Cuba Libre Clarke Quay, Singapore

A fixture in Singapore’s nightlife district, Clarke Quay, since 2006, Cuba Libre Café & Bar was a pioneer concept bar when it first started and has now expanded to become a regional go-to name for Latin music in the region. 

For the uninitiated, Clarke Quay is a historic area right beside Singapore River.  The entertainment and nightlife hotspot consists of pre-World War II 2-storey shophouses and godowns converted to become restaurants and bars.  It is the unofficial Party Central of Singapore.

The kitchen of Cuba Libre Café & Bar is helmed by Chef Alex Moreno, a native Cuban.  Trained at the Cohiba Hotel, he subsequently further honed his culinary skills in restaurants around Havana.  Before he came to Singapore, for three years, he has been executive chef for his own company in Vietnam.  In that role, he created the menu for several restaurants.

For the menu of Cuba Libre Café & Bar, Chef Alex has created a healthier, contemporary  Latin American menu with influences from Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Portugal and Spain.

Classic Daiquiri $18

A most refreshing drink after work.

Classic Mojito $24

I have had millions of mojitos before, in 5-star hotels, in the best bars of the world and on board the world’s best airlines, but there is something unforgettable about this one.  The staff tells me they use black sugar (instead of white sugar most other people use)

Seabass Ceviche $13
Lime & Herb, Nuts and Tortilla

I loved this tapas!  I loved the acidity of it.  The tortilla adds crunch and the slight bit of fat in the tortilla chip is that perfect little something to balance the acidity of the lime juice.  I find myself still thinking about this tapas days after I had it.

Crab Spring Rolls $12

Chef Alex’s experience of working in Vietnam has resulted in exciting Asian-Latin fusion tapas such as this one.  The crab spring rolls are freshly made daily and they are crispy without being at all greasy.  Well done!

Delicias De Salmon $18

Cream cheese, capers, profiteroles rellenos

You pop these into your mouth in one bite and you experience an explosion of creaminess.  The creaminess and fats of the cream cheese perfectly melds with the savouriness of the smoked salmon.  Also, the profiteroles are made in house.  They are light, cute and fluffy.  They should make more of these profiteroles and use them to create desserts.

Shrimp Skewer $10
Creole sauce

This is another outstanding appetiser.  The shrimp has a fair bit of spicy heat. That spicy heat gives it a kick.  Yet the spicy heat is never too overwhelming because the creaminess of the cream cheese mutes it.  The freshly squeezed calamansi juice adds brightness, acidity and zest.  The acidity and zest simply lifts up the appetiser into a whole other level.  I liked that this appetiser is quite complex and well-conceived. 

I didn’t expect it but the shrimp skewer pairs quite well with the mojito.  The fiery heat of the shrimp is perfectly balanced by the ice and the sweetness of the mojito. Together, they create the perfect tropical bar experience.  I am really grateful for this combo.

Ok, so the drinks and the tapas are excellent.  What about the main courses?

Ropa Vieja $20
Shredded flank steak, vegetable in tomato sauce and Arroz Moro

The shredded flank steak is extremely flavourful.  I like the olives on the plate (feels very healthy).  For me, the Arroz Moro (rice with beans) was the real surprise here.  It was extremely, extremely flavourful.  I can imagine that in some other restaurants, they would make the Arroz Moro a main course on its own and sell it (without a protein to go along with it).  Yes, the Arroz Moro is that flavourful.

I feel that this can be a great post-workout meal.  Interestingly enough, there is a Zumba class held in Cuba Libre every Wednesday at 7pm.  I jokingly thought to myself that they would all have this after their Zumba class.

Argentine Style BBQ Pork Ribs $21
Smoked into perfection BBQ Pork Ribs & Provencal Potatoes

The pork ribs have just the right bit of fat and are completely, completely penetrated by flavour. It was so satisfying to bite into and taste every morsel of the delicious, flavourful meat.

Did you notice that the mains are very good value for money?  The tapas are very, very reasonably priced too. 

Overall, I am very impressed with the flavours of the dishes, how well-conceived they are and the good value for money they present.  Cuba Libre Clarke Quay seems to take their business of providing good food and good drinks very seriously.  Considering that Clarke Quay is party central catering to a lot of one-off tourists, I am even more impressed.

Cuba Libre Clarke Quay

Block B #01-13 Clarke Quay, River Valley Road, Singapore 179021

Tel:+65 8817 5413