Last week, we told you about a small seal popping up on menus and shopfronts around Singapore. It marks somewhere serving, or selling, the real deal: Restaurants from Spain and Colmados (Grocers) from Spain, the official seals awarded by ICEX and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, part of the Spain Food Nation initiative. Getting certified isn’t a rubber stamp, it means a genuinely Spanish-led kitchen, a menu that’s at least 60% Spanish dishes and recipes, and PDO and PGI ingredients sourced straight from Spain.
Right now, 15 restaurants and 2 colmados carry the seal in Singapore. Consider this your full map of both, no ranking, just every certified spot worth knowing about.
Restaurants from Spain
1. Kulto
On Amoy Street, Kulto is helmed by Rioja-born Chef José Alonso, whose menu leans on quality, seasonal produce to stay true to tradition. The main dining room channels a Madrid or Barcelona apartment, wooden shutters included, alongside private rooms and a sommelier-curated wine list.
2. Pura Brasa
Born in Barcelona and now settled into Guoco Tower, Pura Brasa built its name around the Josper charcoal oven, famous for searing meat and seafood while keeping the inside juicy. Come for grilled octopus, garlic prawns, seafood paella and jamón ibérico.
3. Asador
Asador cooks the old-fashioned way, wood-fire in a Castilian oven and a Basque-style parrilla grill. The signature is a Segovia-style suckling pig, brined and roasted until the skin shatters, traditionally carved tableside with the edge of a plate.
4. FOC
“Foc” means fire in Catalan, and this Barcelona-inspired kitchen has served tapas and paellas since 2014, launched with Michelin-starred Chef Nandu Jubany. After eleven years on Hongkong Street, it’s recently relocated to Keong Saik Road.
5. Next Door Spanish Cafe
Set in quiet Siglap, this cafe was born from two Spaniards’ shared dream, an Andalusian chef and a Basque wine lover, to recreate the food and culture of home. The motto says it all: “como en casa”, like home.
6. Olivia Restaurant & Lounge
Olivia is led by Chef Alain Devahive, whose résumé includes a decade at legendary Catalan restaurant El Bulli. That pedigree shows in playful touches like spherical olives and a lobster-avocado roll, alongside a Segovia-style suckling Iberico pig and a burnt cheesecake that’s become an institution you can find on Keong Saik Road.
7. Tapas 24
Right on the river in Robertson Quay, Tapas 24 is the first Asian outpost of Michelin-starred Chef Carles Abellán’s Barcelona original. Expect all-day tapas, sangria, Spanish street cocktails and alfresco river views.
8. UNA at the Alkaff Mansion
UNA pairs restored timber interiors with a menu guided by Michelin-starred culinary advisor Diego Grimberg, that blends Spain’s south and north across tapas, paellas and parrilla dishes. Perched on the second level of a heritage mansion in Telok Blangah, it has been certified since 2022, among the first in the country.
9. Esquina
A Chinatown fixture since 2011, Esquina is chef-owner Carlos Montobbio’s take on Spanish and Catalan small plates with a contemporary twist. Grab a counter seat for dishes like confit piquillo pepper with bacalao brandade.
10. My Little Spanish Place – Bukit Timah
Opened in March 2010, this neighbourhood favourite takes its cue from the “mesón”, the home-style restaurant found across Spain’s regions, honest and unpretentious.
11. My Little Spanish Place – Boat Quay
The riverside sibling of the Bukit Timah original, opened April 2015, carrying the same “mesón” spirit right along the water.
12. Barrio
“Barrio” means neighbourhood in Spanish, and that’s the vibe at this Bukit Timah spot from chef-owner José Alonso, also behind Kulto. Easygoing and built for lingering, with classics like seafood paella and the “bikini” sandwich (black truffle, roast beef and cheese).
13. Cendra Grill & Tapas
A Mediterranean-leaning take on Spanish cuisine, Cendra pairs a vibrant tapas selection with premium grilled meats and a curated wine list, equally suited to a casual dinner or private event.
14. Carlitos
Carlitos brings the spirit of a Spanish “casa de comidas”, a home-cooking eatery, to the city: slow-cooked stews, rustic tapas and a relaxed space that feels more like a home kitchen than a restaurant.
15. Binomio
Inside Raffles Hotel, Binomio has been Singapore’s home for serious Spanish cooking since 2012, split between a tapas bar and a fine dining room. Executive Chef Félix Noguera trained in Michelin-starred kitchens in Spain, and it shows in the signature paellas.
16. NÓMADA
On Keong Saik Road, is chef Gonzalo Landin’s take on contemporary Spanish cooking, shaped by stints across Spain, London and New York – NÓMADA. You will experience Mediterranean octopus with Japanese bonito broth alongside Spanish suckling pig and paella, served in an open-kitchen room with rustic Spanish charm.
17. HUMO
HUMO bills itself as Singapore’s first Spanish izakaya, pairing Spanish tapas with Japanese technique under chefs Carolina Garcia Santamaria (ex-Tapas 24) and Jordi Jou (ex-Gaig, Barcelona). Think Japanese mackerel with Spanish potato salad or tuna tataki, in a lantern-lit, lively room built for sharing plates and sake.
Colmados from Spain
A colmado is your one-stop shop for genuine Spanish pantry staples, no plane ticket required. Singapore’s two certified colmados are:
1. Ecolah
An online specialist in organic and natural Spanish products, Ecolah draws on more than 40 years of family experience in the industry, working exclusively with high-quality brands, many carrying PDO or GI status.
2. Huber’s Butchery
Best known as Singapore’s go-to for premium meats and gourmet products, Huber’s also carries authentic Spanish goods, Spanish beef, Ibérico pork, tinned seafood, cheeses, cold cuts, olive oils and wines, with in-store signage on origin and pairing. Also available to browse at hubers.com.sg.
