Say hola to Bar Lucia, Sydney’s luxurious Spanish Tapas bar, Kellet Street Potts Point.
The décor is dripping in maximalist chic, from gilded portraits, to marble esque tables and statues in corners. The music, however, is the opposite of classical and gives the place a true modern Spanish vibe without being over the top in homage or modern Australian in vibe and flavour (like some other “Spanish” venues).
It’s been one of our bug bears in Sydney. Loads of Italian, yet very little quality, authentic and reasonably priced Spanish. THE best thing about Spanish food is the Tapas, small plates of multiple flavours leaving little chance for boredom and typically an eclectic, yet balanced mixes of protein, sauces and vegetables that create a NYE fireworks display across your tastebuds.
Thankfully, now, we have Bar Lucia that delivers exactly the type of flavour, textures and authenticity buzz – with flair – that we have longed for. Nestled into a row of townhouses on the popular Kellett Street, Bar Lucia features between a Middle Eastern and Italian Pizza restaurant. The bright lights of the neighbours highlight the sanctuary and subtlety of Spanish food and wine within Bar Lucia. The forecourt is filled with couples and groups of friends enjoying the balmy summer air (is it going to be hot forever?). Once inside, a long bar and kitchen unfolds beyond a nesting of tables. We stand in awe at the opulence and start salivating as plates of food move past us.
So down to business. We enjoyed a Corsican Alberino ($23) from a female run winery (all the wines are developed by female led wineries – love!), and it’s bold, complex and packs a big punch. Delicious. Bar Lucia has also won an award from 2 Glasses, Australia for the wine list of the year and it makes sense as the list of superb.
For food we inhaled the Rye Tomato Somaca ($12) with tomato and garlic topping. There is a GF option, which is wonderful as usually us GF folks miss out. The topping is creamy with a subtle garlic punch and should likely be enjoyed with the ham, but we couldn’t wait to dive right in.
The Jamon Serrano ($19) followed. Duroc Gram Reserva 18 months is accompanied with pickled habenaros. It’s balanced, not too salty, creamy and generous in serving. We’ve been to venues that want to charge $40 for serrano ham that is nowhere near as good as this in taste or serving size.
The absolute knock your socks off dish is the Cangrejo Croqueta ($8) the crab and squid ink croquette. Crispy, perfectly golden breadcrumbs gives way to the softest combination of crab and squid ink filling that is out of this world. We are still dreaming of this.
We followed with scallops. Vieira de Mar – sea scallop with saffron butter and salmon caviar ($9). A very rich take on the scallop in the saffron butter with the pop of the caviar. The scallop is perfection and smooth as silk and the saffron butter is a flavour bomb.
Now this next bit of our meal is not for everyone. It’s for the brave or those who believes in total head to tail. Rightly so the Ox Tongue or Pinxto de Lengua ($12) blew our minds. My dining partner was a bit hesitant (while pretending not to be), but I’ve had Ox tongue before and it’s such a rarity on menus that I absolutely had to order it.
If you’ve not Ox tongue before – the taste can only be described as that of a creamy mousse, not too dissimilar to a pate. This Pinxto is grilled and has a crispy edge to it. Coupled with warmed baby pickled onions this is a must have. A marriage between simplicity and complexity – a pure food with dextrous preparation. My dining companion said “this is delicious, I am pleased you ordered it”. So if you can overcome a little fear – the payoff is beyond worth it.
We also had the Salmon Pinxto ($14) and this was gorgeously prepared to melt in the mouth, and it delivered as promised. A very safe option if the tongue is not for you.
Pulpo a la Brasa ($35) – the barbequed octopus with capsicum sauce, raddichio and olives is tender and rich. A honest hark to traditional tapas, with a nuanced twist. This and the tongue were our favourites.
The team have recently put Paella ($50) on the menu as a result of popular demand, packed with prawns, mussels, and calamari.
Pastel Vasco – the Basque Cheesecake ($18) is a must. served with berries and Pedro Ximenez sauce. It’s perfection. Rich, creamy and a thick berry and the sweet wine addition of the PX helps to cut through the cream for a beautiful marriage of flavour. We shared a slice and we shouldn’t have. Always. Get. Your. Own. Basque. Cheesecake. A learning for the rookies.
Overall, we fell in love with Bar Lucia. It’s a stunning venue, the service is gentle and generous and the vibe is fun.
There’s a happy hour (or hour and a half as the case may be) on Wednesday’s and Friday’s from 5-6.30 with Negroncito, 50/50 Mar-tiny and Sangria for $10 along with a comprehensive list of house wines. Is there a better excuse to try this place?
We absolutely adored this place and we think you will too.
Bar Lucia5 Kellet Street, Potts Point
Tue-Wed 5-11pm, Fri 5- 12am, Sat 12pm-12am, Sunday 12pm – 10pm
