Ever looked at a menu and wished that you could get just a small portion of each dish, simply because every option sounds so inviting? For us, that’s a problem we face whenever we open up a menu anywhere.

The next best choice is to pick a few of your favourites and split them with your dining partner so you can get a taste of both, yet sometimes, it just isn’t enough to satisfy. And that’s exactly why we absolutely adore the idea of having tapas—otherwise referred to small plates.

Not only does that mean that you get to sample numerous dishes in a single sitting, but portions are also kept small to reduce wastage. Here are 13 tapas bars in Singapore, including Taiwanese and Cantonese ones to hit up with your pals on your next gathering!

BOCHINCHE

Fueled by chef Diego Jacquet’s knack for putting together bold flavours with the use of quality ingredients, you can expect to find an array of classic Argentine dishes that has been spun with creative twists on their menu.

Their House Pork Chorizo Sausage (S$21) and Grilled Octopus (S$28) are amongst the most popular items and for good reason!

115 Amoy St, #01-02
Singapore 069935
Tel: +65 6235 4990
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 11pm
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

DON QUIJOTE

A true-blue Spanish restaurant known for their critically and traditionally made Spanish fare, Don Quijote is a must to go if authentic Spanish nosh is what you’re after. Here they offer a variety of both cold and hot tapas, on top of a range of savoury soups, pasta dishes and meats.

Dempsey Road
Block 7 #01-02
Singapore 249671
Tel: +65  6476 2811
Mon to Thu: 4pm – 10.30pm
Fri: 4pm – 11pm
Sat: 11am – 11pm
Sun: 11am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Holland Village

ESQUINA

If you’re a die-hard tapas lover, then you’re likely no stranger to Esquina, a hole-in-a-wall restaurant that specialises in tapas. The tapas here are utterly delicious and authentic, albeit a tad pricey but if exorbitant spendings aren’t too much a concern for you, then this is one restaurant you definitely cannot miss.

16 Jiak Chuan Road
Singapore 089267
Tel: +65 6222 1616
Tue to Sat: 12pm – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
(Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays)
Nearest Station: Outram Park

FIVE TAPAS BAR

A local brand, Five Bar is best known for its value-for-money deals and is undoubtedly one of the most popular spots in town to hang out and chill over a pint of beer.

Under this brand, one of the concepts is Five Tapas Bar where they offer a stunning variety of small plates meant for sharing. From chicken wings to cold cut platters and even mini pasta, we reckon that there’s no way you’d be leaving this bar without feeling stuffed (and tipsy).

25 Cuppage Road, Cuppage Terrace
Singapore 229454
Tel: +65 8121 9304
Mon to Thu: 5pm – 12am
Fri & Sat: 5pm – 2am
Sun: 6pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Somerset

FRAPASBAR

A new venture by Saveur Group, FrapasBar combines French dining and tapas into a single concept. Their menu has plenty of tantalizing options that diners can choose from, including tapas that are meant for sharing and hearty mains such as Duck Confit.

Can’t decide on what’s tempting you the most? Get multiple plates and share them with your friends so you can sample every dish!

2 Tampines Central 5, #01-35
Singapore 529509
Tel: +65 6789 1121
Daily: 11.30am – 12pm
Nearest Station: Tampines

Photo Credit: La Taperia

LA TAPERIA

Renown for the authentic Spanish food that they push out, La Taperia will be a safe bet when it comes to unwinding over some wine and tapas with your squad, all without having to break the bank. Pair their Spanish signatures with one of their many wines in their impressive collection and you won’t regret!

1 Scotts Road
Shaw Centre #02-10/11
Singapore 228208
Tel: +65 6737 8336
Daily: 12.30pm – 3pm, 6.30pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

MY LITTLE SPANISH PLACE

Said to be one of Singapore’s first Spanish restaurants, My Little Spanish Place serves a myriad of Spanish cuisine that is set to impress. On their menu, you can find Spanish cheeses, cured meats, soups and a variety of wines as accompaniments to your tapas!

54 Boat Quay
Singapore 049843
Tel: +65 6532 0665
Mon to Fri: 12.30pm – 3pm, 5pm – 12am
Sat & Sun: 5pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

SABIO BY THE SEA

Paying homage to the vibrant, group-friendly delicacies of Spain, Sabio by the Sea, Tapas Bar & Grill serves up an impeccable array of both hot and cold tapas with an elaborate cocktail list to match.

Coupled with a serene ambience and a view of the boat docks, their delectable grub won’t be the only thing impressing you!

31 Ocean Way, #01-02
Quayside Isle,
Singapore 098373
(Closed on Tuesdays)
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 10.30pm
Fri:12pm – 11pm
Sat: 11.30am – 11pm
Sun: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Harbourfront

Photo Credit: Sum Yi Tai

SUM YI TAI

For good ol’ Chinese food served tapas-style, Sum Yi Tai would be it. Decked out in quirky paintings and neon lights, Sum Yi Tai serves delectable Cantonese food in generous portions alongside wines and other alcoholic beverages.

What’s more, the restaurant also has a DJ who plays in-house on some nights so you can imagine how fun the atmosphere is!

25 Boon Tat Street
Singapore 069622
Tel: +65 6221 3665
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5pm – 1am
Sat: 5pm – 1am
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Telok Ayer

Photo Credit: Tapas Club

TAPAS CLUB

As its name suggests, this restaurant situated in Orchard Central dishes out tapas that makes dining in a group convenient and fuss-free.

Helmed by Executive Chef Jose Angel Alonso and one-star Michelin Chef Manuel Berganza, the grub here is authentic and scrumptious but rest assured that you wouldn’t get a shock upon receiving your bill as prices are kept economical for the masses.

181 Orchard Road
#02-13 Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 11pm
Fri: 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 12am
Sat: 12pm – 12am
Sun: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

THE GREAT MISCHIEF

From the folks that brought you Working Title, Afterwit, The Mad Sailors and STACK, The Great Mischief is a new halal-certified Spanish tapas bar and the fifth installation from The Black Hole Group.

Besides a humble range of delectable and affordable Catalan-inspired savoury tapas such as Coca Pizza, Croquetas and Calamares Sliders, the restaurant also offers a selection of Spanish-style desserts such as Churros and Torrijas alongside mocktails, speciality coffee and tea.

30 Madras Street
Singapore 208423
Tel: +65 8768 0460
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 4pm, 6pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Sun: 11am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Jalan Besar

THE SALTED PLUM

Previously known as Five Ten, The Salted Plum is a casual restaurant which serves a medley of Taiwanese street food—from favourites such as Braised Pork Belly, Braised Pig Intestines and Taiwanese Sausage Patties to other interesting options including the likes of Salted Pork and Oyster Steamed Egg.

Priced affordably at mostly S$5, S$10 and S$15, what better way is there to enjoy Taiwanese tapas than at The Salted Plum?

10 Circular Road
Singapore 049366
Tel: +65  6260 0155
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

XIAO YA TOU

Xiao Ya Tou, or better known as XYT,  is a modern Asian restaurant bar on Duxton Hill that serves up a plethora of playful and somewhat cheeky food and drink offerings—all of which find their inspirations stemming from cuisines from all across Southeast Asia.

6 Duxton Hill
Singapore 089592
Tel: +65 6226 1965
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 10am – 12am
Sun: 10am – 5pm
Nearest Station: Outram Park

Located on the ground floor of an unassuming grey building, Ronin restaurant is completely camouflaged and unnoticeable to unsuspecting passersby. It is virtually impossible to discover this hidden gem by chance and only those in the know would know about it.

Yet despite having no visible signage to indicate its presence, this speakeasy style Japanese bar-cum-restaurant in Hong Kong is packed with customers every night.

The majority of Ronin’s clientele consists of well-informed epicurean foodies who have no qualms about splurging on gourmet tapas. A meal for two – inclusive of alcoholic drinks – would easily set you back by approximately HK$1500 (or S$276). Pretty exorbitant for bar dining, huh? We are here to give you the rundown on whether or not it is worth your hard-earned money.

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Set foot into the dark, mysterious 20-seated bar and you will be surprised by how small the place is. We felt at home right away thanks to our enthusiastically friendly server, who quickly ran through the comprehensive menu with us.

By the way, the same team behind award-winning tapas bar Yard Bird manages Ronin – so you might find your hospitable servers awfully familiar.

Ronin’s primary focus is seafood and they are split into three categories – raw, smaller and bigger. The single-page menu features a tantalising variety of fresh sashimi, fine seafoods and premium poultry.

Ronin’s dishes are ever-changing according to the availability of ingredients and its seasonal menu actually rotates on a weekly or even daily basis.

Ronin’s raw sea creatures are sourced from the finest local suppliers and flown in from Japan’s best markets.

The Kampachi Amberjack Sashimi (HK$70/ S$12.90) instantly teleported us to Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Market. Yes, it was that good. The imported Japanese fish came in two chunky raw slices and were served with Negi Soy and Sesame – we wished there were more.

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The Uni Flower Crab (HK$380/ S$70) presented on a bed of ice is a must-order. A delicious mixture of creamy golden sea urchin and delicate crabmeat filled the hollows of a real crab and we devoured the palm-size briny entree effortlessly.

Mackerel lovers must not miss out on the Sanma Tartare (HK$160/ S$29) served with Japanese ginger, spring onions and chips.

Ronin’s Beer Battered Fish (HK$110/ S$20) is simple yet heavenly. The seasonal fish used for this dish was Japanese Kawahagi and they have been cooked in Black Pilsner. Two shot glasses of the same draught beer were served alongside the fish.

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Fret not if those tasting portions of lagers are insufficient, as Ronin boasts an impressive selection of 100+ Japanese whiskies.

While Ronin might be renowned for their divine seafood, they actually did an equally fantastic job with their Fried Quail (HK$220/ S$40) and Kagoshima Beef (HK$390/ SG$71.50).

Despite its priciness, Ronin faces no lack of eager patrons. The popular bar fills up quickly and we strongly advise you to make a reservation in advance to avoid disappointment. If you were wondering - yes, we do think the Japanese inspired delicacies prepared with masterly finesse are well worth the hefty prices.

Ronin
8 On Wo Lane, Central Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2547 5263
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 12am
Sun: Closed
Nearest Station: Sheung Wan

About the writer:
Hui Jun Ng is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She previously worked in the food and marketing industry. She loves traveling and enjoys exploring underrated destinations. In her free time, you will find her indulging in coffee and her all time favourite local dish – bak chor mee.