Chargrilled SA calamari, with green papaya and romesco
An old Melbourne friend, Lauren, came up to Sydney for work last week, and naturally wanted to catch up with Jude and I. To tell us all about her new job, hear how Sydney life is treating us and just shoot the sea breeze.
She suggested Porteño Restaurant in Surry Hills, which I LOVED the idea of. But, given a main there is in the $40–60 bracket, I wasn’t sure how I was going to afford a Tuesday night dinner at Porteño AND feed myself for the rest of the week.
I have no idea what this new job of hers is paying but we live in Sydney, which means we’re poor. So I suggested a compromised option of Bodega Tapas Bar – the cheaper sister in the Porteño Group and by no means a compromise.
Savoury Portuguese tarts, topped with miso and roast king crab salad
A bastion of the Surry Hills restaurant scene
Anyone who’s lived in Sydney for a decade will be quite familiar with this fun, tapas restaurant in Surry Hills. But, for me it’s a new, exciting find.
It’s quite fitting we experienced Bodega Tapas Bar for the first time with a Melbourne friendlord, because the space is very Melbourne. I think it’s the colourful wall art, open kitchen, tattooed staff and banging music.
Image credit: Bodega Tapas Bar
A menu of tapas and share plates
Bodega Tapas Bar’s menu is always changing but the concept remains the same: modern tapas and share plates inspired by Latin American cuisines.
Expect tapas like mussels, steak tartare and arepas; and share plates like crispy duck, wagyu skirt steak and ‘porky occy gnocchi’ – that’s octopus, chorizo and pork shoulder guiso with gnocchi. The portions are all pretty generous – not your traditional tapas experience.
We ordered the SA calamari calling it South Australian calamari, only to be told it’s actually from South Africa – obnoxious South Australians. Either way, it was a highlight with its green papaya and romesco dressing. The bread and olive oil was also ridonkulously good, worth the $2pp 10x over.
Spicy pork sausage in a lettuce cup, with tamarind mayo and pickles
12-hour lamb, with harissa, hummus, yoghurt and eggplant
Of course, desserts are always worth saving room for, and that’s even more true at Bodega Tapas Bar. The ‘banana split’ cream flan, with banana marshmallow, dulce de leche ice cream and salted peanuts is the stuff of legends.
The wine list also can’t be faulted, with imported Spanish and South American wines completing the experience.
Bodega Tapas Bar is…
Just tucked off Foveaux Street, at the base of a nondescript grey-rendered apartment block on shady Commonwealth Street, you don’t really expect to find one of Sydney’s best value restaurants. But here it is!
So shocked with how cheap the bill* was given the faultless and indulgent dining experience we’d had, Lauren was convinced we’d done a dodgy and paid for more than our share.
Bodega Tapas Bar obviously came onto the scene back when tapas was having it’s moment in the sun, but there’s nothing dated about this place. It still packs an almighty punch.
Yep, pretty happy I found this one!
* For five tapas, three mains and several glasses of wine, the bill came to $68 each.
Bodega Tapas Bar | 216 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales
Phone: (02) 9212 7766
bodegatapas.com
