Bar Lourinhã

By Franz Scheurer (Feb 2007)

Melbourne does Spanish food really well and having it in a bar adds to the authentic ‘tapas’ atmosphere. Bar Lourinhã is a friendly space, a narrow room with stools around the bar on the left (with wines by the glass listed on the blackboard above), a couple of large tables to the right and a comfy sitting area at the front. If you arrive early when the bar is empty it can feel a little stark, but as soon as it fills up the whole place seems to put on a sunny face; the crowd is most definitely part of the atmosphere here. A green feature wall at the end of the room adds to the Spanish feel and the smells wafting from the kitchen are enough to drive a starving man crazy.

The appetizing menu consists of small plates and it seems that about five dishes is the right amount to share between two people, but be warned, the ‘zucchini flower & buffalo mozzarella fritter’ ($5ea) is so good that you’ll probably order it twice! I loved the ‘Twice cooked octopus & pickled cucumber’ ($16), adored the ‘Rabbit empanadillas’ ($15), and was convinced by the simple presentation of the ‘Yellowtail kingfish pancetta & lemon oil’ ($13). This is really good unpretentious food, trading on its robust flavours. The ‘Morcilla & green egg tortilla’ is a really pretty dish, while the ‘Wagyu carne cruda & shaved horseradish’ will satisfy the raw meat lovers. We drank Spanish red by the glass and a small bottle of Manzanilla, both of which worked perfectly with the food. We finished the meal with ‘Churros & dulce de leche’, a classic Spanish breakfast dish that also makes a fantastic dessert.

Value for money is excellent and it’s possible to eat as much or as little as you like within your time frame; a perfect venue for a quick business lunch but also the place to sit back, indulge and imagine you’re in Spain.

Score: 7/10

For more information and bookings:

Bar Lourinhã

37 Little Collins Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel.: 03 9663 7890