tapavino

being tucked away in a cobbled lane helps to set the scene... if lucky enough you may score a table outside and enjoy some alfresco dining... just as you might on a summers evening in spain.

the wine list is well chosen and spanish, and the staff know their wines.

the food was delicious and servings generous. we had the:
- jamon with burrata. the burrata was the hero of this dish, delightfully creamy and subtly flavoursome. - sardines - fresh and bursting with flavour.
- braised chorizo - my favourite dish of the evening, as i've never had chorizo prepared in this way. it was slow cooked and literally melted in your mouth. the tomato based sauce was rich and juicy and not too tart.
- beef cheeks - cooked to perfection but slightly lacking in flavour. the chickpea purée however was delicious and the better half of the dish.
- shaved cabbage salad - would recommend adding to your meal, to balance the intensity and heaviness of the other dishes.

overall delightful. my only negative of the night was the rather brusque way in which we were made to leave, as they wanted to seat the next lot of diners.
in saying that i would happily go again (with a second seating booking) to try the desserts and other dishes.

stumbled across this place when we were staying at the marriott and was too lazy to venture far for food. the few tapas dishes we ordered were delicious, especially the jamon was really amazing. the sangria was pretty good too. only the space downstairs was quite tight and can be noisy with large crowds dining next to us.

staff were overall friendly and food quality was above average. couple of fatal flaws -

1) we had to have the set menu as we came in a big group for a birthday and the portions we had to share were very small. for example, we had to share two slices of cakes between 6 people for desert. despite paying $59 plus an additional mandatory service fee of 8% pp (price of 3 dishes), we were required to share 3 main course plates between 6 people.

2) we had a cockroach on our table. the waitress initially dismissed it as a non-event as she considered that the cockroach must've come from outside because the window is open and hence does not affect the food. only after some pressing, the restaurant acknowledged our concerns and provide a discount on the cake fee ($4pp).

in short, don't come in a big group. don't sit upstairs close to the window because a cockroach apparently should not be unexpected if the window is open. don't order the set menu.

4/10. would only come in a small group. avoid the tables upstairs close to the windows.

a memorable hens party dinner celebrated at tapavino. we had quite a number of dishes to share but there were some crowd favourites.

smoked paprika popcorn was buttery, spicy and addictive. duck liver pate was not too overpowering and had more like a parfait texture, so that worked very well for me. chicken, truffle and asparagus terrine was one of my favourite dishes of the night as the hint of truffle was just enough to tickle your taste buds and the crunch of the asparagus added texture. boquerones were just nicely salted, not mushy but soft and went really well on toast. i don't see it too often in spanish restaurants, so that was a nice treat! a visit to tapavino is incomplete without some jamon, which we gladly obliged with the jamon iberico. it was soft layers of ham which melted in your mouth.

there are a lot more exciting things on the vast menu that i would want to come back to try. also, a massive thanks to the waiters for the evening who were very attentive and accommodating to our every need. i like!

amazing food and an even more amazing collection of wines. waitresses are very accomodating, great atmosphere for group get togethers. would be too noisy for an intimate date night. overall, very good experience.

spanish tapas rocks - we all know that! however one never ceases to be surprised once they are at tapavino! super service delivered by a young team who go all the way to make sure you don't wait long between your dishes! and the taste?
d e l i c i o u s! would visit this anytime for some quality tapas and vino!

excellent place for a drink and snack when wearing the pin-striped uniform and want to remember younger days in barcelona ! just had some glasses of an excellent tempranillo with a few tapas plates. manager was great but wait staff a bit haphazard and the food (while delicious) was a bit rustic. however great atmosphere in the otherwise soul-less city in the evening and a genuine spanish feel to it. not cheap but worth it - however go the bottle not the glass ! the red is delicious and after our group drank 9  reds by the glass we worked out we should spend more time planning our evening ! really nice place to go "of a tuesday" !

tapavino is the best spanish restaurant i have visited in sydney. we came this restaunt on a busy saturday night, even though it was busy the service was top notch. the waitstaff were very attentive; filling our water glass, checking if drinks were needed and explaining the menu. the somellier was very good, explaining their wine list and recommending wine according to our preferences. the service was professional without being pretentious. the staff were relaxed, friendly and personable.
we were impressed by the fact that we didn't have to wait long for our meals, even though it was busy. a well run restaurant. we chose a few options from the menu to share, which were all very delicious. using quality ingredients with good flavour combinations.
to start we ordered the warm cow cheese, walnuts in vine leaves a la plancha. warm melted cheese, need i say more and add walnuts for texture. we also had the yellow fin tuna cruda crushed spiced almonds and sherry dressing. a nice fresh starter to share.
next was the jamòn pickled beetroot and goats curd. a classic flavour combination. our last savoury option was the melt in your mouth beef cheeks braised in vermut served with chickpea puree and gremolata. the braising liquid giving the beef cheeks a nice sweet flavour. definitely recommended.
having read the dessert menu i was taken by the dulce de leche tart with pedro ximinez cream. they had me a at dulce de leche, thick caramel and short crust pastry tart and omg pedro ximinez cream. so decadent in a good way.
an all round great dining experience and will be back to sample more of the menu. their other restaurant balcòn is definitely on our hit list.

the service here is great, everyone is welcoming and attentive.  it's very cosy  and lively inside, so be prepared to shout.

the food is only average and a little pricey.  but still a nice night out.

hidden in a laneway in circular quay is tapavino, a charming spanish restaurant. as i stepped in, for a moment, i felt like i was in one of the tapas bars in barcelona or madrid. everything on the menu sounded delicious so it was hard for my friends and i to decide what to eat. the wine list is extensive to say the least so we asked the waitress to help us with our selection.

the food and wine at tapavino is outstanding. the boquerones (white anchovies) and 'pata negra' iberico de bellota acorn fed jamón are to die for. have been here quite a few times and the service has always been 1st class.

we've ordered the cold chicken and truffle terrine, the chorizo, the cauliflower and the madrid stew, all dishes were perfect and delicious! flavours are balanced. the service was really great too. i really liked this place! portions were generous and i think we did ordered a bit too much for 2 but we were happy to be able to taste many dishes.

love this place! sensational food, service and ambience. have dined here several times, both as a group and couple, and each time, everything has been impeccable. highly recommended.

excellent service; each round was served on time and the staff had a great sense of humour. the food was above average but i would recommend it just on the ambience and the quality of the service alone.

dear readers, i think i’m in love. in love with this gorgeous spanish sherry – tapas – wine bar! when you put those three things together, we usually know it’s going to be something special. tapavino is located on bulletin place, just a minute walk from circular quay station. this place has been on my go-to list for a while, but i haven’t had a good excuse to visit. vivid festival in sydney became that perfect excuse.