The Place The newest addition to the buzzing Joo Chiat enclave is Carlitos, a neighbourhood Spanish tapas restaurant by chefs Carlos Montobbio of Esquina and Antonio Miscellaneo of La Bottega, and a collaboration between Ebb & Flow Group and Unlisted Collection. The name Carlitos means Little Carlos in Spanish, and the interior and vibes of the space seek to transport the vibrant streets of Barcelona to Singapore. If you find the location of Carlitos familiar, this was where Tigerlily Patisserie used to be.

The main dining room consists of regular tables as well as bar seats where the dining ambience is casual. For big groups, there is also one private dining room at the back of the restaurant that seats up to 12 pax with a minimum spend of S$1800++. 

Chef Carlos has worked in a prolific number of restaurants alongside celebrated chefs, including 3 Michelin starred El Celler de Can Roca (Girona,Spain) and 2 Michelin starred restaurant Zuberoa (Oyartzun, Spain).  

The restaurant will officially open on Friday, 8th November. 

The Food There are over 30 types of tapas from different Spanish cities big and small make up the menu from the price of S$8, each crafted by Chef Carlos based on his favourite memories of tapas bars in Spain. For wine, there are over 30 exclusive labels starting from S$58. 

From the tapas section of the menu, one of my favourites is the Patatas Bravas Bonanova (S$10) where this version takes after Chef Carlos’s favourite Bravas from a bar in the Bonanova neighborhood in Barcelona. Spanish agria potato is used, steamed, poached and then fried, so you get that nice crisp golden texture of the potatoes. I also love that garlicky aioli, spicy tomato sauce and spicy smoked paprika oil which is perfect to mop the potato with. 

The Tortilla Donostia Slice (S$10) is easily a crowd’s favourite which is made fresh from scratch every morning with organic eggs, confit shallot and potato enhanced with extra virgin olive oil.  

Go for the Pulpo La Coruña (S$20) for the thinly sliced Spanish octopus with smoked paprika and EVOO. Delicious though a tad salty on the palate.  

Another hit for me is the Macarrones del Cardenal (S$16), a typical pasta dish from Barcelona, composed of homemade penne pasta enriched with secreto iberico sofrito and Manchego cream. This is also one of the more substantial tapas dishes from its portion and creamy flavours.  

Other tapas dishes I tried include the likes of the Alcachofa Brasa (S$18), a delicious combination of Spanish artichoke, saffron polenta, garlic & parsley; Gilda Pintxo (S$12) which is essentially smoked sardines with pickles and green olive; and the Buñuelos de Pamplona (S$12) – codfish fritters and ajoarriero sofrito laced with saffron oil.   

From the Xup-Xup aka meat or seafood section of the menu, I had the Fricandó Barcelona (S$30) which is hearty thick ragu with Black Angus beef along with porcini mushroom. It goes with well with the accompanying maitake rice, and this dish reminds me of a Japanese beef don.  

The other dish I had from this section was the Arroz Caldoso de Gambas (S$28) where the brothy rice is topped with fresh Mediterranean red prawns along with vongole veraci clams. 

From the Mini toasted flatbread sandwich section of the menu, the Sobrassada (S$10) sandwich consists of pork sausages laced with burrata and a touch of honey. You get a crisp texture from the sandwich and overall, the flavours are quite light to enjoy it in a bite.  

The other classic sandwich to try is of course the Bikini (S$12) with Ibérico ham, briecheese and truffle duxelle. 

For desserts, I like the Tarta de Queso (S$12) where the mini Basque burnt cheesecake tart is served with a unique Sangria sorbet. The tart spots a good texture at its base and the cheesiness and creaminess is just right for me.  

Alternatively, there is also the Flan y Café (S$10), a combination of Spanish caramel pudding with Cortado coffee. If you have a sweeter tooth than average, go for this.  

Rants Be warned that the portions of the dishes are relatively small, even from the non-Tapas section of the menu.

Will I Return Again? Carlitos is a great addition to Joo Chiat as there is a lack of good quality restaurants in this neighbourhood, other than the cafes. Head here if you love your Spanish Tapas.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Carlitos  
350 Joo Chiat Road  
Singapore 427598 

Opening Hours 
Wednesday to Thursday: 5.30pm to 11pm 
Friday to Saturday: 11.30am to 3.30pm; 5.30pm to 11pm 
Sunday: 11.30am to 3.30pm; 5.30pm to 10.30pm 
Closed on Monday & Tuesday 

Ranted by The Ranter