Tapas Dinner in Singapore: Choose the Paella Before the Extras
Before ordering five small plates, decide whether paella is coming. If it is, order the rice early and let the tapas fill the wait. If it is not, choose enough variety to make the small plates a meal rather than a collection of snacks.
Photo: Juan Emilio Prades Bel
Croquetas give you a useful portion clue
Tapas24’s October 2026 menu lists jamón croquetas at S$9 for two or S$16 for four. Two orders of two cost S$18, so the four-piece portion saves S$2 when everyone wants one.
That is a real piece-count comparison. “Four tapas plates” is not: each dish can be a different size. Start with the items you want, then check portions rather than following an arbitrary plate count.
Pick the rice early, then build around it
The same menu lists seafood-and-chicken Mar y Montaña paella at S$49, vegetable paella at S$45 and squid-ink Arroz Negro at S$58. It gives a 30-minute preparation note. That is the restaurant’s planning estimate, not a guarantee on a busy night.
As a simple cost example, two croquetas plus Mar y Montaña total S$58 in listed menu prices, before drinks or any applicable charges. Ask whether that order suits your headcount and appetite; it is not a fixed set for two.
Leave space for contrast, not just more starch
If rice is the centrepiece, think before adding bread, potatoes and a sandwich as well. You may prefer a different texture or preparation. Tapas24 lists garlic-and-chilli prawns at S$30; its artichoke dish is S$24 with sobrasada or S$20 for the explicitly offered vegetarian version.
Choose the version you mean. A vegetable-led dish name does not tell you whether meat is included. The menu also warns that its gluten-free adaptations may not suit people with coeliac disease; discuss cross-contact with the restaurant rather than relying on the symbol alone.
Midnight closing does not mean midnight dinner
Tapas24’s official page lists 60 Robertson Quay #01-04, with Monday–Wednesday opening at 5pm and Thursday–Sunday at noon. Although closing is midnight, food last orders are 9.45pm.
A late reservation therefore needs a kitchen check, particularly if the rice dish is the reason you are going. Our order of decisions: choose the rice or no-rice plan, pick a first round of tapas, then add more only if the table wants it. You do not need alcohol to make that a complete meal.
Photo credits
Juan Emilio Prades Bel (CC BY 4.0) · Juan Emilio Prades Bel (CC BY 4.0). Archive photographs shown without content edits; not endorsements or current menu photographs.
