A special first look at Sabor at Chijmes, a new slice of Spain in the heart of the city

Set within the historic Chijmes, Sabor is the newest Spanish entrant to the local F&B scene, boasting a glass-enclosed dining room and a vibrant courtyard space, with plenty of plates built for sharing, and a vibe right out of the streets of rustic Spain. 

Located on the premises’ first-floor, with a view of the compound’s striking five-storey chapel, Sabor’s eye-catching signage and bold look is already turning heads, though it opens officially only on April 1.

It is helmed by the team behind Italian concept Duomo Ristorante, which opened in early 2024 and sits right beside Sabor, and also marks the team’s foray into Spanish fare.

Sabor’s prominent location is also where Prive once stood, before it announced its sudden closure at the end of 2025.

To say that we were curious about this new entrant would have been a major understatement — Prive at Chijmes had stood there for more than a decade — so surely there was some anticipation about who would take over such an iconic spot.  

It’s not an apple-to-apple comparison, per se — one served brunch, and the other tapas and paellas, but after a leisurely evening previewing the space and its fare, this new Spanish concept Sabor enthralls in its own right.

Sabor at Chijmes retains the iconic circular structure of its former occupant, but has jazzed things up, throwing on deep reds and greens, coloured tiles (some from broken plates, in a Catalan mosaic technique known as trencadis), warm wood finishings, and a whole lot of plants.

The 100-seater restaurant is split evenly between indoor and al fresco seats, and where you sit determines the vibe for your evening — indoors is cosy, structured, and great for intimate dinners, while the courtyard leans casual. 

Diving into Sabor Chijmes’s menu of bold, bright flavours

When it comes to food, Sabor’s menu is uncomplicated, featuring starters, tapas, verduras (vegetables), paellas, grill items, and desserts. Admittedly, on the surface it looks much like other Spanish tapas concepts that have opened up in Singapore in the past few years.

There are dishes such as bread and tomatoes (S$12), croquettes (available in jamon and spicy crab variations, S$4 per piece), and bikini sandwiches (S$18) — all classics, all familiar.

But a closer look unveils a heartfelt curation of Spanish dishes that are dear to its Valencia-born chef-consultant Javier Vicente Rejas, who has been behind the stove at several Spanish kitchens here, including FOC Restaurant. 

At Sabor, chef Javier’s focus is authenticity and technique, with bold, expressive flavours, but you’ll need to really look beyond the ordinary to experience what Sabor’s really all about. 

Take for example the chicken wings “Dirty Pepe” (S$16). It isn’t just a plate of chicken wings — it’s a nod to a historic, famous bar in Madrid, Casa Pepe, that is more colloquially known as “pepe el guarro” or “Dirty Pepe”. 

Known for its legendary fried chicken wings, the bar got its moniker not because of its hygiene standards, but because people are invited to throw the leftover bones on the floor once they’re done. 

Unlike Pepe’s wings, which are said to be very salty, so that customers would keep ordering more drinks at the Madrid bar, Sabor’s version is more sweet and savoury, owing to a blend of garlic, chilli, and hot honey. 

The wings, which were sous vide for three hours before being fried, are also moist, lightly crisp and deeply satisfying, and pair well with the restaurant’s Estrella lager draft beer (from S$12 for 275ml). 

Just remember not to throw your bones on the floor! Leave them on your plates and the attentive servers would be more than happy to clear them as they pile up.

The potatoes “bravisimas” (S$15) isn’t your standard Spanish spicy potato dish, either. You’ve probably seen patatas bravas, which means “spicy potatoes” on Spanish menus locally, but “bravisimas” takes it up a notch quite literally, and means “very spicy”.

In that vein, Sabor’s potatoes, which are fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside, come elevated with a spicy Brava sauce (tomato, chilli, garlic, and onion), garlic, aioli, paprika, chilli oil, and chives. 

Mix all together before eating, for the full experience — it’s not too fiery, but has just enough heat beyond the usual. 

The spring onion tempura & romesco sauce (S$16) is another menu offering we haven’t quite seen at other Spanish spots here, yet. 

A twist on the traditional dish of Spanish calcots (green onion) with romesco sauce, Sabor’s version comes coated with a light tempura batter, instead of dishing it up charred from the grill, as the Spanish typically would. 

With a crunchy tempura coating, and a side of spicy romesco sauce made of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, hazelnuts, and garlic, it almost makes for a “healthier” version of fries, and also a great way to get your greens in. Be warned, these are extremely addictive, so proceed with caution. 

There are a number of paellas on the menu — four, to be exact, ranging from the standard squid-ink & seafood (S$36) to the decadent grilled wagyu A5 MB5 beef (S$48) — but the pork & scallops (S$34) are our pick. 

Chef Javier lets on that this combination isn’t the most common for paellas, but it’s a favourite one of his, and we can see why. He co-founded the now-closed London Paella School, which dedicated itself to teaching others how to cook paella and other Spanish rice dishes, so you best believe this is going to be a solid one. 

The paella is cooked in a savoury meat broth, with the scallops adding a tinge of brininess to the overall dish, melding together to give a balanced dose of umami, while the sizable pork belly chunks add bite to the dish. The scallops are also of a decent size — at S$34 for a pan, it’s great value, especially in this economy. 

For its mains, off the charcoal grill, there’s pork, lamb, beef, chicken, and fish, but the crispy pork belly, green apple (S$32) impressed with its crispiness, heft, and elements that went so well together. 

The pork belly is first cured, sous vide for 12 hours, and then roasted like a chicharron (fried pork belly), giving it pull-apart tender flesh beneath a thick, crispy skin. 

The hunk of meat is then served with a creamy mash, green apple puree, and a fresh, crisp salad of fennel and green apple, which serves as a bright respite against the fatty protein. 

Its desserts are just as fun, with the crema catalana with cookies (S$12) taking the cake for us. 

A riff on the classic Catalan dessert of custard topped with a layer of caramelised sugar, Sabor’s version comes with a cookie dough-like crumble base, vanilla ice cream, and a crema catalana foam, caramelised before serving. 

It’s light, mildly sweet, with a good mix of crunch and creaminess, and just the type of dessert you still have space for, and one you’d want to get one for yourself and not to share. It’s so good, we promise you’ll end up ordering another portion anyway. 

After an evening of sangrias, Spanish lager, multiple plates, and one too many desserts, it’s clear to us that what Sabor does well is lean into the essence of a classic Spanish restaurant without overthinking it. 

The dishes here are generally recognisable, the flavours are direct but a touch bolder, and the setting is built exactly as communal Spanish fare is meant to be enjoyed. 

Taken altogether, it seems like Sabor at Chijmes is less about novelty, but more about creating a genuine, convivial atmosphere where plates are passed around, drinks keep flowing, and the evening goes on and on — something that feels right at home in the lively, after-hours enclave that is Chijmes. 

This was a hosted tasting.

For more new eats around City Hall, check out Bomul Gelato Bar, by the folks behind Bomul Samgyetang, and Almost Famous, a Korean-inspired bar with a vibey aesthetic to boot.