Note: Foodbar Dada at Robertson Quay has closed and they are currently relocating to a new location.
In Singapore, a city full of amazing restaurants, it really takes something outstanding to make me sit up and take notice. I am just going to say this once: visit Foodbar Dada – a Spanish tapas bar at Robertson Quay – before it gets too popular. Make a booking, and go there soon.
If you are into Spanish tapas, I can safely say that this is one place you must try.
During my first visit two months back, the crowd was quite a sight. By coincidence, there was a restaurant owner, executive chef from a restaurant group, and Singapore’s top food critic from Straits Times, dining in the same time. It was completely unplanned, and felt like a mini reunion for everyone.
The bar itself is small, with 20 seats along a narrow counter. Upon stepping inside, I fell in love with the place, and I knew immediately tat it was going to do very well. It was a multi-sensory experience for me: the music, the people, the vibe, the smell, the clanking of cast-iron pans, the heat from the Josper grill…
We started with the Iberican secret ($16) which came highly recommended and the sous vide pork was superb! It was tender, fat, and very juicy.
During my visit to Barcelona last year, I felt let down that most of the squid ink paellas that we tried were mediocre. So I took a cautious approach when facing Foodbar Dada’s black mediterranean rice ($8). After trying it, I dare say it was better than most of the ones that I’ve had before. The rice was flavourful and cooked to the right doneness of what you would expect from a good paella.
I wasn’t very keen to try the watermelon gazpacho ($12) as I was not a fan of cold soup, until Foodbar Dada’s rendition changed that. It was light, and very refreshing. That said, I would probably order this just once as there are too many items on the menu to choose from.
The best dish of the night – and something I would return to Foodbar Dada again and again – is the Josper mini squid ($18) cooked with olive oil, salt, pepper, and egg. It was simple, but so so good. Definitely a dish that you must order!
We decided to push our luck and go for the potato bravas ($6). Here, it was done slightly refined, with four cubes of potatoes on a nice elongated plate. It was very from the usual potato bravas, but I have to give credit to the chefs for the presentation.
On the second visit, we had the same baby squid and black squid ink rice, and I am happy to say that the quality of both dishes were still very good.
I was disappointed to see that they removed salmon from the menu, as I remembered it to be nicely-seared, and paired with heavenly sweet grapes and a well-balanced sauce.
In place of it was the grilled seabass ($18), which my dining companion noted that the chef managed to maintain the integrity of the fish by not over-complicating it. I thought it was decent, but nothing to write home about.
Josper razor clams ($18) – with diced tomatoes, onions, olive oil, and lime – while good, was slightly overcooked, and it paled in comparison to the signature baby squid.
We also had the cod puffs ($12) – a new special item on the menu – which is essentially a savoury puff pastry filled with cod bits.
Next up was the 150g Josper steak ($30), accompanied by red pepper, pumpkin, and peas. Again, a piece of good meat seasoned well with sea salt, and prepared to a high level in the Josper grill.
For desserts, we were puzzled that the souffle ($12) did not rise as much as it should, and it had a molten chocolate-y centre. It was more like a chocolate lava cake than souffle. Not that we were complaining, it was a sweet ending for our wonderful meal.
The food at Foodbar Dada is not rocket-science. They use fresh produce, well-seasoned with good quality olive oil, maldon sea salt, and expertly-cooked in Josper grill. If budget is a consideration, prices here are significantly lower than the other top Spanish tapas restaurants in Singapore.
It might seem that I raved too much about Foodbar Dada, and the last thing I want to do is to set your expectations too high. But trust me on this, Foodbar Dada is worth a visit.
I’d go so far as to say it is one of the best new restaurants to open in Singapore this year. See you there!
Foodbar Dada
60 Robertson Quay
#01-12 Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 7738
Tue to Sat: 6pm – 11pm
Reservations are required.
For more recommendations, read my list of Spanish Restaurants in Singapore
Absolutely agree – this place is a gem! I’m so glad I work walking distance from it!
must check it out soon..
So agree that it is one of the best places to dine at! Loved the atmosphere!
I have to completely disagree, we went there based on your recommendation and we did not like the food at all. We ordered the sea-bass and it came dry and bland, the beef was so fatty and greasy, there was more fat than meat in this dish. The only dish we liked was the mini squid dish, but still nothing extraordinary. As for the house wine, it was soooooo not good…for a Spanish tapas place the house wine should be above average. For us, it is a place to avoid!
Enjoyed so much with all the dishes! And for sure going back again with family and friends! Service and atmosphere was good. Wine a little limited and costly, food cost slightly above average. Overall vote okay.