Overview
Share plates are all the rage these days. There’s now a cornucopia of Brisbane restaurants with menus fashioned after the communal dining concept. Though the idea of sharing multiple small plates of food is not unique to Spain – tapas have captured the heart of Brisbane dwellers, and become something of a neat catch-all term in the process.
Perhaps you flinch when you see the word ‘tapas’ stamped above a list of foods ranging in cuisines from Spanish to English to Swedish to Korean. Or, you may consider it to be delightfully cosmopolitan. After all, different cultural cuisines have always drawn from each other, and is variety not the spice of life?
Peasant
Packed even on weeknights, Peasant is loved by many. Housed in the heritage listed Barracks, dimly lit with mural painted walls and secluded tables peppered throughout the leafy outdoor area; Peasant manages an intimate vibe despite its popularity. Tapas are best enjoyed in groups, and this is exemplified by a trip to Peasant. The food is rustic, easy to apportion, easy to eat. The piquillo peppers stuffed with vegetable paella, goats curd and green olive salsa are good to share, though their saltiness and piquancy will definitely make you want to order another drink.
No 4 The Barracks, 61 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane
Alegria
Alegria Mediterranean Bistro and Bar is a Park Road favourite. The restaurant is small but polished and service is warm and hospitable. Being broadly Mediterranean in theme, Alegria’s tapas include not only Spanish staples like the manchego cheese croquettes. Italy gets quite a look in, with dishes like the Vitello Tonnato (rare roasted veal with tuna mayonnaise, capers and mustard greens) and veal 'Osso Bucco' with cannellini beans and white anchovy pangrattato.
11/20 Park Rd, Milton
Moda
An informal dining restaurant, Moda is elevated by a level of savoir-faire that never comes across as posh. Though definitely not a taperia, their menu includes entree-sized dishes that diners are encouraged to mix and match as share plates. Chef Javier Codina draws on a blend of French, Catalan and Italian influences, with entremeses like duck liver parfait with Pedro Ximenez jelly. For a tapas fuelled afternoon, head down on a Thursday or Friday for the Pica Pica Lunch - $30 will get you five different tapas followed by coffee and petit fours.
12 Edward St, Brisbane
Ole
Despite Brisbane’s love of tapas, the city is home to a relatively small number of full-blown taperias. Ole is one of the few restaurants to dedicate itself wholly to Spanish tapas and raciones. It has proved a winning tactic; the South Bank institution is a hot favourite any night of the week. The bustling atmosphere certainly puts you in the mood for a few plates of tapas, washed down with a jug of sangria – red of course.
Shop B12, Little Stanley Street, South Bank
Granada
Just a few minutes’ walk from the Cultural Centre bus station, Granada Tapas and Bar accomplishes a zesty mix of Spanish and Mexican cuisine. Granada makes tapas-for-one a more viable option. Single serve tapas (as in one empanadilla on a plate) range in price from $3-$8, with larger portioned raciones are also on offer. Many of the usual suspects are here, alongside some overtly Mexican fare: Baja Taco (soft corn tortilla with whiting fillets, refried beans and tomatillo salsa) and Cerdo en Chipotle (slow roast pork shoulder in chipotle with beans and rice, corn tortillas).
154 Melbourne Street, South Brisbane
Canvas
If you’re heading to this tiny bar in Woolloongabba’s antiques precinct, chances are you’re after a cocktail. As many Brisbanites have discovered, Canvas’ cocktail menu is pretty inspired (not least for the lovely presentation of the physical document itself). As Canvas is first and foremost a bar, the food is a bit more ‘beer snacky’ than at some of the other places on this list. However, what are tapas without a tipple? To make the most of it, try the Tapas and Tequila Tuesday.
16b Logan Rd, Woolloongabba
Brew
Brew is probably best known to city goers as a handy little coffee nook, or breakfast hidey hole. One of the greatest success stories of council’s laneways project, this cafe makes excellent use of Lower Burnett Lane and it’s hard not to smile at the economical utilisation of space. Just at the base of its alleyway entrance is an express coffee counter – a very popular weekday caffeine pit stop. Venture inside to find the narrow bar and restaurant. Though a lot of the focus is on drinks, there are also some pretty tasty tapas to accompany them. Try the morcilla sausage with mozzarella, tomato and basil.
Lower Burnett Lane, Brisbane City