People walking past this narrow wine bar-style space in inner-city Melbourne might be bemused (and perhaps more than a little jealous) to see so many people filling a bar in the middle of the day. However, this little trickster is actually a unique restaurant, serving Spanish and Italian-inspired nibbles in a bar-like setting until the distinctly Mediterranean hour of 1am on weekends. The small space is dominated by a wide bar, tall communal tables and square bar stools, with bottles lining one wall.
The average person in this sort of room might not expect to be fed anything more substantial than a packet of chips but thankfully, they would be very much mistaken. The emphasis is on small share-style plates of nibbles, inspired by the tapas bars encountered during the owners' Spanish and Portuguese travels. Their Mediterranean meandering has formed the basis of a menu of miniature dishes such as spicy rabbit and olive empanadillas, Sicilian stuffed squid and morcilla - aka blood sausage - for the brave. Aiding diners in getting into the European spirit, there are several Mediterranean wines and liqueurs available.
Open
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Breakfast
Lunch
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Dinner
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O
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Late
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Mon-Thu noon-11pm Fri noon-1am Sat 4pm-1am (lunch bookings available only)
Mediterranean and Tapas
Mains: $7-$22
Dessert: $3-$11
Payment accepted: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and EFTPOS
Licensed with bar. Wine is available by the glass.
Gourmet Travller 2009 Australian Restaurant Guide - "While there is a Spanish/Portuguese influence at Bar Lourinha - eating at the bar or around high communal tables, a menu of small dishes - this always busy, always noisy place owes as much to Melbourne's bar culture as it does to Madrid's."
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All reviews and ratings are the expressed opinions of our users, and in no way reflects the opinions of yourRestaurants, its staff and its affiliates.
Posted by:
Review-Person
|
16 August 2008, 7.14pm
Great atmosphere
I met with friends on Thursday evening at Bar Lourinha. We were lucky to get a seat at a table as the place was rather busy and filling up fast. This place offers an interesting menu with a variety of choices.
We ordered the shaved cabbage; mint and sheep's milk feta; spiced chickpea and spinach; and house made chorizo, red wine and nicola potatoes. The cabbage dish was the most enjoyable whereas the rest were rather average. The portion sizes are rather small while the prices are rather high. The small dishes came to over $40.
This is good place for meeting up with people for drinks as the atmosphere is rather lively yet cosy but not the best for a good meal.
Food:
Visit: Thu 14 August 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
Christian E
|
22 July 2008, 9.10am
Flavours galore
It was our first time to visit Bar Lourinha and were quite excited as I've read a few reviews and would like to experience it first hand. We decided to have some pre dinner tapas before heading off to another restaurant. We ordered the kingfish pancetta, the house made chorizo and the roasted eggplant (this dish was exceptional), all dishes were sensational, bursting with flavour. My only disappointment was the service, we were already halfway our first dish when the drinks arrived and staff could be a bit friendlier.
Atmosphere was great, unique with a homely feel and the food is definitely the reason why this place is always busy.
I definitely will be coming back to try the stolen townbike and the grilled ox tongue and octopus stifado.
Recommended.
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Visit: Mon 21 July 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
CatherineM
|
10 March 2008, 5.51pm
Oh my! Just amazing!
I was taken to dinner here for my birthday & it was truly incredible. We asked our fantastic waiter to select the range of tapas for the five of us. Service was just great with the timing between dishes perfect. We had the roasted mushrooms with garlic cream which were served in a mini cast iron frying pan. This was followed by eight other dishes including an assortment of vegetarian dishes with amazing ingredients and a delicious rabbit dish, but the absolute highlight was the yellow tail kingfish pancetta & lemon oil. Literally wafer-thin slices of magnificent kingfish infused with delectable citrus flavours. I simply couldn't fault the food for its remarkable and surprising texture and flavour. Impeccable service and a great atmosphere, I cannot recommend this place highly enough.
Food:
Visit: Wed 5 March 2008
Mealtime: dinner
Service:
Atmosphere:
Posted by:
BlackBeauty
|
5 February 2007, 4.20pm
Brilliant food, generous portions and extensive wine list!
On this day, we started with a cocktail 'Stolen Townbike' before choosing a selection of tapas, all from the specials menu. We were not disappointed - the tapas servings were very generous and let's not forget extremely tasty. Good use of contrasting flavours and textures highlighted further by punctual, knowledgable staff. Give the Argentinian beer ago and don't forget to sample some wines by the glass which are listed above the bar.
Oh and one more thing - a visit to Bar Lourinha is not complete if you have not yet visited the restroom!
Food:
Visit: Fri 2 February 2007
Mealtime: afternoon tea
Service:
Atmosphere:
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