Bar Lourinha Article Lead - narrowSupplied14.5/20
Spanish$$$$
There's a special place in Melbourne's dining heart for this little bar with its kitschy mix of hanging frames,knick-knacks and splash of retro-style green wallpaper. Matt McConnell's fun take on Iberian food sings with bright,uncomplicated flavours. It's all made for sharing,so take a place at either the bar,communal high tables with stools,or cushioned banquette by the front window and chat to the skilled staff who know a thing or two about food and wine. Start with menu mainstays of octopus banderillas - bite-sized skewers of pickled octopus and anchovy-stuffed olive - or the sublime signature carpaccio-style yellowtail kingfish,followed by a seasonal special of heirloom carrots,plump figs and creamy labna. House-made pork sausage with white beans and parsley,and slow-cooked fleshy'pork butt'drenched in a bright,sweet piri-piri sauce will have you crying'perfecto'before dessert arrives:perhaps a silky sweet pomegranate crema with pistachio praline,or a sophisticated chocolate,hazelnut and espresso trifle.