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Introduction
Barraka Bar & Restaurant offers a unique wine and dine experience, serving authentic yet contemporary Spanish cuisine and a comprehensive collection of house pour and premium wines, most of which are directly imported from Europe.
The Kitchen, helmed by true blue Spanish Executive Chef offers wide selection of tapas as well as main dishes, using only the freshest ingredients from the market.
Biggest island bar in Singapore features full range of premium spirits, cocktails and beer collections from all over the world with happy hour pricing all night long. This is all coupled with groovy sounds from the DJ’s console in the background or, for the sport fans, live screening of the major sport events, available on the big indoor screen and several outdoor screens.
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Opening Hours
Mon - Thu
17:00 - 01:00
Fri
17:00 - 02:00
Sat
12:00 - 02:00
Sun
12:00 - 01:00
Above information is for reference only. Please check details with the restaurant.
Signature Dishes
When it comes to catching up with good friends over drinks at night, we're often divided over our favourite bars (or the lack thereof) and unsure of where to go. One of the hottest stretch of bars and restaurants in town lie further down along the river at Robertson Walk - one of which is a Spanish watering hole, Barraka Bar & Restaurant. Barraka's restaurant chef, Sergio Hernandez Sevillano, hails from Madrid and has great culinary expertise in traditional Spanish tapas. This was a collaboration food tasting by OpenRice Singapore and NightDoWhat, hosted by Reka together with Ivan Teh, Serena and NightDoWhat representatives.There is an alfresco dining/drinking area for those who like to watch people mill about and chat endlessly for hours under the stars. Barraka's has an extensive collection of alcohol, so drink up and drink away! The rest of the restaurant is rather dim, which sets a laidback atmosphere perfect for Friday nights (think TGIF and sleep-in mornings) to while quality time away with great conversations.We were first greeted with refreshing sparkling Sangria, a harmony of orange citrus and bubbly flavours with a hint of sweet. It's an instant crowd pleaser, and possibly more popular with the ladies.The Boquerones en Vinagre were displayed in a spangled fashion, with rather intense fishy taste and velvety smooth texture from the marinated anchovies. I liked how the vinegar and olive oil in the sauce offsets a little of its original taste. The olives felt a little random for me, especially because I don't like these black round things. On overall, this dish is unique and an interesting try.The Calamarea ala Andalzua was the next dish served, which went slightly overboard with the salt. It was a little rubbery to chew as well, but the squid used was fresh and it turned out to be really addictive.My favourite dish of the day was the Salteado de Gambas e Setaas, the smooth synthesis of variants of mushrooms and sauteed prawns. It is amazing how they managed to assemble everything into such a pretty plating, especially the smooth sauce tracing around the little molehill of mushrooms. I was drawn to it at first sight already, and the mushrooms were really delicious, smooth and richly fragrant with garlic. The prawns (now, who don't love prawns?!) were fresh and slips off the shells easily. Out of politeness, I refrained myself from poking all the prawns and claiming them to be my own... but you know what I'd do if I had all the freedom in the world. ;)This inky black Arroz Negro is made of gelatinous squid ink paella with red bell peppers topped with mayonnaise. A fun challenge to photograph the dark contours of this dish, but not exactly exciting to avoid staining my lips from the dark colours. I've never been exactly a fan of squid ink dishes, but I thought I'll give it a try. Barraka's version of squid ink paella is much more saltier than most, much stickier and richer in flavours - not my kind of thing but I'm sure there will be people who like it this way!I would recommend the Salteado de Gambas e Setaas and Calamarea ala Andalzua to share as safe choices, and the Boquerones en Vinagre and Arroz Negro as slightly more adventurous dishes.
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Full Barraka Bar review here: http://ivanteh-runningman.blogspot.sg/2014/07/barraka-bar-tasting-session.htmlBarraka Bar is a hip, modern bar serving authentic Spanish tapas and sharing plates, also known for their house speciality Sangria cocktails. Co-owner Dragan is extremely proud of his chef, who hails from San Sebastián, bringing influences from Basque, Madrid, and Barcelona in Spain.Ambience at Barraka Bar is casual yet modern, with seating layout in communal style, as befitting its sharing plates theme. Furniture is relatively comfortable, though I find the cushions tend to sink in slightly. Clean lines throughout, with bright spotlights creating a pattern of light and shadow. A brick wall with Guy Fawkes masks and the Barraka Bar signage fronts one wall, opposite the large bar with televisions screening live sporting events.Service at Barraka Bar is friendly, though attracting their attention sometimes is difficult, due to the large floor space, ambient background music, and dim lighting. Food takes a little while to be prepared, as it's made to order. But staff are polite, and carry out requests quickly and efficiently. Not all staff are knowledgable on dish preparation, though they can make general recommendations for popular dishes or beverages.Food at Barraka Bar is generally presented in a simple, rustic style, but tastes delicious. Chef uses fresh ingredients, and allows them to shine in well prepared dishes, where you can taste the nuances of the dish. Portions are meant for sharing, and prices reflect that as well, costing an average of SGD $25 - $40 per person. I find prices to be reasonable for the quality of food, and the quantity served.The house signature cocktail Sparkling Sangria (SGD $10 Glass, $15 Small Jug, $30 Big Jug) is made from a Spanish sparkling wine called Cava, mixed with orange juice, cognac, and fruit slices, then served in a traditional Spanish terracotta jug. I find the fresh, orange citrus taste to be slightly sweet with a hint of sour, but refreshing and thirst quenching. The Sparkling Sangria is 1 of the 20 must-try Singapore cocktails in the Cocktail Paspport from NightDoWhat. Showing this passport gets you a 10% discount on the Sparkling Sangria! The Calamares A La Andaluza (SGD $12) or 'Deep Fried Squid Rings In Andalusian Style', are prepared in the traditional Andalusia method of dredging fresh squid rings in pure flour without egg, frying in hot olive oil, then sprinkled with salt. This results in a crisp, savoury batter, while the squid rings within remain meaty and springy in texture. Very good, and rather addictive too!The Salteado De Setas Y Gambas (SGD $12) or 'Prawns And Mushrooms In White Wine And Garlic Sauce', is lovely. The mushrooms are fragrant, soft, tender, and lend an earthy aroma. The prawns are big, meaty and juicy, freshness is evident as they detach from the shells easily. Plated almost like a work of art, with a sprinkle of spices around the edges, and the mound of deliciousness in the middle.The Arroz Negro (SGD $32 Portion For 2, $58 Portion For 4) or 'Squid Ink Paella Rice With Squid And Red & Black Bell Peppers', is totally infused with squid ink, such that the entire dish is black. Squid ink is an acquired taste, as the briny, salty, oceanic taste may not appeal to everyone. I like it for the flavouring it gives the rice, which has a sticky, thick texture, very filling. The bell peppers / capsicum and squid rings used are very fresh as well. Garnished with a dollop of mayonnaise to cut through the thickness / heaviness of this paella rice.Overall, a very satisfying experience at Barraka Bar (courtesy of OpenRice and NightDoWhat), and I will return with friends for the tasty and authentic Spanish food, chill ambience, and wide variety of drinks. Barraka Bar is a good place to catch a night soccer match, or even for business dinners.
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