy crafts and activities [There is a new theme every month]. Even before we could sit at our table, Ewan and Faye were already in the heart of where all the fun was - outdoors. All I managed to do on arrival was to put our bags down on the chair and joined them at the bouncy castles.

THE RESTAURANT
They call themselves the "music artistry in the barracks". I call it "heaven sent".

Set amidst lush greeneries, Timbre @ Gillman is one of three restaurants in Gillman Barracks. It is the only family-friendly dining option within this contemporary arts cluster and they do it so well, it is hard not be converted into a repeat customer. They've won us over for sure as we book our next visit within the same month for their #SatSocialBBQ. Nothing beats socialising with friends over dinner and great music while the children play to their hearts' content. We no longer need to rush through our meals lest the children get bored sitting at the table. We no longer have to plead for the children to keep their voices at a minimum low. We no longer have to put together our own Fun Bag filled with books and games because Timbre got everything sorted out! The fun is endless for both the young and not-so-young.

There are many lists compiled online on family-friendly restaurants in Singapore and some of which get a mention just because they offer children colouring pencils at the table. Others can be fancier with their own playgrounds or bouncy castle. We've seen it all and I vouch with my heart, nothing compares to what you are about to find here. If you are planning a birthday party for your kiddo and considering to rent a bouncy castle, probably hire a face-painter and throw in some interactive activities, stop. Because all you have to do is book two or three tables at Timbre's #SatSocialBBQ and you've got a helluva party set for the night with not one but two bouncy castles, a big field, games, colouring stations as well as a children menu!

If you are looking for some OOTD opportunities, take a peak behind the restaurant. There is a long metal bridge and an Angkor Wat look-a-like structure with overgrown foliage that makes you wonder why it was there in the first place. History check: this restaurant used to be Villa Bali, which was designed with intricate carvings and traditional daybeds, teleporting us to ancient Bali.

Despite the dense vegetation *haha*, we did not get a single bite from any mosquitoes that evening! We were told that the restaurant provides mosquito patches for free. Oh but we've forgotten to ask for some and thankfully, not a single kid was attached by commando mozzies. Counting it as our lucky day!

THE INDOOR FUN
Time: 1600 to 2000 hours

There are three corners of fun indoors just in case it rained. [1] Colouring, [2] Crafts and [3] Face-Painting. With a Hooray Kids staff mending each table and assisting the children at play, we had the privilege to "drop-off" the children to enjoy a pint of ice-cold beer at our table.

As much as they were entertaining and Ewan spent some time here, he still preferred the outdoors. Faye, on the other hand, spent more time indoors than her hyper-active brother.

I hadn't expected this but the little girl requested to have her face painted! She had watched her brother done it a few times before and this time, she wanted to give it a go. As we queued, I wondered if she'd back out and I secretly hoped she wouldn't. Patient as she was, we finally had her sat in front of the artist after two other children. I was super proud that she sat really still and waited for her painted butterfly face.

With the Spies theme in the house, there were spy games as well! Pick a Mission, Get your Agent Name and Start Playing, "I Spy With My Little Eye..."! The children got to play Special Agents that evening! A lot of effort had been put into creating a super fun time for the children. All the way from its tailor-made programs to nitty-gritty decor set-ups. To top that up, there will be different spy themed crafts each week!

THE OUTDOOR FUN
Time: 1600 hours till late
Nerf Gun War: 1730 to 1830 hours
Nerf Gun Gallery: 16000 to 1900 hours

The danger with this outdoor play area is, you may not be able to get your kid to sit for his meal.  Oh well, they will come back when their tummies are growling. Besides, fish and chips will always be a game changer.

The permanent features are the two bouncy castles, tents and tunnels, water play and bubble play. We had beautiful weather when we arrived and the children played from daylight to sun set. We had thought the play area will be closed after the sun goes down but were pleasantly surprised to find industrial spot lights brightening up the field for extended play!

The highlight activity for this Spies edition [theme of the month] is the Nerf Gun games! Run by Chaebol Events, they brought War to the field! There were two separate games: [1] Nerf Gun Gallery and [2] Nerf Gun War. Both of which adults are welcomed to join in!

[1] Nerf Fun Gallery runs from 1600 to 1900 hours and it is basically a target shooting range. With a new-found love for guns, Ewan went straight for this. It is a huge and heavy-duty nerf gun that shoots 20 bullets at a go like a machine-gun! Oh I tell you, it totally satisfied his urge for battle! *hhahah* Faye and I had a go on it too. My little feisty girl couldn't resist joining in the fun.

[2] Nerf Gun War runs from 1730 to 1830 hours so please do not miss this! It is the highlight activity of the spies edition. As much as Faye wanted in, she was too small to join in the fun. So she became gun inventory soldier; standing by the crate and making sure everyone returned their guns thereafter! Ewan had so much fun, he went twice at it. Once he got totally attached by girls and was the first to be out of the game. His second time was pretty good! He booted out the red team with his teammates [he was in the blue]!

It was a pretty funny episode actually. Ewan was oblivious about being in teams and he thought he could just shot anyone he saw. The bullets sticks onto the vests with a velcro and the impact is not painful at all, unlike paintball. He started to point at his blue teammates and they all went, "No No! Shoot the Red Team! We are same team! Not enemies!" It was so cute to watch the older kids guide Ewan in this game. Some of them helped him load his gun with bullets too.

Note that after the month of April, Nerf Gun team games and gallery will no longer be available at #SatSocialBBQ. 


THE BAND
The band, Unified, will entertain you on #SatSocialBBQ from 1730 to 2215 hours. They are an awesome foursome band who took the stage with great songs and got the crowd singing with them at some points.

As we ate, we will take an occasional look at the field to spot Ewan just to make sure he was there playing nice. Well, just to make sure he hadn't disappeared too! I craned by neck when I couldn't find him and Meyer stood up to look for our disappearing son too. Out of the sudden, Angel [A Happy Mum's daughter] exclaimed, "Ewan is on stage!"

What! My son is on stage? What the nerve!

He was talking to the lead singer and making very cheeky remarks. "What is your name?", asked her. I found his response rather rude but that got the floor laughing, "BLEAH!"

We had no idea when he went up and what motivated him to but he did and I had to take this picture. Soon after, the band invited all children to come up on stage for a Karaoke session! Many parents stood below stage with their smart phones and watched their children sing to "Let It Go" with pride. #SatSocialBBQ is definitely made for families. I had never seen a band so pro-children before and they make a great asset to the restaurant's vision of a family-friendly restaurant.

Check out A Happy Mum's daughters on stage, singing to "Let It Go"!

THE FOOD
I left the ordering to my husband because the outdoors was too fun for me to give it a miss as well! I came back to the table with Smoked Duck and Mango Salsa, Crispy Pork Belly, Battered Fish & Chips [for the kids], Baby Back Ribs, 4 Mocktails and Profiterols & Chocolate Sphere for dessert. The bill came up to S$135 and I find that very reasonable! [See Menu Attached]

The house favourites are thin-crust pizzas, buffalo wings and new cuisine ideas of tapas and pastas. Drink specials also include an extensive range of gin and cocktails.

Have you been to many family-friendly establishments to find the food rather mediocre? Even though they claim to welcome families with their table-colouring sheets and a single playground at their premise, their food aren't always enjoyable. We've been to one to many like that.

At #SatSocialBBQ, we get our BBQ food cooked a-la-minute [though please refrain from sitting in front of the BBQ station. The smoke!]. Meyer's choice of food was totally enjoyable in my opinion though he expected a better Baby Back Ribs.

Good food and venue must be shared in the good company of friends. We cannot wait to be back again this Saturday with two other families!

The Theme for the month of May is SUPERHEROES!

TIMBRE @ GILLMAN:
9A Lock Road Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108926
+65 6694 4201
Opens from Monday to Thursday 4pm - 11pm; Friday 6pm - 1am; Saturday 4pm - 12am; Sunday 12nn to 9pm.

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A stay at home mum, blogging to widen her social life. 
We want to echo the sound of love through our lives to inspire other mothers alike.