Vino (and okay, maybe just a FEW dishes) at Bar Lourinha

Bar Lourinhã
37 Little Collins Street, Melbourne (map)
9663 7890

It had been a bitch of a day and I couldn't help but think "My God, WHITHER the daily office grind... I require a glass of red wine posthaste ERE I DIE". Luckily, best-friend-K was feeling exactly the same way so we decided to meet up after work for a snifter 'o wine.


She was up at the Parliament end of the city so we selected Bar Lourinhã as our venue. For a Wednesday night the joint was jumping, but we managed to find a place on the sofa at the front. I selected a glass of Portuguese Meandro Do Vale Meão Tinta Roriz, whereas b-f-K went Italian with a Sangiovese by La Spinetta. Just a glass of wine, we told ourselves - we ought to head home straight away afterwards to cook our respective dinners.

But quelle surprise, with every sip that tapas menu was looking increasingly alluring. Surely just having a bit of tapas doesn't REALLY count cos it can double as a mere entrée (in the non-American sense of the word) to our home-cooked meals, right?


We shared the famous yellow tail kingfish pancetta and lemon oil. It was $15 and tasted freaking lovely - the generous drizzle of lemon oil over the fresh fish, lemon thyme and spanish onion was the magic ingredient. We then shared a dish of roasted morcilla, red pepper and free range egg, just because it sounded so interesting. Also $15, the morcilla had a fantastic texture - juicy, soft but not crumbly - and tasted great with the eggy roasted pepper. It took all of our self control to stop at two dishes! :)