Review: Joo Chiat’s Carlitos might not be the best tapas restaurant in Singapore but it’s good value

Probably one of the most hyped openings of 2024, Carlitos at Joo Chiat is one for the Spanish food lovers.

The restaurant instantly grabbed the attention of many foodies this year when it first opened in early November.

Maybe it’s the homely Spanish taperia vibes, maybe it’s the big names attached to the project, or maybe it’s its reasonable prices for such a flashy new opening.

No matter the reason, it remains a fact (two months on) that Carlitos’ reservations are hard to snatch — for example, December’s reservations slots were fully booked out by the start of the month. 

Now, that’s real hype.

The backstory

Those who haven’t heard of this new restaurant are probably asking: “Why the hype?”

For one, it’s a collaboration between two very respected chefs in Singapore’s restaurant scene — Carlitos is headed by Carlos Montobbio, head chef of Keong Saik’s Spanish darling Esquina, and Antonio Miscellaneo, chef-owner of La Bottega Enoteca which was named the 57th best pizza restaurant in the world in 2023.

Antonio Miscellaneo also owns Casa Vostra, a casual pizza and pasta concept at Raffles Place that regularly draws in long queues.

Carlitos is actually situated a few doors down from the more upscale La Bottega, and also sports a homely and rustic vibe, similar to the pizzeria.

The goal is to bring an authentic little slice of Spain to Singapore — Carlitos is meant to provide the same laidback ambience at more reasonable prices, as compared to the more upscale Spanish restaurants.

At Carlitos, guests can enjoy the quaint spot with seating options of cosy low tables, the bar or even al fresco, if they wish.

Our verdict

Do we think Carlitos is one of the best Spanish restaurants in Singapore? Probably not.

Still, it’s undoubtedly a good place to visit that has consistently solid tapas throughout its menu and prices reasonably set — most of its items are S$20 and below, and there’s nothing over S$30.

With how expensive Spanish food — and dining out in general — can be, its menu pricing alone is probably one of the best reasons to visit.

On top of it all, Carlito’s interior exudes a tastefully laidback ambience that makes it a great casual date spot — if you can get a seat.

What it’s good for

Croquettes are an imperative order when visiting a Spanish tapas spot and Carlitos’ croquetas de calamar (S$12) has everything you want in a croquette.

The exterior crust is light and crunchy and its creamy jet-black filling just oozes out when each croquette is bit into — the satisfyingly briny and seafood-sweet squid ink aioli makes each piece a wonderful one-mouth umami bomb.

If you aren’t too well-acquainted with Spanish tapas, the tortilla donostia slice (S$10) would be an interesting look into the country’s beloved staples.

It’s essentially a Spanish omelette, with a mix of potatoes and onions, served in the form of a runny egg.

This version at Carlitos is nothing too extravagant, but yet great to try, especially if you enjoy simple and comforting starchy dishes, or just potatoes in general, really.

Carlitos also has arroz caldoso de gambas (S$28) if you think you’re missing some rice in your spread — it’s like the popular local dish pao fan. Sort of.

It comes with a pot of bouncy Mediterranean red prawns, fresh clams and brothy rice. 

All in, it’s a solid dish with a broth that will easily endear itself to any seafood lover with all of its prawn-imbued sweetness.

The one item on Carlitos’ menu that you can’t leave without tasting though, is the tarta de queso (S$13) — a Basque burnt cheesecake but the form of a tart.

Loyal Esquina supporters might recognise this iconic tart dessert, which essentially kept the lights on at the restaurant during a tough delivery-focused pandemic era as it went viral and amassed a crazy amount of orders.

It’s creamy, silky and rich with a bit of toastiness, but not too sweet. The supporting quenelle of sangria sorbet then adds a nice tartness to alleviate the cheesy heft.

What it could improve on

Ultimately, the dishes were well-executed as a whole but we thought a few dishes could use a few a minor tweaks, such as the pulpo la coruna (S$20).

The dish was texturally superb as the octopus came with the softest, tenderest bite, it did feel a bit lacking in flavour.

Most of the flavour came from the olive oil, while the octopus tasted quite clean but mild. Even though smoked paprika notes were present, they didn’t add as much oomph to the dish as we thought it would have.

That said, it was still one of our favourite dishes because of the tender octopus.

One of the most popular dishes on Carlitos’ menu — the Bikini (S$12) sandwich is served with Iberico ham and truffle brie, bookended by wedges of airy Spanish crystal bread.

Rambunctiously crunchy bread, gratifyingly umami ham and intoxicatingly fragrant truffle brie all made for a great dish. Except, one of the halves had less ham than the other and tasted too cheesy.

It just needs a tweak with the placement of the ingredients and it should be good.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? Yes, it’s not too noisy despite being packed.

Is a reservation necessary? Definitely, it’s essentially booked throughout the month of December — it’s safer to book than to walk in and leave disappointed.

How to get there? It’s located right in the middle of Joo Chiat, and around a 10 minute walk from Marine Parade MRT station.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on Holland Village’s most beloved eats and hearty Italian food that will make you go ‘mama mia’.

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Carlitos in Joo Chiat for a homely taste of Spain.