Bocado feels like something Collingwood has been missing. The space is beautiful and surprisingly…read morelarge, with plenty of room to accommodate a busy crowd, but what really impressed us was the level of the food and service. From presentation to execution, everything felt incredibly polished; I would not be surprised if they are nominated for the Michelin list this year.
We ordered quite a few dishes so we could try a good portion of the menu, and there were some major standouts.
The gem salad, although just a green salad, was phenomenal and probably the biggest surprise of the savoury dishes. Fresh, crisp greens were covered with generous shavings of truffle cheese, spotted with pickled onion, sprinkled with a seed crumble and topped with beautifully crisp ham that essentially acted as the most delicious crouton imaginable. Such a simple idea, but the combination of saltiness, crunch and freshness worked perfectly.
The Brussels sprouts were another winner. They were beautifully charred and served over a creamy tonnato-style sauce. Rich and savoury without overwhelming the sprouts.
The octopus was tender and almost buttery, with a gorgeous char on the outside. The only downside was that the potatoes underneath were soggy and drenched in oil. Delicious, although this was probably the one dish where the portion felt quite small for sharing.
Of course, you can't go to a Spanish restaurant without ordering patatas bravas, and Bocado absolutely nailed them. Perfectly crisp potatoes with a creamy aioli and rich tomato jam, plus just enough acidity and heat to balance everything. Exactly what patatas bravas should be.
For our main, we had the Cornish hen paella, which was the complete opposite of the octopus in terms of portion; it was HUGE. An entire hen lay atop a skillet of crispy rice with gems of chorizo sausage throughout. The chicken had beautifully crisp, seasoned skin and the rice underneath was flavourful, piping hot and loaded with peas, tomatoes and chorizo. Of course the rice had its quintessential saffron flavour and crispy base/edges. Everything we ordered arrived incredibly hot and tasted exceptionally fresh, which I really appreciated.
Dessert, though, may have stolen the entire meal. Their interpretation of tres leches was unlike any tres leches I have had before. Rather than a traditional cake, it was a panna cotta base with an incredible combination of creamy, airy, crisp and delicate textures, finished with white chocolate, mousses, salty butterscotch and edible flowers. Truly outstanding. They were even able to accommodate it gluten-free.
We also tried the chocolate dessert, which was beautifully presented and very good, but if you are only ordering one dessert, the tres leches is the clear winner.
Another huge plus: they were incredibly accommodating with gluten-free modifications throughout the meal, and we were able to have essentially everything we ordered adapted accordingly. That level of flexibility is not always easy to find, particularly with a menu like this.
Bocado is a fantastic addition to Collingwood's restaurant scene. Beautiful space, excellent service, ambitious cooking, gorgeous presentation and some genuinely memorable dishes. It is rare for a brand new restaurant to feel this polished right out of the gate.
