MoVida Next Door

Movida Next Door serves some of the best tapas out there. Always good for a quick bite and some drinks or you could have your entire meal there, the choice is yours. We tend to order the same things every time and this time was no exception. We had:

Chipirones - stuffed baby squid in ink sauce. This is truly tinned food at its best. The saltiness of the tender squid is just right and it is quite rich with the ink sauce.

Boquerone - Spanish white anchovies with cherry tomato. This is a good little appetiser to have. Slightly tangy and gets the appetite going for sure.

Croqueta - wild mushroom. Think really thick and delicious mushroom soup. Then imagine it being encased in a thin crispy batter. Be careful when you bite into it though as the insides can be quite hot!

Mussels - one of their constant specials on the blackboard, their mussels are always cooked perfectly. We can forgive them for the occasional beard, as the flavour and perfectly plump mussels are divine. 

Oreja - pig's ear a la plancha with guindillas. Gelatinous, crunchy, salty and just perfect with a strong drink. The pickled peppers go perfectly with it.

Higo - fresh fig salad with walnuts, blue cheese and honeycomb. Simple salad done well. Everything works well together and it is certainly worth ordering.

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Type of venue: Spanish,  Tapas

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: 164 Flinders Street,  Melbourne VIC 3000

Mamasita

Mamasita is our favourite Mexican restaurant in Melbourne. We have been here for lunch, dinner and supper, and it is consistently good but come early (before 5.30pm) for dinner or the queue will be long. Those who have been to Movida Next Door and Chin Chin will appreciate this fact. With the amazing selection of drinks and food options available, it is no wonder why Mamasita is so popular.

This time we had:

Elote callejero ("Streetstyle" chargrilled corn, queso, chipotle mayo and lime) - A favourite on the menu, the corn is always sweet and juicy, and the salty and sour combination with the sweet corn simply gets your appetite going.

Plátanos machos (Crispy plantains, frijoles, cucumber onion salsa, guacamole and queso fresco) - This has changed slightly over time but the slightly thicker plantains go well with the beans and other toppings.

de Puerco (Al Puerco-style pig's cheek, fiery apple and white cabbage) - This taco is deliciously simple, meltingly soft cheek with some crackling and crispy apple and cabbage. Yum!

de Lengua y Cachete (Braised ox tongue and cheek, pickled veg and ghost  chilli mayo) - Again, a deceptively simple looking taco but tastes amazing with the kick from the dressing.

Pulpo a la barbacoa (Barbecued guajillo-braised octopus, jicama napales salsa) - Some places really know how to prepare their octopus and Mamasita is no exception. Perfectly prepared, it is not only tasty but the octopus is tender and the smokiness from the barbecue is wonderful.

Drinks are always amazing, be it the sangria or tequila or even the non-alcoholic drinks like the Mexican salted caramel shake which is a dulce the leche drink and is like a dessert on its own or the refreshing Sandia y Fresa agua fresca which has watermelon and strawberry flavours.

Sweetcorn ice cream - if you still have room for dessert, a light refreshing ice cream will do the trick.

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Type of venue: Mexican,  Latin American,  Tapas

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: Level 1, 11 Collins Street,  Melbourne VIC 3000