If you are a lover of good quality, authentic Spanish food, then Bodega de Pintxos (formerly Lunico) is a must visit destination.
Located on Kennedy Street, Bodega de Pintxos is a Spanish tapas restaurant with a modern twist. Spacious and colourful, the interior makes you feel as though you are at a Tapas bar in Barcelona, especially with all the Spanish staff buzzing around you!
We were greeted warmly and led to a table at the front that looked out onto the hustle and bustle of Kingston. We were asked what we would like to drink and we ordered the jug of sangria without any hesitation. A jug full of icy Sangria with fresh mint leaves arrived shortly and really hit the spot on the 38 degree day!
The menu is quite extensive and set out in an easy-to-understand way. We ordered some of the ‘Pintxos from the Kitchen’ which are little delectable morsels with tooth picks sometimes skewered through the middle. We chose the Queso Frito (pan fried fresh Yarra Valley goats cheese, pan tumaja and mojo verde sauce), the Piquillo (roasted baby bell pepper stuffed with mud crab meat and spicy escabeche), and the Chorizo (grilled house-made spicy chorizo, red wine jus and roasted garlic sauce). From the ‘Tapas’ menu we chose the Vieira (seared Iberico wrapped scallops, asparagus pile’ and chilly escabeche).
The Piquillo was the first to arrive and looked sensational. The little red stuffed bell pepper’s looked plump and juicy and the skin slid off them easily. The mud crab meat was mildly spicy and tasted fresh.
The Queso Frito was placed in front of us next and was a pleasure to look at. The goats cheese was crunchy golden and was sitting on a little slice of crispy bread. The mojo verde sauce was the perfect accompaniment for the cheesey delight.
Next on the menu was the Chorizo. The chorizo came out perfectly sliced with a red wine jus and roasted garlic sauce drizzled over it. The flavours together were amazing and the texture of the chorizo was just right. It had bite, but not too much that it made you reach for the water.
The Viera was the last dish to come out. The scallops were cooked to perfection with mouth-watering Iberico (Spanish ham) encasing them. Together with the chilly escabeche, the flavor was full but delicate.
Dining at Bodega de Pintxos is definitely an authentic Spanish experience and the food lives up to the authenticity. Even the bar-tender mixing and shaking behind the bar is from Ibiza and makes a mean cocktail. What more could you ask for?
