Fandango Tapas & Wine Bar

For anyone who loves to have a variety of dishes for any meal, the small plates format is your best option. Needless to say i’m a huge fan of Spanish tapas. I recently checked out Fandango Tapas and Wine Bar and enjoyed dining privileges using the Palate card. Located in the heart of Chijmes, Fandango provides a chic yet comfortable place to relax and unwind in the al fresco seating area facing the lawn and the beautiful church. Thankfully, the weather was on our side for some outdoors dining.
I was a little disappointed as our Sangrias were a little diluted. The red wine based ones were stronger though.
Serrano and Manchego ($ 18) is a good snack to have with some wine. Another option is the Deep Fried Camembert ($ 17) served with raspberry and Cabernet coulis. I liked the texture of the oozy cheese but the coulis was lacking in texture and too watery for my liking.
The Albondigas ($ 14), a traditional beef meatballs in a spicy tomato and rosemary sauce was probably my favorite dish of the night. They were juicy, flavorful and simply divine.
The Tortilla a la Espanola ($ 11) is a classic Spanish potato and onion omelette. It’s so hard to find a good one in Singapore and it’s really not that easy to make one. Fandango’s tortilla kept me going on and on the whole night with its soft potatoes and light onion fragrance. It’s good alone but the tangy tomato picante was good with it too.
The Paella de Marisco ($ 35) wasn’t the most traditional that i’ve tasted. For one, the short grained rice was a little too fluffy for a paella. I was told by Emma, the friendly boss, that it’s a spanish grain, though not bomba. Texture aside, i liked the rich seafood broth taste in this one and the seafood were fresh.
Desserts were kinda disappointing for us. Our Chocolate lava cake was overdone the first time round. Despite the molten centre in the second, the chocolate taste was lacking. Ice cream was so so as well.
The signature tiramisu was sorely lacking in espresso and alcohol. It was all cream and frozen chocolate swirls all around. I say skip desserts and stick to the wine and tapas.

FINALLY FOUND A GOOD TAPAS BAR IN SINGAPORE! :D Although it isn’t Spanish, it is yummy and Asian inspired!
Happy Hour Special: 1 for 1 drinks 5−7pm on weekdays :)
Fandango has lots of options for their happy hour special, compared to the neighboring restaurants/​bars in Chijmes that only have beer and wine. So I was sold when they listed what they had and said Sangria.
A (somewhat) healthy drink, hey there’s fruit! after a long day at work sounds like the perfect idea! Luckily, we arrived at 6:50pm and had 10 minutes to order before the deals were over.
I ordered two different sangrias, which is great because most 1 for 1 specials only allow you to get the same exact drink. The sangrias were exotic tasting with fresh fruit, it was thirst-​quenching and delicious!!! I apologize, I can’t recall the names of the drinks, but I think they were the last two in the Sangria section.
My friends ordered Hoeegarden and Stella Artois, and they definitely did not skimp on the beer either! Their drinks came in huge mugs/​glasses and was definitely worth it.
We ordered the Wasabi Prawns — which is pretty Singaporean dish apparently. I was afraid that there would be a lot of wasabi, because I can’t handle too much of it. But, there was just the perfect amount of wasabi, and it was also drizzled with a bit of mayonnaise. What an interesting, tasty combo! The prawns were perfectly crunchy and so good that I even at the tails! The prawns were about $ 16 (which is still a bit pricey for tapas, thus the 4-​stars).
I would definitely come back to Chijmes and try more of their yummy tapas! And, some more sangria too :)

I am a super fan of truffle fries, and I’ve spent a good couple of years on the hunt for the best truffle fries in Singapore — and here they are!
Tucked away in the courtyard of Chijmes, Fandango’s offers lots of yummy snacks that go well with beers and wines like Mozerella Cheesesticks, Chilli Nachos and the best of the best — Truffle Fries! Unlike other restaurants that offer skinny little dry fries with a slight drizzle of truffle oil, Fandango’s fries are DRENCHED in the stuff. Really greasy fat sticks that fill you up, me like! I know the ingredient is expensive, but if Fandango’s can do it so can you!
Aside from their awesome truffle fries, the ambience at the bar/​restaurant is also one of the best for a chill night out with friends, especially if you love alfresco dining. After the tourists have left for the night, locals come out to play amongst the twinkling fairy lights, and a velvety voice crooning at the bar across the courtyard. Five stars for ambience!