Don Quijote

I was craving tapas, and found this place online for the unlimited weekend brunch ($ 38++ without sangria, menu here
). I went there with my dad around 1pm on a rainy Saturday afternoon after making reservations. It was fun and the food was pretty good!
We tried almost everything, since we are typical Singaporeans at a buffet haha. We split our order into 3 – 4 separate times, and the servers were quick and friendly. Sometimes I feel awkward for ordering a lot at a la carte buffet places, but definitely not here. Each dish is small with maybe 4 – 5 pieces. My favorites were
*the gazpacho (very refreshing and tomatoey and each portion is in a little jug to be downed in 1 – 2 mouthfuls– I ordered maybe 5 of them)
*the oven-​baked eggplant in a casserole (this is literally an entire eggplant cut into half. delicious and chewy!!)
*garlic fried shrimp (I LOVE the garlic taste, it had those fried bits too that were so delicious. Each order had maybe 8+ small shrimp)
*asparagus rolled in bacon (what’s not to like about asparagus and bacon!).
The crab, scallop and avocado dip was also solid — I loved how it wasn’t overly creamy or strong, and I could taste the little crab & scallop pieces. Strangely enough my dad was a huge fan of the scrambled eggs and ordered another portion. They seemed to resemble chinese-​style scrambled eggs but were dry and fluffy.
The chicken wings, meatballs, shrimp, etc were okay. Nothing wrong but nothing super impressive either.
For desert, we tried both the orange cheesecake and the bread and butter: my dad loved the subtle citrus flavor of the orange cheesecake. I was pretty full by that time and they just tasted okay.
4 stars because I’ve had better tapas: the dishes were good but not mouthwateringly delicious. It’s a great way to sample many dishes though, since tapas can get pretty expensive if you order individually. The Dempsey Hill area is really nice, albeit a little confusing — we drove around for a bit before finding Don Quijote, nestled further inside with a carpark right in front. The restaurant itself was a little dark, and there were around 2 – 3 other tables filled then. It had a very chill vibe — we, and the other tables, stayed for a few hours just eating and chatting. I’d love to come back to try their paella sometime, especially after reading the other Unilocal reviews!

As a European, I love this place. Yes, it is at Dempsey Hill, which is an expat playground and despised by some because of that and the slightly higher price point of most places but after being in Singapore for some months, there are some days that I miss my home and this seems to hit all the right spots during one of those days.
To clarify, I am not Spanish but I’ve spend many months as a young professional in Spain where I was involved in a project and whilst I disliked this project I found some comfort in the food and the warm culture and Don Quijote offers the same type of comfort.
When browsing the menu, we asked the super friendly waiter (local, not Spanish and none of the staff speak Spanish) what paella size he would recommend for 2 and he told us that a small would do. So we settled for a small Paella Valenciana, a bottle of San Pelligrino (which is actually Italian but I consider that a detail) and two glasses of Sangria. I also appreciated that they ask you how you want the rice of your paella cooked.
The paella is definitely a recommendation, it was fragrant and the rice was done perfectly (we asked for al dente). The typical crusty bits stuck to the pan made it a pleasure to scrape out every grain of rice. I was not super hungry so the small was enough to feed two people but I did find the portion on the smaller side and would recommend to add some tapas to make it a complete meal for two.
Another big feature of Don Quijote is their outside seating, as it is located in Dempsey, it feels like you have escaped Singapore. After sunset, it has a cozy vibe, I really enjoyed sitting out there sipping the Sangria which by the way is not too special, average at best, but is a decent size glass so the atmosphere and amount of alcohol resulted me being in a forgiving mood.
Would I return? Yes, I enjoyed the paella, liked the atmosphere outside and thought it was reasonably priced for Dempsey.

Made reservations through Chope for Don Quijote’s Sunday tapas brunch.
1^st star* Really liked their location within a leafy outdoor mall in the plush Dempsey Hill neighborhood. Another plus… lots of free parking. Dining room was beautifully decorated and low lit beautifully. Whomever designed this room did a great job.
2^nd star* Although the staff and I had a little bit of a language barrier;they gave me tons of attention and absolutely fantastic service. Once I understood the menu and the ordering process, a full hour of yummy Sangrias and tapas dishes just kept coming.
Really some of the best service I have had dining out on Singapore!
3^rd star* The quality of food, the quantity of food, and the presentation were all top notch. The seafood was good but it was the meat dishes that were outstanding. Well, Except for the meatballs. They were moist enough but really, really bland. One miss out of twenty five dishes, that’s pretty good!
4^th star* The never ending Sangrias here were so good. I have been to Spain, sat on the Ramblas, pounding down pitchers of Sangrias. I know Sangrias… Don Quijote’s makes a freakin great red Sangria. The white was good, the sparkling wine, better, but stick to the red for a taste of the real deal.
The location, the staff, the food, the Sangrias, make this restaurant a most definite must return!

I’m not sure why others have low ratings, but it is always full and I love the food there. All meals are good. It’s only that they have less waitresses so the service may not be as good as you expect.
大好きなスペイン料理のお店です。明らかに美味いですね。パエリアも言えばきちんと追加レモンをくれるし、全般的に美味しいです。唯一、店員が少ないのでサービスはイマイチかもしれません。後らお値段もそこそこ行きますが、味がいいのでオケーです。ぜひお試しを。2015/11

I liked this restaurant a lot. Was there with a crowd and it was fun passing all the dishes around. I thought the paella selection was good and very tasty. Pasta was just right and the cream sauce not too heavy. Wine selection was adequate and the cocktails good enough. The service – and we had two three-​year-​olds at the table – was understanding and on top of things. It’s not five-​star because it isn’t fine dining, but it’s great for a fun casual evening out. Bring the family and order some sangria!

Awesome service and managers; found us a nice corner table and took great care of us with good advice. Great tapas (splurge for the expensive ones like the shrimp and beef — they are worth it). Good house wines — all in, a nice chill environ to get a small plate and have a glass of wine.

Great place at the Dempsey Hill. The tapas are all very nice. Jamon — we have chosen the cheaper one which is nice enough. Sangria — got a choice of white, red and virgin and all the good. Ox-​Tail — slow cooked with chicken peas, the meat is so soft and cant get enough only having one piece for each of us! Paella — Medium is good for 3 to share. We have ordered the seafood one which the prawn, mussel etc. are fresh. What else… the squid! 3 choices of cooking — battered /​olive oil /​with its own ink. We have chosen the last one which turns out to be an excellent dish. Yummy !

Friendly service. Nice atmosphere. Food ok but not great. Perfect for a Friday relax dinner.

Tried calling earlier at 6pm to make a reservation but no answer… walked in and got a table.

I’ll have to start Ive never been here for dinner. I’ve only been to the brunch. Now that being said its not a bad deal for the free flow sangria, wine and beer. The sangria is not very potent though. They have a wide mix but I wouldnt say the quality is anything stellar. The pasta tastes good, the crab dip is ok, the meatballs are ok but nothing really STANDS out. Its fun just to go eat and drink with some friends but I dont find myself craving it or anything. For $ 57 per person for the free flow your basically paying for the alcohol.

This is a review of a dinner at Don Quijote. It is a tapas restaurant in Dempsey.
The ambiance is relatively basic. It was a comfortable room. However, that is about it.
The service was inconsistent. At times, it was attentive. At others, it seemed to disappear. The staff was friendly and professional. When my friend asked to have the prawns in the paella peeled, they obliged. Maybe not quickly, but they obliged.
The food ranged from below average to very good.
Pa am Tomaquet (Spanish ham with tomatoes on bread) — This was one of my favorite dishes here. The ham was quite good. While the bread and tomatoes were simple, they did work well in complimenting the Spanish ham.
Calameres Fritos (Fried Calamari) — This was probably my favorite dish of the meal. It was served fresh from the fryer. The breading was crispy and had a nice flavor without masking the natural flavor of the calamari. The calamari was cooked perfectly. It was very tender.
Patatas Bravas — These were basic patatas bravas. The potatoes were slightly overcooked though. This made them a little dry. The sauce was right out of the typical patatas bravas sauce recipe book. Overall, a mediocre interpretation of a classic tapas dish.
Camarones la Plancha (Garlic Prawns) — I love garlic. I really do. But, when having garlic prawns, I still want to taste the prawns. In their version, the only distinct flavor was garlic, garlic, and more garlic.
Pinchos Morunos con Salsa Chumichurri (Beef Skewers w sauce) — As with a number of the dishes here, this dish was well presented. When it first arrived at the table, I was thinking «wow, this is going to be good». Alas, after my first bite, my hopes were dashed. This was barely edible. The meat was covered in way to much oil. There was a very strong flavor of overcooked oil. It went mostly uneaten.
Paella Especial — First, once again, this was a beautifully presented dish. However, the seafood lacked that fresh out of the water taste I expect from a paella. Plus, the rice was simply clumpy. Despite the looks, this was not a very good paella.
Overall — The service was here and there. The quality of the food was all over the map. There is nothing particularly special about the ambiance. This is simply not a tapas restaurant that I can recommend.

Please do not waste your time. The apps are mediocre. Paella really sub-​par. All for a very unreasonable price. What a disappointment.

This is my favorite Spanish place in Singapore. I followed them over from Lorong Kilat to their current location at Dempsey. The restaurant is very cosy and the service is friendly as well.
I’ve tried quite a couple of dishes from their mains and tapas menu. The calamari is a must order for me. The nicely batter fresh squid comes with a special orange tar tar sauce. I can’t remember what’s that really. Maybe it’s a garlic aioli.
The garlic gambas (prawns) are also very fresh and succulent.
I love their paella which is done on the spot. Order this once you get there and start with other tapas while your rice is being prepared. Thumbs up for the squid ink paella. If you don’t like your rice al dente, you can request for it to be cooked a little longer. Their al dente is a little on the cooked side.
There are the red and white sangria available here. 1 glass to give you the giggles and 2 to remove your inhibitions. Enjoy!

Was in the mood for Tapas one night and stumbled upon Don Quijote after reading a few reviews online.
The tapas were pretty decent, not the best I’ve had in Singapore but they were okay. The chorizo, garlic shrimp, and other standard tapas were as expected, so its a good place to go if you’re just looking for the basics.
The Paella though was awful, overcooked and tasted as though it had been sitting out for hours before it was reheated.
What was worse was the service. The waiters hardly understood what we were saying, were incredibly slow in bringing out our order and had the hardest time splitting the check between two credit cards. They even came back after 30 minutes of failed attempts and said they didn’t know how to do it and asked us to just use one.
Overall the meal was just average, so I don’t recommend coming here unless you’re truly out of options or if everything else is closed.

Don Quijote bears repeat visits, and indeed, I haven’t been disappointed at either instance. The interior is dim and cosy, and if you’re the sort who likes to take photos of food, sorry, this place is going to elicit some curses from you.
We ordered a load of tapas to share, and I thought the most unusual pick was the crab and scallop dip with toasties. Then again, you shouldn’t miss out on the regulars as well, such as garlic shrimp, fried battered calamari, paella and the standard patatas bravas. If you can splurge, go for the Jamon Iberico — it’s unbelievable how flavorful a few slivers of cured Spanish ham can get; a veritable samba on your palate.
A jug or two of sangria wouldn’t be too out of place here, but save some space for desserts as there are rather interesting items on the menu — notably the fried milk! It comes crispy on the outside and silky smooth on the inside; a weird kind of yum. Everything adds up quite steeply, and I remember my credit card smoking a little post dinner.

Had a birthday dinner here recently and Don Quijote did not disappoint. Located in the bustling centre of Dempsey Hill, this place is mostly frequented by families and large groups of friends. Which makes perfect sense since the menu is mostly made up of tapas and dishes for sharing.
Since it was large group of us (more than 10 people), we ordered many tapas and paellas to share. All the tapas were good, but the most memorable for me was the Garlic Mixed Mushroom which we ordered a second serving of. Note that the servings are pretty small. I would say that each tapas portion is meant only for about 3 – 4 people. We ordered both the vegetarian and valencia (chicken and seafood) paella. Ingredients were generous for both, but most of us preferred the vegetarian version. We ordered a few jugs of sangria, both red and white, but the red was the more popular option by far!
The service was excellent. I brought a birthday cake and the staff was immediately very helpful with storing the cake and later bringing it out at the appropriate moment. Will definitely be back!