Subsolo

Highly recommended for groups as tapas portions are generous, I’ve not seen anywhere ever. We had 4 tapas and some cocktails but we couldn’t finish. Nice relaxed but cool ambience for dates as well. Table service was of high standard and attentive.

Lovely spot for an after work drink (away from the yuppie beer barns so common in this part of town) — interesting wine list, good sangria and some decent tapas. Been for lunch and dinner and the mains are a little hit and miss, though the paella is always pretty good. Service ranges from charming to hipster-​bored. Good first date spot!

The most generous tapas servings I’ve seen — good for sharing so bring your people and your appetite!
Ordered olives, the chorizo, roasted stuffed peppers, prawns & the seafood paella. The chorizo was the superstar dish

Ok, these guys really blotted the old copy book on our last visit.
I did mention that the food was variable in my last review, and it seems we struck the pendulum on a downswing.
We took some friends there after Vivid and it was a shocker. The calamari was terrible, it actually tasted like it was off, the meatballs were bland, chicken chorizo rubbery, zucchini flowers stuffing tasteless, and the meat skewers tough and forgettable. Seriously, my buddy reckoned it was one of the worst meals he has had, which is disappointing since it was my recommendation.
We won’t be back.

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Subsolo. Brilliant atmosphere, delicious food and great service. Our glasses were never empty and service was warm and unhurried.
We had a relatively light meal, between us we ordered:
Baby Squid & Shaved Chorizo Salad
Chicken Chorizo
Pork belly
Loved the chorizo and im a sucker for good pork belly. Only small complaint was the baby squid was overpowered by other elements in the salad.
Overall though best tapas we’ve had :)

C and I were asking around for some good food after ‘after works’ drinks and his colleague was such a fan of this restaurant that he walked us to their door. Also, he couldn’t remember the name of it.
I was immediately impressed with the ambiance achieved in this subterranean brick dining hall. It reminded me of meals I had in true underground dining halls in Prague. We quickly picked out the zucchini flowers, deli board, and seafood paella to share along with a bottle of wine. The food was all terribly good; we were very impressed. However, I think the cheese used with the zucchini flower was a little too sour and the paella took a little to long to arrive. That being said we enjoyed ourselves immensely. It was an experience we will treasure and hope to duplicate there soon.

Subsolo
Forget the Spanish quarter in Sydney. Hidden away down a set of stairs on opposite the Channel Store on King St is an amazing Spanish restaurant
FOOD
They have a wide range of tapas (or these can be upsized to mains).
I’ve tried the following and they were all amazing!
Warm Lamb Salad with Minted Fig & Pomegranate Dressing ($ 16)
Salted Rump Steak (Med Rare) with Chimichurri Butter ($ 16)
Baked Piquillo Peppers with Goats Cheese & Roasted Pinenuts ($ 18) — very very cheesy so if you like cheese this tapas is for you
Paprika Salt & Pepper Squid with Saffron Mayonnaise ($ 14) — lightly deep fried so it doesn’t feel too oily. The paprika gives it a nice kick
Cured Atlantic Salmon marinated in Olive Oil & Sweet Jerez Vinegar ($ 18) — I was a bit hesitant when this was ordered it was so flavoursome I’m going to have to order it again next time I go
Sautéed Prawns in Spanish Verdejo & Garlic Cream Sauce ($ 22) — the sauce makes it amazing
Crumbed Meatballs with Melting Manchego Cheese Centres ($ 18) — exactly like the description, the cheese just melts out of the meatball when you take a bite
Patatas Bravas ($ 10)
It can’t be Spanish food unless there is Paella and Espetadas. We ordered the Chicken, Chorizo and Seafood paella ($ 39) and the Picanha (rump steak) Espetadas ($ 32). This is pretty much the same as the salted rump steak we had for our tapas and it comes with sides of vegetables including the roast potatoes so essentially we double ordered but it’s ok because it’s so good!
After all that food we still HAD to fit in dessert. Churros filled with Dulce de Leche & Spanish Chocolate Sauce ($ 16). This comes with ice-​cream as well I find helps even out the fried churro goodness.
They also have the prettiest glasses of Sangria I’ve ever seen!
VERDICT
Love love love!

Subsolo is a great Tapas restaurant in a pretty average location.
Set in the middle of the CBD, this place attracts a work crowd, which is fine, but sort of disappointing considering its potential. You might dine here on a Friday night if you happened to work in the city, but it is unlikely you’d go out of your way to find this place on a Saturday night.
The location aside the restaurant itself is like a cool underground NYC Tapas joint. There is a little wine bar where you can enjoy a jug of Sangria before you dine and the restaurant offers excellent food. The highlight for me is the Portuguese Spit Roasted Espetada Grills. These are dramatically presented on large metal hooks. Even better they are delicious– try the Peri Peri Chicken which is just amaze.

Tucked away on King Street in the City just down from Martin Place is a cool little tapas restaurant and bar called Sub Solo. Head down the stairs from the street level and grab a wine or cocktail but those stairs may not seem as easy on the way back up!
I went with a group and as you do at a tapas place we ordered numerous plates and shared them around. The chorizo is pretty much on everyone’s list at any tapas bar as are the meatballs both which were good.
If you’re feeling adventurous grab a skewer and help yourself to the Portuguese spit and accompany that with a couple of wines and the next day you’ll know you’ve had a good night.