Basque Tapas & Wine, Prahran

2010 was the first Christmas and New Year's I've spent in Melbourne since more than 10 years ago. I had clearly forgotten how deserted the city was on Christmas Eve so organised with Yuye to spend some time together at a tapas restaurant that day. We drove around the whole CBD and couldn't find anything that we wanted to have because most places were closed! After a number of tries, we ended up in Prahran. As we walked along Chapel Street, we were suddenly drawn towards a gathering of people and what seemed to be lovely Spanish live music. As we walked closer, we noticed it was Basque Tapas and Wine.

Basque was established on busy Chapel Street in 2003 and provides authentic Spanish tapas, delicious wines and Friday/Saturday night live music by a band called Solo Porque. The atmosphere was very fitting and exciting, probably the best place to spend Christmas Eve that I could have found.

There were also nice furniture and decorations that make me think of Spain.

Yuye ordered a Spanish beer called Mahou Cinco Estrellas made by the company called Grupo Mahou San Miguel which was first made in 1969. It was a little sweet and very easy to drink, even for someone like me who doesn't normally drink beer. I ordered a glass of Basque specially made Sangria. It was surprisingly delicious! For those of you who don't know, Sangria is a type of Spanish wine punch made from red wine, fruit, sweetener such as honey, sugar or fruit nectar, cinnamon and a small amount of spirit. I'm not too sure what their recipe was but it was distinctly fruity, sweet and tasted a bit like dilutely red wine.

We also ordered a number of tapas to go with the drinks and to fully enjoy the atmosphere. The first dish we ordered was Vieras con jamon con culi de piquillos for $14.50. This dish consisted of scallops wrapped in Serrano Jamon (a type of Spanish dry-cured ham) and piquillo couli (pepper puree). I thought the ham was a little too salty for my liking but Yuye found it to be just right. But it was definitely very tasty.

The Hardware Societe, Melbourne CBD

Call me a sheep but I just had to try out Hardware Societe after reading so many blog posts about this little hidden gem (not so hidden anymore). It serves French/Spanish breakfast and lunch dishes (unfortunately no dinner yet) during weekdays and now on Saturdays as well until 2pm.

This place is probably totally packed for as long as it's open. It's no wonder as well because they are just so good! The food is innovative and delicious, drinks refreshing, desserts totally scrumptious and best of all, it's not expensive! The only problem you'll have with enjoying a lovely meal here is seating availability.

Remy, Malvern

A few weeks ago Y and I were lost as to where to have dinner (this happens quite a lot actually). Instead of going through the Entertainment Book this time, we decided to go on a little adventure down Glenferrie Road. Our adventurous hearts brought us to Remy in Malvern. The full name of this restaurant is Remy Bar Restaurant Tapas & Vino (or Cafe Remy according to Urbanspoon). They offer a wide selection of traditional Spanish/Mediterranean cuisine such as tapas, pastas, steaks and desserts.

Although on the slightly expensive side, this restaurant boasts an extensive wine list, a cosy atmosphere and delicious food. It even has its own bar (below).