Esquina

Esquina is a modern Spanish and Catalan restaurant in a shophouse at 16 Jiak Chuan Road, a short walk from Keong Saik Road in Chinatown. Its name means "corner" in Spanish. The idea comes from the small neighbourhood bars found on street corners across Spain.

Hotelier and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng opened Esquina in December 2011, and it belongs to his Unlisted Collection group. Barcelona-born chef Carlos Montobbio is now the chef-owner, and he has run the kitchen for more than a decade. He trained under the Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca, and also worked at Zuberoa and Cinc Sentits in Spain.

What to order

The menu is made for sharing. Start with a few small plates, then add one or two larger dishes. The kitchen cooks with the seasons, so expect some changes between visits.

Good snacks to begin with include Padrón peppers with chimichurri, Ibérico ham croquetas with piquillo pepper mayonnaise, and anchovy sticks with bottarga aioli. The Gilda pintxo here is a small skewer of smoked tuna, piparra peppers and olives. Pan con tomate, or bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil, goes with almost everything.

For something richer, try the organic egg in chorizo broth with Manchego and potato mash. The uni toast comes with burrata and Oscietra caviar. The restaurant has also served a chilli crab croqueta, a nod to Singapore. There is also Jamón Ibérico de Bellota from Joselito, aged for 48 months.

The Michelin Guide singles out the octopus and the suckling pig as specialities, and both were on the September 2026 menu. Other larger plates on that menu include seabass with clams, grilled Ibérico pork presa, milk-fed lamb and a Hokkaido seafood paella. Vegetable-led dishes include roasted cauliflower and a Momotaro tomato salmorejo with burrata ice cream.

Esquina works with Gramona, a Catalan winery that makes small-batch wines, and there is a full wine list.

The setting

The ground floor has a counter facing the open kitchen, so sit there if you enjoy seeing the cooks up close. The main dining room is upstairs. Outside, a terrace offers open-air tables, and dogs are welcome there.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: you can book ahead, though you may not need to. Walk-ins are taken when there is space, and you can check by WhatsApp first.
• Payment: Esquina is cashless and takes major credit cards.
• Your own wine: you may bring a bottle, with a corkage fee per bottle.
• More details: current menus are on the Esquina website.

Getting there

The restaurant says Maxwell is the nearest MRT station, about four minutes away on foot. Outram Park is around nine minutes' walk. Street parking is limited, so drivers should try the open car parks at Neil Road or Duxton Hill.

Nearby

Kafe Utu is also on Jiak Chuan Road. Zén on Bukit Pasoh Road and Born on Neil Road are both close by. To stay in the area, Mondrian Singapore Duxton is on Duxton Hill.

For more ideas, read our Tanjong Pagar and Keong Saik guides, browse European and Italian restaurants, or see all restaurants in Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar.