Hola Amigos: Five South American and Spanish Restaurants for Cocktails and Comida with Your Mates

This rooftop bar is renowned for its city views, Catalan toasties and stellar cocktails. The rooftop sports an all-weather retractable roof and a second terrace space with a central copper bar and lots of high tables for a rendezvous with mates once work’s done for the day.

The tapas menu is brimming with old favourites and new creations, a covetable selection of Spanish cheeses, terrific charcuterie and some stellar mains to pair with a Carajillo 43.

You can score your complimentary Carajillo 43 at Bomba from August 1.

Wander down a CBD laneway, and you’ll find a shortcut to Spain in the form of a late-night tapas restaurant and cocktail bar. Crossley St Cantina merges the relaxed, snacking vibes of Spanish culture with the finest local Australian produce.

The kitchen crafts a fully gluten-free sharing menu that features delectable tapas like chicken skin crackling with whipped goat cheese, truffle honey, pomegranate and saltbush, baked scallops with garlic mornay, finger lime and karkalla, and fan favourite crispy brussels sprouts with chilli-maple dressing. If you are after a larger plate, the Basque-style grilled 400g porterhouse steak with roasted bone marrow and pepperberry veal jus is a must. After those plates are cleared, the richness of the espresso in the Carajillo 43 will pair particularly well with the caramelised crust of the Basque cheesecake.

Named after the traditional Argentinian style of slow-cooked barbecue and the relaxed dining experience it informs, Asado is centred around an open firepit and a custom-made three-metre-long charcoal parrilla grill.

The menu is stocked with Argentinian flavours with Spanish touches. You’ll spy snack-friendly jamón boards and tinned anchovy with guindilla peppers alongside kingfish ceviche with celeriac tiger’s milk and grilled beef tongue skewers with smoked chilli and kampot pepper — which will undoubtedly bring out the citrus flavours of Licor 43’s signature blend of spices.

With people queuing for a table at 7pm on a Wednesday night, you can tell there’s got to be something damn good about Bar Lourinhã. And it’s the food, drinks and service.

You can take your time here, ordering as you go. The staff will talk you through the specials, perhaps a plate of padron peppers, a paella of mussels, prawns, chicken and chorizo, salted cod croqueta sitting on a bed of aioli, or wagyu cruda, a Spanish take on a steak tartare.

This stylish spot is definitely popular, so get here early to score a spot with your mate — ideally so you can snag one of the 43 complimentary cocktails it’s slinging.

Añada is one of those consistently solid venues. Since its opening in 2008, it remains one of those eateries that keeps drawing you back. Tucked into Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, it’s known for its intimate atmosphere, beautiful Andalusian (southern Spanish) food and cocktails.

The menu is all about tasting and sharing. It is divided into tapas, charcuteria, raciones and desserts, so there is a lot to take in. From seared tuna with pickled green tomato and padron pepper sauce to market fish with jamón and seaweed butter sauce, there’s so much for you and your mates to enjoy. If you’re among the lucky 43 to snag a complimentary Carajillo 43, we advise you pair with the luscious leche merengada parfait with honeycomb and bee pollen. A perfect balance of sweet honey and rich coffee.