Movida Lorne - CLOSED

Overview

With a whole swag of urban venues under its belt, MoVida has at last ventured beachside. Acclaimed chef and owner Frank Camorra has chosen the ground floor of the Lorne Hotel as the site of his first coastal Aussie outpost. For Camorra, Geelong native and longtime Lorne regular, the venture is a fitting addition to MoVida's lively, Spanish-inspired family.

While unmistakably a MoVida operation, filled with familiar elements, the sunny seaside locale has also lent this latest venue plenty of its own identity. Buzzy and casual, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the beach, it's primed equally for post-swim snack sessions as for those festive, big-ticket feeds.

"We want it to be a place you can pop in for lunch or dinner, straight off the beach in shorts and a t-shirt and feel comfortable," Camorra explains. "The food's designed so that you can have a glass of wine and a few little snacks and off you go again. Or, if people want to make a night of it, that's fine as well."

To that end, expect a generous menu, heavy on the seafood and showcasing plenty of regional produce. A handful of MoVida fan favourites sit alongside plenty of new coastal-inspired bites. Think, pumpkin and manchego empanadilla ($9), cheesy mushroom croquettes ($5) and Pedro Ximenez-braised beef cheek matched with a cauliflower puree ($33). There's a lineup of both Spanish wines and local varieties, backed by a tight list of simple, yet interesting cocktail creations.

And, just as at MoVida's CBD sibling Bar Tini, this venue also boasts its own providore and bottle shop, stocked with an evolving curation of goodies — artisanal Spanish products from Camorra's import business Alimentaria, alongside ready-to-eat meals, supplies from Fitzroy's Meatsmith, smallgoods, wines, and cheeses from both Spain and Australia.