MoVida

MoVida remains the uncontested leader of the nuevo-Spanish wave thanks to chef Frank Camorra's ongoing quest for the perfect tapas. Ethereal anchovy with smoked tomato sorbet remains MoVida's calling card, but new ideas abound. A sardine with pickled gherkins and the silty crunch of lemon crumbs is a powerhouse mouthful; smooth garlic soup, heady with jamon and poured over a single soft calamari ring, is rustic yet refined; chewy quince paste cylinders filled with tangy goat's curd, or a larger dish of duck liver pate with sherry foam and toasted brioche, tip their hat to the Spanish modernists, although all meals here ought to end on a comforting note, with churros and creme caramel. Moving into its second decade, the Hosier Lane mothership, with its sassy design and sassier staff, remains one of Melbourne's most difficult restaurants at which to score a table. Perservere. MoVida is, quite simply, intoxicating.