Miss BoJio and Mai 公 were in a dilemma whether to spend the last night of 2016 counting down in the crowded Clarke Quay or a quieter option.
Eventually, it was decided to go to a compromise, visit Vivocity where one can still catch the fireworks going on at Sentosa, have a nice crowd at the various restaurants and bars facing the water yet not a tad too rowdy.
A glimpse of Sentosa’s fireworks if you may.
We settled for Serenity Spanish restaurant and bar that has a live band playing music. Truth be told, it’s not our first choice but there’s a huge queue outside Brozeit even at 11.30pm so we decided to give Serenity a chance, given it’s our first time here.
Given the late hours, only drinks, tapas (snacks) and pastas were available. First to the food: Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Omelette with Potato and Onions), Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled Squid drizzled in extra virgin olive oil) and Calamari Rings.
The Calamari Rings ($9.80) were nothing to shout about and very much like any others one can find in bars. Plus point for them being freshly fried and served hot and crispy.
Mai 公 likes the Tortilla Espanola ($10.80) best, given his uncontrolled love for eggs but even Miss BoJio who hated onions sang praise for this tapas. It’s interesting with the layers of different texture and flavor, with omelette outside and layers of potato inside. However, given the Singaporean nature, we very much prefer this to go with chilli sauce than the sour cream.
The Clamares a la Placha (S$18.80) was Miss BoJio favorite for the day. Freshly grilled and lightly sprinkled with spices in olive oil gives the squids a smooth and tender feel. While this can’t be considered flavorful, the spices gives it an adequate taste.
Next to the drinks where Serenity is offering one-for-one for their imported Spanish beer and wine. We opted for the Spanish beer ($16 for two) and it’s our first time trying Spanish beer out (it’s Sangria always). Introducing the Estrella from Barcelona –
The matching glass won itself plus points, with the glass being thin compared to normal beer mugs and gives the whole drinking a different perspective. Although the Estrella only stands at 4.6% alcohol, the taste is pretty strong and highlights vibe of hot-blooded Spanish. On the other hand, the texture is still a far way off from German beers and feels far less smooth.
The one thing which we want to emphasis most was the service standards, or rather, the lack of it. Perhaps it’s New Year’s eve and the service crew were very busy but the standard is really not there. Asking to pay first once the order is taken is fine as they explained the need given customers all flock to take photos/videos of the fireworks once the clock strikes 12. I gave them my card and requested for it to be kept on the tab. Didn’t stop them from giving me the bill and asking me to pay first anyway. There’s no notice of last order and we were deprived of ordering more tapas. Wanted to order a specific type of Sangria (they have like 10 varieties) but ran out.
All in all, we might still visit Serenity in the future given the many different savory tapas to explore and try but this is probably not the place to be if you want to impress your clique or significant other.
VERDICT
Recommendation: 
Price: 
Mai Gong Bo Jio 