NOW EXPERIENCING:Curb your tapas cravings at Australia's best Spanish-inspired bars
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Curb your tapas cravings at Australia's best Spanish-inspired bars

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Posted 02 Feb 2023

By
Amelia Ball

If a trip to Spain isn’t on the cards, do the next best thing and indulge Spanish style at these 12 top venues around Australia. 

If there’s one country that has it all figured out, it’s got to be Spain – and not just because they love an afternoon nap. This nation truly knows how to turn a meal into an occasion, having served up share-style tapas dishes for centuries, among other specialities, while pairing them with pretty delicious drinks, too.   

These days, you don’t have to hop on a plane to enjoy everything Spain has to offer. Well, not for its food and drinks, at least. So many venues on our shores are now focused on all things Spanish – and they’re doing them exceptionally well. Think jamon, Gildas and croquetas, plus sangria, sherry, cocktails and so much more. And when each of these venues is also home to slick service, Spanish-inspired decor and the kind of buzz you’d find in a Barcelona bodega, who needs to travel anyway? 

Below, we round up a dozen brilliant venues around the country that each offer a taste of Spain. Grab the gang, bring your appetite and get ready to say salud. 

12 of Australia's best Spanish-inspired bars
Melbourne
Bomba Bar
A worthy favourite with the post-work drinks crowd, this rooftop bar has dazzling views and a sunny Spanish vibe, with great snacks to go with them.
Melbourne
La Pinta
This pocket-sized gem of a tapas bar is a convincing expression of all things Spanish – with a strong foundation of great drinks and eats, and welcoming staff, it’s a fun package.
Sydney
Bar Topa
At Sydney’s tiniest tapas bar the drinks and snacks also come pocket-sized, but the fun level is set to maximum for a wild ride that channels making like a local in Spain.
Sydney
La Salut
A snappy little Catalonian-inspired wine bar brimming with savoury snacks and Spanish wines, La Salut is a welcome slice of Barcelona in Sydney’s rowdy Redfern.
Sydney
Una Más
Snacks to go with drinks, drinks to go with snacks and good old-fashioned Spanish sensibilities to bring it home by the sea in Coogee.
Sydney
Wyno x Bodega
Sydney’s original rock ’n’ roll tapas haunt collides with a bar-bottle shop to offer killer snacks backed up by a wine offering that moves to the beat of the staff.
Sydney
Gildas
Head to Spain’s Basque Country via Sydney’s Surry Hills for small plates of bold flavours, a deep-dive into Spanish wines and sherries, and peerless hospitality.
Adelaide
Udaberri
A West End institution, Udaberri was one of the first small bars in Adelaide, and its tricked-up gin and tonics and stellar Spanish-channelling food ensure it remains one of the best.
Regional QLD
Cantina
The mood at this Spanish-inspired hole-in-the-wall Gold Coast bar is casual, but the drinks and snacks at Cantina are laser-sharp and the dial is cranked up to party.
Canberra
Parlour
This Canberra classic never gets old. It’s been keeping locals happy in its heritage digs since 2008, yet the clever Euro-leaning wine and food are entirely of the moment.
Darwin
Poco Bar
A tiny hole-in-the-wall bar in a Melbourne-esque laneway with an equally diminutive offering of excellent drinks and snacks.
image credits: Nikk To (top image – Gildas, Sydney)
Authour image
Amelia BallAmelia Ball is a journalist, editor and former Editorial Director of Halliday Wine Companion, who specialises in drinks, food and travel.
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