Melt in your mouth 72 hour beef brisket is to die for. It was a special tonight and was sublime. You can't have a good experience at Movida, only a magnificent one. The food and service are exceptional. read more

A friend (and local) recommended MoVida to my wife and me and we were glad we listened! We walked in without a reservation and they were able to sit us at the bar, but the place was packed. Normally there would be a wait, so I would get reservations. This place is not cheap, but the food and drinks are fantastic. Mojitos were $18, which was a bummer to find out when the bill came. Restaurants should put prices next to everything they serve. Or, if it's not on the menu, they should tell you what they cost when you order. Just my opinion... The Mojitos were very good tho. That being said, we had some dishes were unique and delicious. For the quality and uniqueness, I'm happy to pay. read more

Notoriously difficult to get a table, but said to be one the the best restaurants in the city! My experience didn't deviate from what I had been told. This was exceptional food and the service friendly and helpful: useful if like me you are not very familiar with Spanish cuisine. The restaurant is in a cool lane full of graffiti and the atmosphere is good: but I was so spoiled by the food, I couldn't help but wish for a view to match. read more

Ok, food was tasty, more touristy , service was excellent, very small portion. Tapas are individual size, defeats the very basic concept of what Tapas are all about. Would l return, maybe not with a large group though... read more

YES! Creative and competent tapas restaurant serving artistic renditions of traditional tapas and some exciting creations all their own. Quick, unobtrusive service. Reasonable beverage program with a refreshing diversity of selections. Modern, comfortable setting. And delicious, memorable, exciting food. Fantastic. read more

A place that was definitely in our bucket list since we moved to Melbourne. We were always recommended to book well in advance but tried a walk in and...surprise, 2 seats available at the bar right away. Service is very professional. They will bring you French bread with olive oil with a large wine list. Short food menu but this is the way I like them as it often means the quality of the dishes is great! Had the Wagyu and strongly recommend it!! 4 stars because I set the bar so high for this place that I thought it could have been even better compare to other places I went. read more

Yesterday I found that I have a fair amount in common with the pure bred heritage Iberico pig which feeds on acorns, which is known as "bellota" during the peak fattening period. As I hammered my way through the MoVida menu, which included 50 grams of the legendary Carrasco Jamon Ibericode Bellota that literally brought tears to my eyes because it was so damned good, I could feel my stomach engorging at the same rate that credit card balance is expanding as of late. MoVida greeted us and were happy to accommodate two hungry and thirsty blokes with no booking. It wasn't long until we were reviewing both the wine and food lists after being seated by the friendly staff. I had to take a pragmatic approach to the list of tapas and raciones since everything looked amazing on paper so I was bold and ordered two of everything on the tapas menu. That was nine dishes. I also requested the special celery and white anchovy soup along with the aforementioned 50 grams of Jamon. It took a bottle of Moritz lager for me to read through the wine menu and decide on a bottle of 2008 Lanzaga Tempranilli Rioja ($98) which would also be consumed quickly and then ordered again to finish off two servings of Bistec Tartar De Wagyu. Everything that was ordered was divine. Starting with the Anchoa ($4.50 each) with is a hand-fillet anchovy on a crouton with smoked tomato sorbet took to me to my happy place. The wine flowed as dishes continued to be presented. The Atun ($4.00 each) of the sashimi grade Bincho tuna with Piquillo pepper followed. This dish was just as good as anything that I had at Nobu. I was afraid that the Tempranillo would overpower the fish but it didn't. The Mejillone En Escabache ($4.00 each) was a surprise as the pickled Spring Bay mussel with carrot and onions was concealed under a pastry that was dressed with squid ink to make it look like a shell. It was so delicate and your senses are confused when you break the pastry and enjoy it along with the mussel. The squid ink certainly complements the mussel, carrot and onions and the wine for that matter. The Caballa Ahumado ($5.50 each) is presented in small coffin-like vessels and when the lid is removed, you can't help sticking your face in the smoke and inhaling as much of the smell that you can. Once the smoke clears and you come down off of your high, you will see the beautifully presented house cold smoked Spanish mackeral and pine nut gazpacho sorbet. Simply stunning. My senses were in overdrive trying to process the experience as a whole. Music played in the background and it complemented the experience. The ambiance made me feel like I was in Spain in a bygone era after Franco died. The atmosphere was lively and as I got stuck in to the second bottle of Lanzaga, the Air Baguette ($4.00 each) arrived. It is 9+ score Wagyu with air baguette and horseradish. It certainly complimented the Tempranillo. The Alcachofa ($4.00 each) stunned me as it was a fusion of tastes that most resembled a potato however finely balanced to almost conceal the fact that it is in fact a roast Jerusalem artichoke with crisp onions. I do enjoy it when the restaurant can tease me in such a way. The Gamba En Sal (4.00 each) followed which is a salt baked South Australian prawn. When I shelled it, the bits of salt went flying playfully over my dining companion and the bar and I laughed like a madman, probably a bit like Franco back in his day. I certainly was having fun as I consumed the Oreja ($3.50 each) which is crispy pig's ear with compressed apple. You would never know it is the ear of the pig as it is finely diced. Some people think the Spanish eat the ear as a whole like you would with a tortilla chip, but that is not the case but the thought does amuse me. We finished the tapas courses by enjoying the Pollo Escabache Al Miguel ($4.50 each) which for me was one of the highlights of this culinary masterpiece. Spiced chicken Escabache tapa on crisp crouton. This chicken was special and makes my pitiful attempts at making it at home even cause me now to hang my head in shame as I write this. As there was more wine left in the second bottle, we each ordered Bistec Tartar De Wagyu ($18.50 each) which is the spicy steak tartare of wagyu beef. It was a great way to end my raciones experience however I would have liked it to be a bit spicier however that is just a personal preference. The wine and experience as a whole finished with a plate of cheeses. Three hours went by quickly and I enjoyed everything - and I mean everything that MoVida had to offer. The highlight was the Jamon and the runner-ups were the Pollo Escabache Al Miguel and the Caballa Ahumado, although it is really hard to say that one dish was just more amazing then the other fantastic dishes. This is truly the best tapas that I have had in my life and it would have to be the best in this country. read more

Just the coolest hang out. Was by myself and the excellent wait staff and bartender were friendly. Sometimes hard to understand the rapid Aussie accent. Had the kransky an excellent little tequila drink. Olives bread and mussels. Could have sat and ate all night. On busy nights can be a long wait. it will be worth it though read more

Just visiting Melbourne so I loved the experience of this little hole in the wall amongst the beautiful graffiti laneways. Shared a variety of tapas with a friend. The 24 month aged jamon was so good, they spread a tomatoey-garlic mixture on nice hearty bread to go under the jamon and it is just delectable. Paired with some garlic veggies and I was set. Perfect place for sharing plates and trying a variety of things. read more

Holy. Why I don't go out to more tapas bars beats me cause now that I've gone to such a good one, I now have the expectation that others have to be just as delicious. My cousin warned me that it might be hard to get seats as this place has bookings weeks, even months, in advance and I can see why! We showed up around 5:30ish and luckily scored a table for five. The host did say that we'd have to give up the table by 6:30 though. To order and eat in an hour or less - it was on. We had a hard time choosing what to order since everything sounded so good. To solve our problem? We pretty much ordered five of every tapas to make it easier (definitely no complaints from our happy stomachs or friendly waiters). We ordered SO much, even the waiter was surprised we finished it all. A plus side is that the tapas come in small portions so you almost have to order each and every dish! Must-trys: Cordero Al Chilindron - the lamb meat was tender and spiced so well Anchoa - smoked tomato sorbet topped over anchovy (!!) Bunuelos de Bacalao con Pil-Pil - potato balls crisped to perfection Be sure to try their specials! While I can't remember the items not listed on their menu, those dishes were equally delish, if not better. If you're planning to visit Melbourne, you MUST try Movida. ¡Por favor! read more

I'm normally a fan of Movida but on Tuesday night the service was poor from getting a table to ordering and even picking up our jackets at the end. We ordered a selection of tapas (lamb, quail and chick) in addition to the seafood salad and baby leeks. Much of the food was either over cooked or just rather bland. I'm not sure I'll be going back anytime soon. read more

Not a bad place to hang out at the bar by self. Friendly bartenders. Good food. Good ambiance. Tried 3 of the very small dishes and of course the churros. All great. read more

MoVida - Spanish Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

My uncle who has been a chef for 30+ years rates Movida as the best place you'll experience in hospitality, in the world. And he is not wrong. Movida is world class. read more

Good tapas food, okay service. When you want Spanish food then this worth a try. Unfortunately, when there are graffiti artists spraying fresh cans of paint outside the entrance this doesn't help the experience. read more

Consistently excellent - I have nothing but praise for MoVida. The food is beautiful, the wine list superb, the staff are fantastic, and even when it's at capacity and busy, you don't feel rushed or packed into the restaurant. One point other reviewers haven't really stressed enough is that bookings are pretty much essential. Do not expect to walk up to the door and get seated (I've been lucky occasionally, but wouldn't bet on it) - chances are you'll be pointed to MoVida Next Door, which while still good, doesn't rate quite as highly for me as the main restaurant. read more

We have tried to get to Movida for three nights when were in Melbourne, and the place was always fully booked. We managed to finally get a table for lunch on our last day. To say we were impressed is an understatement. The food was simply divine, service was impeccable. I really look forward to our next trip to Melbourne and visiting Movida again. read more

Great food, fantastic ambience and great staff make for a real dining experience. I love any excuse to go here, and return I shall.

Place was nice. Service was ok. Came here with my fiance for a casual dinner, but i wasnt super impressed with the food. Perhaps my expectations were too big. I am from miami and have been to Spain a couple of times, so a huge fan of tapas, but while Movida was good I wasn't impressed. read more

Grazed through nearly all the tapas selection at the bar here. As they are two-bite size, it was not a problem. Modern combos with a hint of the molecular approach (gaspacho sorbet on cold smoked mackeral, e.g, maybe some dry ice somewhere in the production?) Who knows? All the David Copperfield stuff aside, it all tasted great. Some more than others, so repeats on them and back to sample some small plates another time. read more

Having dined at MoVida Aqui multiple times, we booked MoVida months ahead, had high hopes, and it certainly lived up to our expectations. Up a cool very Melbourne laneway, MoVida oozes cool and relaxed, and delivers mouth watering morsels of Spanish food's finest. I'd suggest trying multiple Tapa (small meals designed for one) and multiple mains (designed for 2). Our favourites were a goats cheese cigar, rice and squid cooked in squid ink, patatas bravas and Moritz beer. Will definitely be booking another night. read more

Fantastic service. Each tapa was sensational. Great wine. A must-do Melbourne experience.

Aerated Wagu with truffle foam is legitimately 60% why I moved to this city

food is awesome! service was alright though. I just read some reviews about how waiters told the customers to not take pictures and "just eat the food", and I think that's absolutely terrible! thankfully, this didn't happen to me and my parents :) anchoa: super great! the cooling of the tomato sorbet definitely cleansed my palate and was balanced well with the anchovy. the only thing was it was pretty expensive for something so small caballa ahumada: another great one! but also really small. when they opened the cap, the dry ice started coming out and gave an awesome effect BISTEC TARTAR DE WAGYU: this one was alright. wasn't bad, but definitely wasnt the best. i meant to order the cecina, but i was just going off of "wagyu is really good", and i didnt see the cecina. would totally order cecina instead next time! CARRILLERA DE BUEY: definitely SUPER tasty! best one out of all of them. beef is SUPER soft, and the cauliflower puree is great. so this shared between 3 people made us...not completely full, but definitely almost there. my parents and i love food, but arent huge money spenders, so we just ordered one of each and just wanted a small taster. read more

9:00 PM Saturday night. In town by myself. Craving a glass of nice wine and a small meal. Have been to Movida before and loved it. Tonight was just as good. Place buzzing but they managed to squeeze me in. Food just as I remembered. Consistently good. Wine a bit pricey at $18 a glass but I guess these are boomtimes in Melbourne and they can get it. Similar wine was Euro 18 a bottle in Barcelona restaurant last month! Still enjoyed the meal and wine and love what these guys are doing. read more

If you want to have a great palet of Spanish flavours and wonderful tapas take yourself here! Sit by the bar for a real Spanish experience and have a chat with the neighbour! read more

Oh man......loved everything about this experience! The beef cheeks will change your life. As others have pointed out, it can take some effort to get a reservation but is totally worth it! Go next door to Misty for drinks beforehand!! read more

Food was good, but the service was excellent! They somehow mixed up my reservation, so they gave me a discount! What a kind gesture! Will definitely go back! read more

Amazing! Perfect food, service, atmosphere and all set on one of the coolest streets in Melbourne city, alive with people checking out all the graffiti. read more

Semi-pricey but when the ambiance reflects something out of Don Quixote, you're not going to care. Perfect staff, perfect food, perfect place. 5 Stars. read more

In melbourne if your restaurant or cafe has been around for a few years your probably doing something right. Movida have the name, location and food to write home about. Tapas is very expensive though the quality and service is what you pay for. It's one of those pales you save for a special date or occasion. read more

Terrific Spanish tapas bar, very cool vibe. Love the lane that it's on!

Pretty tasty and in a pretty cool neighbourhood. It's a tapas place and they were all pretty good. Nothing really out of this world but worth the visit. I should caveat this with the fact that I'm not a huge fan of tapas but enjoyed this nonetheless. read more

One of those restaurants that is on everyones list but for some reason I had only ever been to MoVida Aqui...here at last! Really loved the dining hall, the dim lighting and exposed wood reminded me of Spain which was a great start. I was surprised how limited the menu was, and how everything had a modern/Australian twist to it. Struggled a bit to choose tapa, but what we did eventually choose was extremely well prepared/cooked - would recommend the tostado...it was not by any means traditional but was devine. We chose three raciones for our table of 3, and again they were great without being strictly traditional - beef cheek, pork and chorizo sausage and seafood rice - I would recommend them all and it was hard to pick a highlight however the beef cheek probably wins the battle. Service was so-so, with plates arriving randomly, and plate size was on the small size for Australian expectations. Overall I enjoyed the experience however would say go to MoVida Aqui if you are after more menu options and some traditional paella! read more

See all

Smoked eel was awesome. Sea urchin was an experience. Everything was solid! Baby beets and goats cheese, beef cheek, anchovy, sardine, tomato sorbet! All yum. read more

Pretty yummy, pretty busy but let us sit at the bar at peak time on a sat and served up morsel after tasty morsel. Definitely a good place to take someone to impress read more

This place is worth a visit in Melbourne. It's not getting a 5 star because a few of the dishes my wife and I had were only good and not great to really great. But that is still high praise. That said, I would say this was one of the best places we ate while we were here. Great atmosphere, great service. Kind of pricey but not awful. The hits were the quince paste cigar with goat cheese and the Wagyu with poached egg and truffle foam. I would highly recommend those two dishes. My wife really like the croquette too. I thought it was pretty good but not as good as the other two. read more

If you find yourself in Melbourne, make an effort to get to MoVida. The food is amazing, and only surpassed by the staff; who is friendly, helpful, and eager to give you the best experience they can. If you're lucky, and have Houston behind the bar, take a minute to say hi! He'll help you choose a great wine, and give you great advice on places to visit as you continue your trip around Australia and New Zealand! Don't pass on the Waygu tartare, or the Queso. You won't be disappointed! read more

Interesting...... Probably about all I can say. Booked this months in advance to take my visiting parents too and was really excited. We each got 2 tapas each which I have to say were amazing (croquetta yuuuuum!!). We each the chose a main and decided against sharing as were so hungry, and 2 of the 4 of us didn't eat seafood. The mains came out one by one- 2 in semi quick succession and then a 45min wait for our remaining two. Starving is not a strong enough word by the time we were fed. Don't get me wrong beautiful food but.... May have had to fill the hunger pains in the way home.... read more

Food was amazing. Ordered the pork belly, empanadas, duck leg and lamb. Staff were friendly and accommodating even checking ahead of the meal for any allergies. We probably should have ordered a little more but still left extremely satisfied. Would definitely visit again. read more

Amazing tapas. Dined here with the family and the service was excellent. Really tasty food and not expensive. Highly recommended. Will definitely be back read more