It’s no surprise that this Spanish creation has made its way to Singapore as most of us are foodies. Here are the best spots to grab some.
BAM! Tapas & Sake Bar
Bam! Tapas & Sake BarBinomio
Esquina
Esquina
Esquina by Michelin-starred Jason Atherton is standing the test of time rather nicely. The chef is now Carlos Montobbio, who trained under the famed Roca brothers. Tapas range from $6-30. Get the raw scallops with sesame, lemon, radish and dissh or the meaty beef cheeks with baked bone marrow, served with corn tortilla. The wine menu is heavy on the Champagne and Cava, so do order a bottle, and keep a look out for their bubbly and tapas pairing nights.
16 Jiak Chuan Rd., 6222-1616.
FOC
Spanish tapas and cocktail joint by Michelin-starred Nandu Jubany in collaboration with Jordi Noguera and Dario Nocentini pushes out surprisingly affordable tapas and cocktails. Modern takes on classics include black Mediterranean paella with seafood and garlic mayo, but Jubany has also added some Asian flair with progressive plates of onion soup ramen noodles with smoked quail eggs, pork belly and shitake mushroom.
40 Hongkong St., 6100-4040.
Lolla
Lolla
The Club Street stalwart has been pushing out perfectly cooked morsels for the past couple of years. Although it’s not Spanish, per se, they still have tons of great regional Mediterranean tapas dishes like the scrambled eggs with bottarga and the ever-popular and decadent sea urchin pudding. Get a seat at the cozy basement communal table if you can. The wine list is brief but lovingly curated.
22 Ann Siang Rd., 6423-1228.
Moosehead
Again, more Meditarranean than Spanish, but this cozy, narrow corner shop always lifts our mid-week spirits with its flirty service, good music and sexy vegetarian options. Get the roasted cauliflower with leek confit; and the three-bean plate involving roast padron peppers, snowpeas, edamame and feta. On the meat front, you can’t go wrong with the pork belly with mustard dressing and pickles.
110 Telok Ayer St, 6636-8055.
OLA Cocina Del Mar
Ola Cocina Del Mar
This slightly hidden Spanish restaurant, with a vibrant open bar counter and kitchen atmosphere, has got quite the pedigree with Peruvian chef Daniel Chavez (formerly of now-defunct Santi at MBS) behind the kitchen. The spot has simple and well-executed food with dishes like pulpo a la brasa, grilled octopus with chickpeas and romesco sauce.
#01-06 Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3, 12 Marina Boulevard., 6604-7050.
Salt Tapas & Bar
The second offering from Australian chef-restaurateur Luke Mangan follows the winning formula of his first—at least in the matter of choosing a prime location—and is usually bustling till late most nights. It certainly doesn’t hury that it’s an attractive space and boasts Spanish staples like charcuterie and the addicitive veal and pork meatballs, as well as Mangan’s very own red sangria recipe.
#01-22A Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Rd., 6837-0995.
Zsofi Tapas Bar
An offbeat gem of a place, this one stays true to the tapas bar culture of serving free tapas with drinks. A single serving of tapas is complimentary with any order of alchoholic drink or mocktail; take your pick from the sinfully delicious chili Buffalo wings, garlicky shrimp in olive oil and patatas bravas, to name a few.
68 Dunlop St., 6297-5875.
