Bar Nacional

Great food and drink but staff lack attention to detail. Doubled up some orders, forgot others. Also were indecisive when we asked about where we could sit.

So I’ve come back to Melbourne for a visit and one of the things I was so looking forward to was the coffee and food down here. Unfortunately I’m at work in docklands (right near Collins Square) so I’ve been a little disappointed in my options here of potentially over-​priced food and beverage in the square. Well… The coffee in this bar is amazing, right up to ‘Melbourne standards’ it’s by far the best one I’ve had since coming back. Can’t wait to tuck into my egg and prosciutto roll if this is anything to go by. The only downside; people coming in after me getting their coffees before me.

I have to say I am not an expert on Spanish tapas but have to says I really enjoyed dinner here.
The place– located on the ground floor of Collins Square. Very viable from the street. Has a dinning area and an area in front of the bar with high stools. Not crazy busy on a week night.
The food– really love the shaved brussels sprout salad. Amazing texture topped with chestnut and walnuts. The wagyu bresaola melts in your mouth. My only complaint is the overall salt content in all the dishes.
The drinks– I thought it’s interesting that they spice their water with cinnamon. Never thought of doing that but actually was enjoyable. The tap beer selection is limited but they make it up with the bottle selection. Not the best sangria I have had.
The service– the waitstaff seemed to know the menu very well. Very helpful in general.
Definitely recommend a try.

Excellent! Try the specials!
Go mid-​week — it’s easier to get a table!
Some of the best Tapas in Melbourne. Why would you wait at the Mo place when you get the equivalent here!
Not cheap, but it is top quality and oh so yummy!

Remarkably Bar Nacional just keeps on getting better. Winter has brought some seasonal menu tweaks that I love, like Brussels Sprout croquettes, and some new garnishes to the superbly handled meats and fish.
It’s insanely popular with the after-​work crowd on Friday nights. So plan ahead if you want to eat and come a bit later.
There’s delicious paella most Wednesdays as well if that’s your thing.
Me? I’ll always go for the house made charcuterie. There’s been something special on offer every time I’ve eaten it. Delicious terrine or saucisson sec, with tasty chutneys and fruit purées on the side.
I’m a big fan of the pork belly (made with real free range Berkshire pork from Bundarra Berkshires) and the skirt steak.
Breakfasts range from substantial and sublimely rich to vegemite on excellent sourdough. My favourite though is a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit dotted with yogurt, fruit gel, nuts and grains. Almost too pretty to eat.
Bar Nacional gives me a genteel start in the morning with excellent St Ali coffee, a bit of takeaway tortilla or bocadillo, or a norty custard doughnut.
Don’t come looking for chain-​store nonsense. Come looking for a place with soul. And you’ll find it suits breakfast, lunch, dinner and everybit in between.

Collins Street past Southern Cross station has been a bit of a wasteland when it comes to choices for dining out, but that has changed recently with the opening of Bar Nacional, and more recently with Long Shot café, both from the same backers and in the same Collins Square precinct.
A co-​venture from American chef Gavin Baker and Pete Evans, Bar Nacional is about celebrating memories of the tapas bars in San Sebastian. The aim is to capture the bustling energy of San Sebastian, famed for its traditional tapas from the best seasonal produce, but putting their own modern spin on it (as you do).
The space is sleek and modern with splashes of wood, leather and metal, while not large it fits sixty inside and more outside, which works well now that the weather is heating up. While it is not their only focus, the obvious patron is the Docklands office-​worker looking for a better option for lunch or after work drinks and nibbles. As with any tapas bar the menu spans from tapas (smaller bites) through to raciones (larger, sharing serves), but they are aiming to offer a contemporary spin on some of the classics that are well known in Melbourne. The kitchen is led by chef Alex Drobysz (previously at David Boulud’s Singapore spot DB Bistro) with the sweets by dessert magicians Shaun Quade (previously The Royal Mail) and Jo Barrett (ex-​Movida Bakery), both of whom are heading up Long Shot café.
No tapas bar worth its salt would be without a killer charcuterie board, and there is plenty to celebrate here. There are the usual chorizo, terrine and various ages of jamón, but more exciting are the lomo (beef tenderloin), guanciale (usually from pork jowl/​cheek) and bull negro (a variation on blood sausage). To go with the cured meats, you can go for quesos (cheese), making it easy you pick hard, blue or soft, each with their own accompaniment, spiced pickle, honeycomb and buñuelos (think a Spanish fried doughnut) respectively.
Moving into the tapas, oysters are served simply with a jamón infused vinaigrette; and that Melbourne menu favourite chicken liver parfait is exquisitely smooth with the requisite brioche, but the star (for me) was the grapefruit purée that gave an acidic kick to cut through the rich parfait– perfect balance. Their variation of the croquette is filled with charred brussels sprouts, I love brussels sprouts especially fried or charred as they are here; these are served with the salty tang of preserved lemon alioli. Recently the croquettes have changed to a charred cauliflower and then a charred broccoli filling, which have a similar nuttiness to them. Morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) is crumbed and fried, with a subtle spicing inside, paired with the depth of a roasted apple chutney and a zesty fennel salad. Delicate pig head meat is similarly crumbed a la croquette, with a lightly pickled carrot playing off the rich meat.
In raciones territory, they are experimenting with roasting fish on different types of wood. We tried the baby flathead on cherry wood, being cooked on wood it gives the tender fish an aromatic smoky taste, which carries through to the accompanying eggplant. Pork belly is unctuous and tender, with a bacon-​like intensity to the flavour, balanced with various preparations of tangy and sweet blood plum; a nut purée and roasted hazelnuts add depth and texture, but the pork and plum itself are the winners here.
With such esteemed people behind them, there should be no avoiding the desserts (postres); the highlight having to be the crème catalana (a Spanish crème brulée), a beautiful play between sweet and savoury (seen in all of Shaun’s desserts). The crème has a distinct flavour of orange, but with notes of bay leaf and the crisp caramelised sugar is finished with toasted fennel seeds and polvorón (buttery shortbread). The Tocino del Cielo, which is a variation on a crème caramel/​flan, but traditionally made with only egg yolks, sugar and water, is a playful twist on its name (translated as ‘bacon from heaven’) by infusing the flavour of pork fat into the dish. It’s served with dehydrated popcorn and shards of ‘cornflakes’. A bitter chocolate liquid cake lives up to its name, oozing forth liquid lava when it is burst open, with the accompanying lemon marmalade offering a tart counterpoint to the rich bitter chocolate.
Bar Nacional is one of the newly opened restaurants in the Spanish resurgence of 2013, but aims to differentiate itself by offering modern variations on traditional dishes and ingredients. The food is playful, especially the desserts, but never outlandish for the sake of it. The major winner here is having Shaun Quade head up the sweet dishes, which are a true highlight to the meal by giving him room to experiment and reinterpret traditional dishes with a sense of humour. For those working down near the Docklands wasteland, this is a blessing of an opening, for the rest of us it is worth a visit for a contemporary take on Spanish tapas.

Mouthwatering tapas, sangria, a wine list to die for and desserts that will make you dance the tango whilst weeping with delight. They will happily take bookings, the staff are gorgeous and there even paella night on Fridays! Olé!