Collins Street past Southern Cross station has been a bit of a wasteland when it comes to choices for dining out, but that has changed recently with the opening of Bar Nacional, and more recently with Long Shot cafe, both from the same backers and in the same Collins Square precinct.
A co-venture from American chef Gavin Baker and Pete Evans, Bar Nacional is about celebrating memories of the tapas bars in San Sebastian. The aim is to capture the bustling energy of San Sebastian, famed for its traditional tapas from the best seasonal produce, but putting their own modern spin on it (as you do).
The space is sleek and modern with splashes of wood, leather and metal, while not large it fits sixty inside and more outside, which works well now that the weather is heating up. While it is not their only focus, the obvious patron is the Docklands office-worker looking for a better option for lunch or after work drinks and nibbles. As with any tapas bar the menu spans from tapas (smaller bites) through to raciones (larger, sharing serves), but they are aiming to offer a contemporary spin on some of the classics that are well known in Melbourne. The kitchen is led by chef Alex Drobysz (previously at David Boulud's Singapore spot DB Bistro) with the sweets by dessert magicians Shaun Quade (previously The Royal Mail) and Jo Barrett (ex-Movida Bakery), both of whom are heading up Long Shot cafe.
No tapas bar worth its salt would be without a killer charcuterie board, and there is plenty to celebrate here. There are the usual chorizo, terrine and various ages of jamón, but more exciting are the lomo (beef tenderloin), guanciale (usually from pork jowl/cheek) and bull negro (a variation on blood sausage). To go with the cured meats, you can go for quesos (cheese), making it easy you pick hard, blue or soft, each with their own accompaniment, spiced pickle, honeycomb and buñuelos (think a Spanish fried doughnut) respectively.
Moving into the tapas, oysters are served simply with a jamón infused vinaigrette; and that Melbourne menu favourite chicken liver parfait is exquisitely smooth with the requisite brioche, but the star (for me) was the grapefruit puree that gave an acidic kick to cut through the rich parfait- perfect balance. Their variation of the croquette is filled with charred brussels sprouts, I love brussels sprouts especially fried or charred as they are here; these are served with the salty tang of preserved lemon alioli. Recently the croquettes have changed to a charred cauliflower and then a charred broccoli filling, which have a similar nuttiness to them. Morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) is crumbed and fried, with a subtle spicing inside, paired with the depth of a roasted apple chutney and a zesty fennel salad. Delicate pig head meat is similarly crumbed a la croquette, with a lightly pickled carrot playing off the rich meat.
In raciones territory, they are experimenting with roasting fish on different types of wood. We tried the baby flathead on cherry wood, being cooked on wood it gives the tender fish an aromatic smoky taste, which carries through to the accompanying eggplant. Pork belly is unctuous and tender, with a bacon-like intensity to the flavour, balanced with various preparations of tangy and sweet blood plum; a nut purée and roasted hazelnuts add depth and texture, but the pork and plum itself are the winners here.
With such esteemed people behind them, there should be no avoiding the desserts (postres); the highlight having to be the creme catalana (a Spanish crème brulée), a beautiful play between sweet and savoury (seen in all of Shaun's desserts). The creme has a distinct flavour of orange, but with notes of bay leaf and the crisp caramelised sugar is finished with toasted fennel seeds and polvorón (buttery shortbread). The Tocino del Cielo, which is a variation on a creme caramel/flan, but traditionally made with only egg yolks, sugar and water, is a playful twist on its name (translated as 'bacon from heaven') by infusing the flavour of pork fat into the dish. It's served with dehydrated popcorn and shards of 'cornflakes'. A bitter chocolate liquid cake lives up to its name, oozing forth liquid lava when it is burst open, with the accompanying lemon marmalade offering a tart counterpoint to the rich bitter chocolate.
Bar Nacional is one of the newly opened restaurants in the Spanish resurgence of 2013, but aims to differentiate itself by offering modern variations on traditional dishes and ingredients. The food is playful, especially the desserts, but never outlandish for the sake of it. The major winner here is having Shaun Quade head up the sweet dishes, which are a true highlight to the meal by giving him room to experiment and reinterpret traditional dishes with a sense of humour. For those working down near the Docklands wasteland, this is a blessing of an opening, for the rest of us it is worth a visit for a contemporary take on Spanish tapas. read more