Top 10 at The Grandstand, Bukit Timah

What was once a fairly questionable racing club cum shopping centre at Turf City, the revamped (and renamed) The Grandstand is now an interesting dining and shopping destination in Bukit Timah. Nothing like the slick shopping malls that dominate Orchard Road, The Grandstand has a number of family friendly attractions that are sure to lure families up the hill and into the grounds — Grandstand regulars, here are our top picks!

Omakase Burger
#01-05 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6763 2698
Website

Hands down, these guys have got the best burger in Singapore. No contest. With high end ingredients (and we won’t lie – high end prices) but a fast food atmosphere, kiddos will love tucking into these tasty treats. Try the sweet potato fries, and if you’re veggie, the ratatouille burger is a bit of a treat. Perfect for a quick dinner after an outing at Fidgets or Kiddy Fun. Sassy Mama approved!

 

(UPDATE – MAD has now closed)

Modern Asian Diner (MAD)
#01-20/21 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6466 3303
Website

If you haven’t yet been convinced as to the new “pretty awesome” status of The Grandstand, perhaps MAD can convince you. It’s a bakery-cum-tapas-bar-cum-dim-sum-joint, which sounds like it couldn’t possibly work, but somehow does. For weekend brunch (especially post-zoo), you can’t beat it. Sure, the dim sum is only OK (though special shout-out to the baked pork buns!) but there’s a large selection, you order via iPad, the food comes super-quickly and there are high chairs and kids’ crockery. Plus there’s a little shop attached to the resto with some pretty nifty stuff for cool kids.

 

Kiddy Fun
#04-04/05 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 297994
Website

This candy land themed play-space in the heart of The Grandstand is a welcome change from the norm. Pastel colours, mechanised climbing equipment, a balloon-blow space (we’re not quite sure how to describe it!) and lots, lots more (including cafe area which helpfully is actually right next to the play area), we’re big fans here at Sassy Mama and even find Kiddy Fun strangely relaxing. We clearly need to get out more. They also host super fun children’s birthday parties that will have junior bouncing off the walls with two hours of playroom fun!

PasarBella
Ground floor, The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6887 0077
Website

This much-anticipated and slightly difficult to define marketplace is home to an eclectic selection of vendors, many of which are totes family-friendly! Pick up some fab organic produce from Tangy Tangerines, shop for party supplies, or even get your kiddo a hair cut at kiddie salon Poika & Tytar… It’s the ultimate one-stop shop! Oh, and don’t forget the cheese mama at The Cheese Ark… nom nom.

 

GIM Sports
#04-03 The Grand Stand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6468 1103
Website

Home to the super popular weekly Playgym sessions, this is an active child’s dream gymnastics centre! We adore their Playgym mornings, these unstructured, free-play times where the kids jump, bounce, climb and run to their heart’s content are always a winner in our books! Balance beams, rings, soft play mats, climbing equipment, hoola hoops, trampoline and a huge tumble track — you name it they’ve got it!  Completely padded floors make this a winner for young tots just learning to walk (and run!) too.

 

Yogabugs
#04-01 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6469 1873
Website

Hailing from the UK, Yoga Bugs combines fun with exercise! This cute little yoga studio, brings to life classic yoga postures through story telling and other engaging games. Classes are fun and inclusive and take children on an adventure where they may roar like a lion, fly like a bird or blast into outer space! Exercise that is fun for little ones? We like this very much.

Piccolo House
#04-13 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6763 3612
Website

The master of the modular bed, these guys bring practicality and fun to a child’s bedroom. Their kids’ beds can be transformed from a single bed to a four poster bed, a loft bed or even a bunk bed, ideal if your family is still growing! They also have a great range of storage options to keep everything spick and span — almost as useful as a magic housework fairy!

 

Fidgets
#03-10 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6466 7611
Website

16,000sqft of space for overactive monsters to run around in, some pretty awesome slides for them to hurl themselves down and a stack of padded walls for slamming into make the new and improved Fidgets a firm favourite for burning maximum energy. Free wi-fi in the cafe, an impressive menu (for a play centre!) and a separate play area for the under 3s make this a popular choice amongst mamas.

Twelve Cupcakes
#01-04 The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Website

You know we can rarely go to The Grandstand without picking up ourselves a choc-peanut butter cupcake from Twelve Cupcakes. The fact that their delectable range of cakes also happen to be at toddler eye height doesn’t help much either! Super soft cupcakes with some of the tastiest frosting we’ve ever tried, these cakes are always a crowd favourite (and never last long in our house — ever!).

 

B’Tots
#04-10B The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road, Singapore 287994
Tel: (+65) 6314 0801
Website

A treasure trove of cool kids clothing, B’Tots is a fan favourite for its mix of high quality boys and girls day wear, night wear and underwear. We love that all the clothes they stock have some level of UV protection (from 15+ to 50+ — an absolute must under Singapore’s sizzling sun) and can be tumble dried and not lose their shape. Definitely worth a browse if you can find it! It’s tucked away in the north end of The Grandstand (if you’re taking the lift to Kiddy Fun, hang a right instead of a left and follow the signs!).

 

Honourable mentions: We also love Slappy Cakes (fun!), Maison Kayser, Latte e Miele Artisan Gelato, Tree House Cafe, VeganBurg, Bricks 4 Kidz, Updog Studio, Marsden Swim School, oh and Phoenix Wines — we just couldn’t list them all!

How to get there: If you are driving turn left off Dunearn Road into Turf Club Road and follow the signs (free parking too — woo hoo!). Taxis can drop off and pick up from the taxi stand at the southern end of The Grandstand (probably best to tell uncle you’re heading to Turf City – most still know it by its former name) and there is also a shuttle bus that leaves from Toa Payoh MRT via Botanic Gardens MRT, Clementi MRT or Sixth Avenue Centre at regular intervals every day of the week.