El Taburete : Take A Seat At Barcelona Loft Style Bar

      El Taburete is a petite Sala Daeng Tapas bar run by Thai chef-owner Kannika KongKaew, who spent 10 years in Spain. Here, customers can experience back-alley Barcelona’s best via a constantly-changing menu. 

     The restaurant is decorated with Barcelona Loft Style. Behind a huge front door, customers will encounter a small loft providing rustic feeling with a brick and bare concrete. Moreover, it is also decorated with kitchen utensils, paintings and a huge mirror with lists of desserts written on its corner. Spanish music is constantly played on the background.

         Along the counter bar, there are four high chairs which are the origin of the restaurant’s name Taburete. Small high tables and chairs are placed closely to one another, giving the feeling of sharing. This gives the atmosphere resembling to bars in Barcelona where when the bar gets too crowded, strangers can join the table and get to know one another, as if everyone is friend. As the restaurant is quite small, it can get very crowded on the weekend. Thus, customers will likely to experience the Spanish bar culture where people come, get some drinks, have Tapas, and socialize, surrounded by crowded but fun Spanish bar atmosphere. 

Tapas y Pinchos

Complementary bread :)

         Food in El Taburete is served in the form of Tapas, however, the portion is bigger than a typical one. There are many menus in this restaurant which are unique. For example, a famous dish is called Fideuà which is made like a paella, but instead of using rice, it uses a vermicelli pasta. Espárragos envueltos en panceta con salsa de Romesco which is bacon-wrapped asparagus with romesco sauce is also prominent here. El Taburete’s desserts are also delicious such as Sponge cheesecake and blueberry sherbet which is quite similar to Japanese cuisine. 

Espárragos Envueltos en Panceta, Salsa de Romesco (195 THB)

Tortilla de patatas (175 THB) : Spanish omelette is a traditional signature dish from Spain and is often served at room temperature as a tapa.

Croquetas de Jamón Ibérico (170 THB) : A croquette is a small breadcrumbed fried food roll containing vegetables or meat. Mashed-potato-filled croquettes are often served as a side dish in winter holiday meals, such as Christmas.

Fideuà (380 THB) : Fideuà is a seafood dish originally from the coast of Valencia that is similar to paella, but with noodles instead of rice.

Buñuelos de Bacalao (225 THB) : Cod fritters, a typical dish of the Mediterranean countries such as Spain, are fried cod pasta balls crumbled and mixed with other ingredients.

The first menu that we would like to suggest is Patatas Bravas (130 THB). Potatoes are cooked until they are very crunchy on the outside. Once we bite into them,  the texture of the inside is very creamy. With the garlic mayonnaise and tomato sauce, it adds more sweet and sour flavour to the fried potato. Among all Patatas Bravas we have tried, El Taburete impresses us the most.

Patatas bravas, a typical dish in Spain, are often served as a tapa in bars. White potatoes are fried in oil and served warm with a spicy sauce.

The second menu that you should not miss is Pulpo Con Crema de Coliflor y Salsa de Pimentón (355 THB). This is a boil octopus which is served in a small portion, allowing the customers to enjoy the delicate taste of the sea. The octopus is surprisingly fresh and does not have a strong smell. The texture of the octopus is very easy to chew that we almost forget this is an octopus. With the sauce that is a little bit sour, it helps compliment the flavor of octopus. This plate, with Spanish music and Barcelona atmosphere, makes us feel like we are in the coastal area somewhere in Spain.

Pulpo or octopus is a popular tapa (appetizer) served all over Spain today. It originated in the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia, where octopus is a specialty and a common catch for local fishermen.

The third recommended menu is Jamón Ibérico (600 THB) and Manchego cheese (380 THB). The quality of both cold-cut and cheese are very good. The cold-cut is not too salty and it really goes well with the given homemade bread. Yet, Manchego cheese does not disappoint us. If you do not mind its strong smell, this plate is highly recommended, if you would like to experience a glimpse of Spanish authentic cheese. 

Jamón Ibérico or "Iberian ham", is a famous ham produced in Spain. Iberian ham is often served with manchego cheese as an appetizer.

The last menu that we would like to recommend is Sponge cheesecake and blueberry sherbet. The Sponge cheesecake is very soft and it is not too sweet while the blueberry has a sour flavour which seems to twist with the sweetness of the cheesecake. The chef also hides a little twist in the ice-cream by adding alcohol into it. Combining the ice-cream with the cheesecake, it goes well together. However, please keep in mind that alcohol seems to play a huge role in here. So, if you do not mind getting a little drunk, a second plate is highly recommended. 

Tarta de queso is a famous Pintxos (Basque version of tapas) in Basque country in Spain. Traditional Basque cheesecake are popular across the region especially around San Sebastian.

Our impression

            Its Barcelona loft style and overall atmosphere of El Taburete allows us to escape from the Bangkok vibe into a Spanish Tapas bar. If you are looking for a place where you can hang out and chill in the late evening or at night, El Taburete can be a perfect escape for you to enjoy drinks and Spanish cuisine. We do love this restaurant, as it allows us to express our personality to the fullest. The fun environment, with Spanish music in the background, invokes our exciting emotion and our courage to have the guts to talk to people who sit next to your table. Besides Broken Eggs, El Taburete can be another perfect choice for a gastrobar where customers can come and grab some drinks, while enjoying Spanish atmosphere. 

Location : 5/6 Saladaeng Rd, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500

(300 m. away from Bts Saladaeng Station and 50 m.from Soi Saladaeng 2)

Contact : 096 145 4563

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tabureterestaurant

Price : 300-500 THB/Person

Office hour :

Mon. - Sat.  4.00 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Bibliography

Taburete. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/pg/Tabureterestaurant/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2239177949477975&__tn__=-UC-R.

Bkk. (2017, January 18). Taburete (ศาลาแดง) ร้านอาหารสเปน - เมดิเตอร์เรเนียนสไตล์บาร์เซโลน่า. Retrieved November 8, 2019, from https://www.bkkmenu.com/eat/we-recommend/taburete.html.