The Union

Overview

If you're looking for a fusion of Spanish and Portuguese in a city wine-bar setting, The Union is where you'll find it. At the upstairs restaurant, a considered focus on the freshest local produce awaits. The small plates are prepared simply, to be shared generously with family and friends. It's an unassuming spot, with a hand-scrawled chalkboard menu, bare bulbs and an easy, convivial atmosphere.

Your meal could see you dive into tapas classics like patatas bravas, "cheeky" spicy chorizo alongside mint and aioli, and the smoky bite of paprika-doused fried squid. Deliciously, it's not just small plates here. There are plentiful serves of paella — with a choice between a veg-heavy, seafood-forward or classic dubbed The Union Paella — and a set menu complete with carne de porco à alentejana (the happy marriage of pork and clams), green beans swimming in a zesty feta and sherry dressing and all the sides.

On Fridays and Saturdays, you'll find "Penrith's smallest bar" in the street-level spot. The team welcomes guests after a casual drink (and maybe a snack via stuffed zucchini flowers or Spanish meatballs) to the intimate space, with live music on Fridays from 6pm. The drinks list heroes Australian and Spanish wines, sherries and house riffs as well as beers — so much to keep you fed, watered and entertained in one teeny-tiny spot.