Best Catalan spot in town?🤩

Had a fantastic long weekend brunch with my family at this place and have been going back ever since. Here's why!

The vibrant restaurant and cocktail bar Olivia Restaurant & Lounge, named after the chef's daughter, is perfect for any occasion—I enjoyed coming here during the day the most. It serves Spanish comfort foods and has been mentioned by the Michelin Guide in 2021. 

A quick glance around the room revealed a cosy, stylish lounge bustling with the busy chatter of a full-house dinner crowd. You will feel at home dining here. Olivia is a modern but not extravagant restaurant with a relaxing atmosphere. The ambience is genuinely made by the top-notch service!🥰

Here's what we ordered:

As a massive fan of the world-renowned Catalan chef Ferran Adrià, I gotta try the 𝐒𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 ($1.50 each), first popularised by chef Adrià. These tiny spheres are a molecular gastronomy spin-off from the three-Michelin-starred elBulli. It gradually bursts on your tongue, unleashing a rich olive flavour with a briny aftertaste. A great Amuse Bouche before the upcoming feast. 

We got the 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬 ($16 for 2 pieces) and 𝐁𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐢 '𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐚' 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 ($16) for starters, Tapas classics. The Mushroom and Truffle Croquettes were velvety and filling with chunks of truffle and mushroom—it felt like eating a ball of mushroom soup. I love the deep earthy flavours that went well together and comforting. The Bikini Sandwich combines bread, Iberico ham, and mozzarella, which could never go wrong. The bread is crunchy but still pillowy, and the bite was overstuffed with the richness of the cheese and the truffle aroma. It could be better if the hams were not paper thin tho. Olivia made an exquisite treatment on both of these simple starters. 

Next, small plates! We ordered their 𝐋𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥 ($46) topped with ikura and caviar. I liked the sharp tang of the ponzu sauce. The salmon roe and caviar added flavour bursts that complemented the lobster meat in the roll. This fusion dish is light and refreshing! We also ordered the 🐙 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐬 '𝐀 𝐅𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐚' ($39), a bowl of potato foam with crispy pork belly and grilled octopus. The octopus is succulent and nicely charred. The potato foam is creamy and smooth. A layer of caramelized onion below gave it a nice hint of sweetness. However, sadly, the pork belly didn't make any impression, and the combination of pork and octopus gave a monotonous texture.

Moving on to the mains, we had their 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 '𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬' ($56). This dish may be mistaken for paella, but it is not. The rice absorbed all the umami flavours from the squid ink broth, and the huge prawns were VERY SWEET, fresh, and delicate. The prawns were handled excellently with an almost weightless bite as if melted in your mouth. It is my favourite dish from Olivia; it is very hearty and will send your senses into overdrive, breaking the monotony of Olivia's robust flavours.

The maître d' also recommended we try the signature dish, not on the menu, 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨. They will torch the rosemary in front of us, giving a smokey aroma to the dish and all over the table. We were all quite full when we had this, so we did not enjoy it as much😔, but the garlic sauce was rich, complimenting the thick and tender meat. 

To finish, we got the 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 '𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐣𝐚' 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 ($16), a homemade vanilla brioche dipped in kumquat confit and topped with yoghurt crumble, milk paper, and smoked ice cream. It was simple to clean the palate thanks to the delicious, lemony tang. And, of course, we had to order the famous 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐤𝐞 🧀 ($15) made from cream and blue cheese. It has a nice melty centre with an almond sable tart shell. The cheesecake's subtle funkiness and savoury undertones paired well with the caramelized top layer's sweet, smoky undertones. It is my favourite cheesecake, and so far, no other places have managed to top this. A very top-tier indulgence! ❤️They opened a cafe dedicated to cheesecake called Queic by Olivia on Kreta Ayer Road. 

The reputation of Olivia Restaurant & Lounge is practically impossible to tarnish. The food's simplicity and lack of high polish gave it a homey vibe that wasn't entirely in line with some of the pricing selections. Still, I agree that they are one of Singapore's best Spanish restaurants! ✨

Ambience: 5/5 ⭐️

Food: 4/5

Service: 5/5 ⭐️

📍55 Keong Saik Road, Singapore

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