If you buy me an air ticket, I will immediately fly off to Spain. I have always read about the Spanish culture, and I think that the whole idea of bar-hopping is brilliant. Unfortunately, we do not have that many Spanish restaurants and tapas bars in Singapore and it doesn’t make sense to cab from one end of Singapore to the other. But hey, I think it will be really cool to find a group of friends for a night of tapas-bar-hopping.

Here’s a list of Spanish Restaurants in Singapore:

Catalunya
82 Collyer Quay
The Fullerton Pavillion
Tel: +65 6534 0188
Daily: 11am – 2am

Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant

Don Quijote at Dempsey Hill is a nice place to go to if you are craving for Spanish food. While prices are not cheap, they are not too exorbitant – it is on par with most of the better Spanish Restaurants in Singapore.

Be it a nice date with your partner; or a birthday party celebration with a big group of friends – Don Quijote Spanish Restaurant is the ideal place if you like tapas, paella and sangria.

Blk 7 Dempsey Road #01-02
Dempsey Hill Singapore
Tel: +65 6476 2811
Nearest Station: Orchard

La Viva Spanish Bar & Tapas
30 Victoria Street #01-12/13/14
Chijmes Singapore
Tel: +65 6339 4290

My Little Spanish Place
619 Bukit Timah Road Singapore
Tel: +65 6463 2810

Octapas Spanish Tapas Bar

Formerly known as The Tapas Tree, Octapas Spanish Tapas Bar launched back in August this year. If you are in the Clark Quay area, drop by Octapas to satisfy your Spanish food cravings.

3D River Valley Road #01-08
Clarke Quay Singapore
Tel: +65 6837 2938

Onion Restaurant & Bar

791 Bukit Timah Road
#01-01 Singapore
Tel: +65 6763 0398

Sabio Tapas Bar

Housed within a shop house on Duxton Hill, Sabio Tapas Bar has been designed to represent an authentic tapas bar in Spain. It is a good place to chill out with a group of friends. Fans of Sabio will be happy to know that it has recently opened a second outlet, Sabio by the Sea at Quayside Isle.

5 Duxton Hill Singapore
Tel: +65 6223 4645

Salt Tapas & Bar

If you are a fan of tapas, Salt Tapas Bar at Raffles City by celebrity chef Luke Mangan is one place that you should check out. It serves Aussie-style tapas with the freshest ingredients.

Many people have the perception that Salt Tapas & Bar is very expensive. This is true. Most of the tapas are in the $20 to $30 range, and you can easily spend at least $100 for a meal here. But what you might not know that it has a fantastic lunch set for just $33.50++/pax. It includes a flat bread to share, and 3 tapas per person. When you consider the fact that most of the dishes on the set lunch menu are from the ala carte menu, you will agree that it is a very good deal.

252 North Bridge Road
#01-22A Raffles City Shopping Centre
Tel: +65 6837 0995
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: City Hall

Sabroso Tapas Wine Bar

Sabroso Tapas bar at Holland Village has a Spanish Tapas Buffet Dinner which features 16 tapas at $32++ per head, from Sun to Thu from 6pm – 10pm.

26A Lorong Mambong
Holland Village, Singapore
Tel: +65 6766 0053

Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant
1 HarbourFront Walk #01-98/99
VivoCity Singapore
Tel: +65 6376 8185

Sol Tasca
3 Fullerton Road # 01-04
The Fullerton WaterBoatHouse
Tel: +65 6533 8913

Zsofi Tapas Bar

Most people probably won’t associate Spanish Tapas with Little India, but that’s exactly where Zsofi Tapas Bar is located. The whole area may be a little sleazy, but Zsofi Tapas Bar is cosy and unpretentious, and most importantly the Spanish food is affordable.

68 Dunlop Street Singapore
Tel: +65 6297 5875

The Marina Bay Sands Celebrity Chefs’ Press Conference was quite an experience. We had a glimpse of the chefs and their team in action. In many ways, it was like a sneak preview of the greatness to come. I call this – the Celebrity chefs experience in bite size.

There were over 300 media friends from all around the world who attended the Marina Bay Sands Celebrity Chefs Press Conference. Personally, I think it’s great news that people are starting to sit up and take notice of the Singapore Food Scene. With the arrival of the Celebrity Chefs, competition would definitely be inevitable, but it can only serve as a  positive challenge and ‘force’ the local restaurants and chefs to further improve themselves.

Chef Daniel Boulud’s new restaurant is the only ‘bistro’ among the Marina Bay Sands Celebrity chefs restaurants. But judging from the tasting portions that we had, I am very certain that the food at the 120-seater DB Bistro Moderne restaurant promises a lot to come.

I had a sliced of the famed jamon iberico, and the smooth, tender texture of the world’s finest ham quickly won me over. Surprisingly, it was not the iberico ham, but Chef Daniel Boulud’s roasted pork that made a lasting impression. I’m sorry, but I didn’t take a picture of it. It looked and smelled way too good for me to waste another thirty seconds on taking a snap of it – and I dutifully savored it in a mouthful.

OH MY GOD!

We were awe-struck by the intensity and flavor of the roasted pork – how can something so ordinary taste so succulent, crispy, and awesome? Both of us kept quiet for ten seconds which felt like forever, and before anyone could say anything, we savored the second piece of pork — this time, hoping that time would stand still.

By now, all my mind could think of: “Chef Daniel Boulud.. Chef Daniel Boulud..” We walked back to the station, and stared at the roasted pork that one of the chef was handing out. He looked at us and smiled. And we smiled.

After the second round of helping to the excellent roasted pork, my attention turned to the dessert offered at Chef Daniel Boulud’s counter. It was an exceptionally ordinary-looking apple tart. ‘Heavenly’ is an understatement when it comes to describing the dessert. Needless to say, I had two slices of apple tart.

The 300-day dry-aged Angus New York Strip from Chef Wolfgang Puck’s team was one of the first thing that I sampled. I am not sure if it’s a case of my stomach growling, or if it’s the outstanding quality of the beef that shone through; but the angus beef strip was so good that I had to have a second helping of it.

Honestly, I thought it’s the best beef I ever had, until I tried what Tetsuya Wakuda had to offer.

When I was in Sydney for a holiday back in December last year, I actually walked past Tetsuya Wakuda’s restaurant on Kent Street for a few days without realizing it until one of my mate told me about it.

During the Marina Bay Sands Celebrity Chef Press Conference, one particular quote from Tetsuya Wakuda struck me: “I want to be the top among the bottom.” That’s what the man himself replied when asked about the “competition” between him and the other celebrity chefs. His restaurant in Sydney, Tetsuya is known for the long reservation list, and the food lovers in Singapore will be sad to hear that his new restaurant in Marina Bay Sands, Waku Ghin, would be equally, if not harder to get a table.

You are going to take my word for it and believe that the top grade Wagyu beef that I had from Tetsuya Wakuda was one of the best (read: top, unbeatable, out-of-this-world) beef I ever had. Coming from a guy who isn’t a fan of beef, it tells you a lot.

The sheer audacity of  Tetsuya Wakuda’s team to tease us with a tiny slice of wagyu beef, and the long queue was testimonial to how good the beef was.

Free flow of Champagnes, fine wines, caviar, wagyu beef, lobster, angus beef, and so much more – I am really spoilt when it comes to food. Gluttony for life!

I know it seems like I only raved about Daniel Boulud’s roasted pork & apple tart, Wolfgang Puck’s Angus beef and Tetsuya Wakuda’s wagyu beef, and neglected the other Celebrity chefs. While I enjoyed the Poached quail’s egg prepared by Guy Savoy’s team, with the Maine Lobster in Shao Xing Wine by Justin Quek being exceptional, and also Santi Santamaria’s Gazpacho in shooters; at the end of the day, it was the offerings by Daniel Boulud and Tetsuya Wakuda that changed my perception about life. I instantly regretted my decision to attend the Marina Bay Sands Celebrity Chefs Conference.

Roasted pork and beef would never be the same anymore.

If money is not an issue and you are given the opportunity, which Marina Bay Sands Celebrity Chef ‘s restaurant will you try first, and why?

Dining in Marina Bay Sands Celebrity Chefs Restaurant

CUT by Wolfgang Puck (Opening Soon)
Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Retail Mall near Theaters

db Bistro Moderne (Opening Soon)
Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Retail Mall near Theaters

Guy Savoy (Open)
10 Bayfront Avenue #L2-01, Casino Level 2 Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Tel: +65 6688 8513

Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza (Opening Soon)
Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Retail Mall near Theaters

Santi (Open)
10 Bayfront Avenue #L2-03, Casino Level 2, Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Tel: +65 6688 8501

The Sky on 57 (Opening Soon)
10 Bayfront Avenue #L57 Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Waku Ghin (Opening Soon)
10 Bayfront Avenue #L2, Casino Level 2, Marina Bay Sands Singapore