La Taperia by the Les Amis Group often comes up in Spanish food recommendations in Singapore and we were excited to see if it is really that authentic. Tucked away on the 2nd storey of Shaw Centre, it is definitely an understated joint that is geared towards those on the hunt for truly authentic Spanish cuisine.
We tried a whole range of dishes during our visit here, read on for more!
La Taperia Tapas Ranking!
8. Anchovy Bread ($20, ANCHOAS EN PAN DE CRISTAL)
This dish consists of delicate slices of anchovy with some tomato sauce on top of a crunchy piece of bread. The savoury anchovy & fragrant tomato & olive oil made for a flavourful combination that I really liked! However, $20 for just 4 small pieces seemed excessive and not particularly worth it.
7. Potato & Chorizo Stew ($18, PATATAS A LA RIOJANA)
This rich stew was made up of chunks of chorizo and potato slices. The dish is certainly homey and decent overall but nothing too spectacular.
6. Fish Fritters ($18, CRUJIENTES DE LUBINA)
These cute little chunks are essentially bite-sized fish & chips. They were fried nicely, ensuring that each piece of fish was tender inside and not too oily overall. It was paired with a yummy homemade aioli.
This was pretty nice as my main complaint with fish and chips is always that the crunchy skin-to-fish ratio is imbalanced, but this gets it perfect. Might get it again!
5. Iberico Platter ($36, DEGUSTACIÓN DE IBÉRICOS)
While somewhat more pricey, the cold cuts were all top notch and reminded me exactly of the quality and cuts that you would get in Spain. For that reason, it is definitely worth a try. The portion size is also quite substantial and this definitely needs two or three people to finish.
4. Garlic Prawns ($22, GAMBAS AL AJILLO)
One of La Taperia’s hot favourites, this dish is made up of prawns drenched in sizzling hot garlic oil and served with fragrant charred garlic bits. The prawns are fresh and large and thankfully fully peeled for easy eating. The garlic overdose makes this dish an addictive crowd-pleaser for sure.
3. Sauteed Mushrooms, Ham & Egg Confit ($18, CHAMPIÑONES CON JAMÓN AL AJILLO)
This is a really simple but satisfying dish of mushrooms, serrano ham and runny egg that I would 100% order again. The tapas plate comes really hot, ensuring the garlic sauteed-mushrooms and serrano ham continue to toast in the heavenly garlic oil. Break the egg, stir it in and mop up the entire mixture with some fresh bread.
2. Burrata with Gazpacho ($26)
This dish was made up of a blob of creamy burrata immersed in gazpacho, a Spanish tomato soup traditionally served cold. This was the first time I’ve tried such a combination and I am a HUGE fan of it. The cheese went well with the savoury, tangy soup and is especially delicious with toasted bread.
1. Pan Fried Foie Gras ($24, HÍGADO DE PATO FRITO)
This was my *favorite*. Fois gras lovers must must must order it. This dish consist of two generous steaks of fois gras fried to absolute perfection creating a thin crust while preserving a decadent, creamy interior. The sweet onion chutney and crispy bread with a slice of fois gras makes for a perfect mouthful. Amazing.
La Taperia Mains
The tapas were the star of the show so we only tried a couple of mains.
2. Paella ($32 Regular/$56 Large)
We tried both the squid ink seafood paella and tomato-based chorizo & chicken paella. Both were hearty, satisfying and really rich in flavour. The rice is was nicely al dente and coated in sauce. Couldn’t get enough!
The portion size is smaller than we expected though because we were expecting oversized paella portions like you get in Spain. The Regular is a bit too small to share and comfortable for 1 person only.
1. Suckling Pig ($65, SUPER-COCHINILLO CONFIT)
Absolutely a superstar dish. I still haven’t gotten over the fact that this is $65, but I’ve honestly not found a better cochinillo anywhere in Singapore. It could even rival the quality in Spain. The skin is perfectly crisp and the meat is so juicy and falls off the bone. I would come back for this alone.
La Taperia Desserts
All the desserts are amazing. Period. You can just order what you want because you cannot possibly go wrong.
3. Crema Catalana ($12)
This dish is essentially a leveled-up creme brûlée. It is sensationally rich and creamy, infused with mango bits and topped off with a perfectly torched caramel crust. This was addictive yet light from the get-go, without being too sweet.
2. Chocolate Marquise ($14, MARQUESA DE CHOCOLATE)
I confess I had no idea what a marquise was until this visit. The easiest way to describe it is like a huge block of fresh Royce nama chocolate but slightly lighter. This will take two people to polish off because of how rich it is. It is well worth a try though as you will be hard pressed to find something similar anywhere else in Singapore.
1. Churros ($14)
I always look forward to having churros with any Spanish meal and La Taperia’s version does not disappoint. These are perfectly fried, with a crisp exterior, light & fluffy core and just a light brush of sugar to finish it off. True to form, it comes with a rich chocolate dip as well. Simply divine and a must-have.
The Verdict
All in all, La Taperia delivers on the authenticity, flavour and quality across most of the dishes we tried. I would highly recommend it and will definitely be coming back when craving Spanish food. Fair warning that this does not come cheap but is worth it (in my opinion) for a special night out!
Spent: $85 per person (main, shared tapas, drinks)
La Taperia
Address: 1 Scotts Rd, #02 – 10 / 11, Singapore 228208
(head to Shaw House, the building adjoining Lido)
Opening Hours: 11am to 9.30pm every day
