Proper Spanish tapas at new restaurant Carlitos in Joo Chiat, with a menu created by Esquina’s chef

We know restaurateur Antonio Miscellaneo as the owner of popular Italian eateries La Bottega Enoteca and Casa Vostra; a lover of colourful printed shirts; and a proud Joo Chiat resident.
The Italian-born Singapore resident had been thinking to himself: How nice it would be if my wife and I could go downstairs and have some nice tapas, mere steps from my home.
Subsequently, he made it happen: He’s opened Carlitos, just a couple of doors down from La Bottega, roping in Esquina’s Chef Carlos Montobbio to craft the menu.
While Miscellaneo may have started with a selfish motivation for convenient tapas, he also found some people to back him: Carlitos is opened in collaboration with the Ebb & Flow Group and Unlisted Collection.
And so, the joy of casual tapas has come to Joo Chiat.
Not content with bringing laid-back Italian hangout vibes to the East Coast by way of La Bottega, Miscellaneo conceptualised Carlitos with similar red-brick walls, Spanish-style bar and rustic decor touches. (We joked that he’d soon be conquering the whole of Joo Chiat, turning it into a sort of Little Europe; Miscellaneo revealed that his fond wish was to open a Lebanese cafe next.)
But it’s Montobbio’s food that really makes you feel like you’re soaking up a slice of Spain in a tiny corner of East Coast.
While his cooking at Esquina, a veritable Singapore institution, is on the fancier side, the menu here adheres faithfully to down-home Spanish classics – prices start at S$8 – done well and with care, presented with flair, and, dare I say it, superior in quality to many a tourist-trap tapas bar in Spain itself.
The Patatas Bravas, for instance, is a dish that endears itself to the diner at first bite: Fluffy agria potato fried until crisp and golden, with dollops of garlic aioli, tomato sauce and chilli oil.
Then there are the sandwiches – both the classic Bikini with Iberico ham, truffle brie and mushroom duxelles and the Sobrassada with Mallorcan paprika pork sausage, burrata and honey are solidly delicious and pair beautifully with sangria or one of the 30-over Spanish wines from boutique Spanish wineries on offer.
Seafood-centric dishes like the Pulpo La Coruna or Spanish octopus with smoked paprika and lashings of extra virgin olive oil are a must for the table, of course.
Or, try the Bunuelos de Pamplona or codfish fritters with ajoarriero sofrito and saffron aioli.
There’s a paella of the day, which changes depending on the fresh produce that comes in; and also an Arroz Caldoso de Gambas featuring brothy rice, Mediterranean red prawns and clams.
But the must-try is the luscious Tortilla Donostia, made according to famed tradition: Freshly cooked each morning, with organic eggs, confit shallot, potato chunks and extra virgin olive oil. Montobbio recalls enjoying this dish as an after-school snack, growing up in Spain. And, in fact, many of the dishes are his personal favourites from eateries across his native country. That’s why it’s fitting that the restaurant is named – no surprises here – for his childhood nickname.
On the dessert menu, you’ll find Esquina’s famous melty Basque burnt cheesecake tart, served with a quenelle of sangria sorbet. It’s a special dish because its sales kept Esquina afloat during the pandemic, Montobbio shared.
That’s clearly a testament to how good it is, so you’ll probably want to order that. But don’t order too many of the Tortilla, in case they sell out. Leave some for me, please.
Carlitos is at 350 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427598.