One of my favourite travel memories was being in Barcelona, venturing to a small local shop selling bombas, having a couple of them before venturing out to the beach and watching a live band perform around the late afternoon amidst skaters, cyclists and children. That memory was bathed in a warm golden glow and represents everything I like about Barcelona. Good food, good vibes, good scenery. And I suppose I was trying to recollect such a vibe when I finally got to Tapas,24 at Robertson Quay which I had been meaning to check out for a while since they opened in April 2021. And I thought it was familiar - turns out I've been to the original Tapas24 in Barcelona as well (in fact it was one of the first meals I had there).
Prices were stingingly high for small plates but then again, they were supposedly similar in Spain. And Robertson Quay is not your heartlands, with rent to boot. Still, I didn't mind paying if the food's good for travel's out of the question for a while now.
There's quite a big drinks menu as well but seeing how I flush quite easily and it was lunch time, I gave them a miss.
We got the chance to take advantage of their festive menu specials even though we visited in mid-January though and of course had to try the Gambas Al Ajilio (S$18).
The free flow promo for weekday afternoons also seem pretty good for those looking for some day drinking.
I started by getting 3 tapas - first up was a Barceloneta's bomba (S$6) which is a deep-fried breaded potato ball with pork and beef filling and topped with "bravas" sauce. Delicious, just fried perfectly with that umami meaty inside contrasting well with the slightly spicy tomato sauce outside. 4/5
Then there's the Croquetas de jamón ($10) featuring iberico ham in homemade velouté, lightly breaded and deep fried. So simple but good, though it was more of the sensation of eating these than what's inside that I can remember. Haha.
The iconic Tapas24 Bikini Sandwich (S$16) was a must-try, of course. This I think was what propelled the tapas bar to fame in Spain. Initially I didn't really understand why it is called the Bikini.. but I get it now ;) Here the bread seems a bit flatter than the one I had overseas, but the ham and cheese filling was just as shiok. I wonder if there's a Spanish equivalent for that word.. 4.5/5
Next me and my friend decided to get something a bit heavier but not too much since it's still lunch. We settled on the Clams "Ajillo" in Sherry (S$32) since it was supposedly a Chef's Selection. Unfortunately, it tasted quite normal (to me) and my friend didn't even like it because there's this bitter taste to the clams. Perhaps it was the leftover sherry, or overcooked garlic? The bits of iberico ham and artichoke didn't help. Still it was nice not to bite on sand in any of the clams, and the sauce was passable with some bread. 2.5/5
The Gambas Al Ajilio (S$18) gambit paid off though! They were absolutely delightful. We were recommended to get some bread to pair with these 2 dishes and it was a superb recommendation indeed. So simple - garlic, olive oil and fresh Tiger prawns. I'll recommend this to anyone who manages to catch their specials (in fact Tapas24 should consider putting this on their permanent menu!)
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| Must-try dish |
Anyway I made a TikTok of our lunch which you can watch here! (And consider following me on TT as well) for more foodie TikToks.
Overall not a bad place - and certainly more than 3.2 stars like what Google reviews gave! I'll say maybe a 3.8 at the minimum especially if you order the right dishes. I'm pretty sure I want to go back and give their paella a try for dinner in future so that's saying something. If you want a taste of Barcelona, this is your best bet.
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Tapas,24
60 Robertson Quay, #01-04 The Quayside, Singapore 238252
Tuesdays to Sundays 12-11pm
Closed on Mondays
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