Wine & Dine: 7 Trendy tapas bars in Singapore for an intimate dinner date

Wine & Dine: 7 Trendy tapas bars for an intimate dinner date

Sarah Khan

11 Dec 2017

1/7
Salt Tapas & Bar
Salt Tapas & Bar, opened by Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan, recently introduced a new menu of scrumptious tapas dishes such like a soft shell crab with pineapple salsa, grilled prawns and grilled day fish with white wine clams. For a more hearty offering, give the Meat to Share Platter a go - a delectable assortment of grilled sirloin, US Saint Louis pork ribs and spicy Cajun spatchcock.

252 North Bridge Road #01-22A

Photo: Salt Tapas & Bar (Facebook)
2/7
Esquina
If you’re looking to truly wine and dine your date, Esquina is certainly the spot to be. It ticks all the boxes: stellar food, exquisite beverage options, a trendy open-kitchen concept, and a great ambience to boot. The tapas offerings at Esquina are original, boasting distinct flavours of a calibre you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in the city, and its use of imported ingredients are excellent. The prices here are slightly steeper, so this is definitely the spot to be if you’re out to impress your date!

16 Jiak Chuan Road

Photo: Esquina (Facebook)
3/7
Boruto
Boasting an impressive selection of over 40 tapas offerings on the menu, Boruto has everything from tuna sashimi to grilled Hokkaido scallops. This Izakaya-inspired tapas bar also has over 100 brands of sake, shochu and Japanese whisky to choose from. You can certainly rest assured that you’ll be spoiled for choice here.

80 South Bridge Road #01-01 Golden Castle Building

Photo: Boruto (Facebook)
4/7
Catalunya
With its breathtaking venue situated in a glass dome overlooking the water of Marina Bay, Catalunya certainly blows its competition out of the water (no pun intended) - at least, in terms of its aesthetic. Its extensive tapas menu features classics like tortillas, cod fritters, octopus, suckling pig and more.

The Fullerton Pavilion 82 Collyer Quay

Photo: Catalunya (Facebook)
5/7
Maziga
Considering we live in a cultural (and culinary) melting pot, it’s unsurprising that our dining scene is witness to a crop of new fusion tapas bars serving their own renditions of classic Spanish dishes.

At Maziga, Indian cuisine takes on a modern spin, with dishes that include a chicken liver masala, tandoori prawns and minced soft shell crab. There are also vegetarian options such as potato cheese rosti, honey-glazed masala fries and chilli paneer!

Photo: Maziga
6/7
El Tardeo
El Tardeo is named after the Spanish words “tarde” and “tapeo” (translates to “afternoon” and “go for tapas” respectively. This atmospheric bar located along Craig Road dishes out an authentic spread of classic Spanish-style tapas like the tiger prawns with Spanish rice, grilled pork belly, squid croquettes, as well as a mouthwatering range of pintxos (‘small snacks’) like a Spanish omelette, grilled chorizo and more. Mmmm.

Photo: El Tardeo (Facebook)
7/7
UNA at One Rochester
Looking for a tapas bar away from the usual haunts in Keong Saik or Ann Siang Hill? UNA at One Rochester, with its relaxed al-fresco garden setting, will certainly provide that reprieve and intimate dinner setting perfect for your date. Its food certainly doesn’t disappoint either - the menu has an appetizer tapas platter, which consists of a Jamón Ibérico Croquetas, Grilled Octopus, Coca Escalivada & Smoked Quail Eggs and non-pitted, marinated olives.

1 Rochester Park

Photo: UNA at One Rochester (Facebook)

From authentic Spanish-style bars to the more fusion variety, here is our guide to the best tapas bars in Singapore!

Nothing comes quite as close to the perfect pairing of a good weekend tipple and of course, tapas.

These light and savoury dishes are served as sharing platters, typically paired with wine or beer – which makes it unsurprising that tapas bars are a prime choice for anyone looking for an intimate dining option.

Originating from Spain, common tapas offerings include croquettes, chorizos, tortillas, patatas brava and the likes. Today, the popularity of tapas has transcended its origins in Spain – and this holds true in Singapore, which has seen a crop of trendy tapas bars in the city.

From the more traditional Spanish-style bars to the new generation of fusion tapas bars that have emerged in our local restaurant scene, browse the gallery above for the best tapas bars in Singapore!

Sarah Khan

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