tapavino

after reading the rave reviews about tapavino, i was excited about sampling the menu when friends and i arrived for our 7pm reservation on may 3. unfortunately, my experience was underwhelming.

to say the place is bustling on a friday night is an understatement. when at capacity, the acoustics of the confined upstairs dining room make it difficult to converse with your companions without raising your voice to a ridiculous level.

during the meal, i sampled the crab, avocado and chilli tostado ($14), the stuffed piquillo peppers with smoked mackrel ($13) and the jamon, baby beetroot and goat's cheese ($16). i personally found the flavours a bit bland and unbalanced, but the dishes were far more enjoyable than my salty dessert experience. i opted for the chocolate terrine, olive oil and salt flake ($12) - a decision i can still taste 12 hours later. basically, it was far too salty and akin to indulging in a chocolate lick block.

on the liquid side of the equation, my three friends and i all agreed tapavino's red sangria lacked any real punch, which was disappointing after a long day at work. that said, thewinemenu is exhaustive, and even the most hard-to-pleasewinebuff will find something to tickle their fancy.

it was impossible to fault the service we received during our tapavino experience. our waiter was friendly, attentive and extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of the menu - something that makes life easy when you and your friends are struggling to make selections.

would i go back? probably not.

good spot for lunch. melbournewinebar like. energetic vibe, good spanishwineselections, plenty on the menu. sardines were a hit this time. will be back.

the restaurant felt really warm and intimate in it's upstairs small dining area. thewineselection was impressive, almost too many to choose from. we ended up having quite a few bottles of redwinefrom spain and they were fabulous. the nibbles were tapas style in small serving, perfectly complement the wines. if you are into old world wines especially red , this place is worth checking out!

tapavino is a beautiful and vibrant sherry/tapas bar in circular quay which offers a mind-bogging list of cocktails, jerez, tapas and cured meats. the sherry bar features a mesmerizing deep-red interior, floor-to-ceilingwinebottles and distinct wooden beams

i tried the white sangria, braised beef cheeks in vermut and jamon/mushroom tart. each of these three dishes were exquisite. the flaky beef cheeks, drizzled with chickpea purée and gremolata, was soft and flavourful. perhaps it would taste even better if it was more tender and melt in my mouth. the jamon/mushroom tart was stocky and filling and the cured meat was delicious.

came here for a team lunch and loved the vibe !! food is amazing and the service staff is attentive. theirwinecollection is pretty good. lovely place to get away to for a work lunch.

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.

thewinelist 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.

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 theirwinelist and recommendingwineaccording 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.

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. thewinelist is extensive to say the least so we asked the waitress to help us with our selection.

the food andwineat 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.

dear readers, i think i’m in love. in love with this gorgeous spanish sherry – tapas –winebar! 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.

this place feels so melbournian & one of the first laneway bar /restaurants in the sydney cbd. get in early or be prepared to wait. grab a stool at the bar with a friend & chat to any of the friendly staff, learn aboutwine& sherry & try a few spanish drops. food is tapas style & you really cant go wrong with what you order. smashed broadbean & goats cheese bruschetta is fresh. chorizo stuffed squid is full of flavour. lamb shoulder is meltingly tender with pops of sweetness from sweet, juicy grapes. get in quick for the dulce de leche cake as they run out quick. even the spiced nuts are addictive. only downside is it can get a little noisy & as it is a small place, you & your clothing will smell of the delicious cooking that has been happening all night.

loved the truffled tart... so much so that the second time i visited with my friend, we ordered one each! items are expensive as is thewinelist but it is a great little space (expect to be seated in tiny spaces). give the sweetbreads a miss.

season your tummies with a delightful tapas feast at a town favourite slightly hidden on the corner of bulletin place and ideal for a small group or 1-to-1 dinner date given its small interior. juice your taste buds with fruity sweet redwinesangria which was possibly the best i’ve had in sydney before you smoke your appetite with a flavoursome jamon tostadas.

fabulous.... loved this place, try the braised chicken, beef ribs and jamon with goats cheese and beetroot, delicious. for something differentwinewise try the tempranillo blanco. service was also really great we spilt somewine(not much) and the waitress kindly gave us a couple of freebie glasses of px to try.

tapa vino is a hidden gem in bulletin place at circular quay – as its name suggests, it is a thriving tapas restaurant with an impressive array of sherry to boot. it’s been packed every time we’ve been in and it’s best to book in advance to avoid disappointment. our booking secured us a lovely table on the upper level, which isn’t as bustling as the walk-in bar area downstairs, but is perfect for a group of friends to enjoy a great meal. as befits the restaurant’s name, we were confronted by awinelist which read almost like a novella. we scanned down quickly and decided on the red sangria for myself and a temperanillo for the boy (native grape to spain). red sangria we started with the crab tostada, the waiter cleverly getting us a portion of 4 instead of the usual 3 for our group so that we can each enjoy one each. the mound of mashed avocado on top of the tostada melded wonderfully with the shredded crab meat and was seasoned with chili and herbs for a zesty start to the night. cra