The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

A taste of the Mediterranean at home during Melbourne's lockdown

Dani Valent
Dani Valent

Bar Lourinha is boxing up its tapas for singles and couples.
Bar Lourinha is boxing up its tapas for singles and couples.Supplied

THEME: MEDITERRANEAN

I had a choice last week. A friend flew from the United States to Greece just for fun. Yes, holidays are possible in some places in 2021. His social media is dripping with sun-drenched beaches, iridescent salads and icy drinks in glasses beaded by the heat. I could have unfollowed: friend no more, fiend indeed. Instead, I sought sunshine in a box in Melbourne.

"Every week when we craft our at-home boxes, we look at old travel photos and piece together a story with food," says Matt McConnell, owner with his partner Jo Gamvros of Bar Lourinha in the CBD.

"The food reconnects us to Portugal, Spain, southern Italy and Greece. We don't have freedom to roam right now but we will get there one day. In the meantime, this is one way of travelling and keeping our customers connected and positive."

Advertisement

Welcoming single diners has always been part of the Lourinha ethic and it's no different in lockdown.

"We've always made sure Bar Lourinha is a lovely safe place for someone on their own to enjoy a meal so we do a solo box that's a direct carryover," says McConnell.

"We hear about people getting boxes with other friends and sitting around on a Zoom. We know how many people are doing it hard alone and they're not always catered to with takeaway."

Menus change weekly but there's often a Spanish potato salad.

"We had it in a bar in Seville," says McConnell. Waxy spuds are cooked slowly in salted water, then tumbled with vinegar, garlic, spring onion and red onion. "We found it groundbreaking in its simplicity," he says.

Advertisement

Pimientos de padron appear frequently too. "Those little green peppers are quintessential Bar Lourinha and instantly take me to Spain," says McConnell.

"They'll come raw with cooking instructions, sliced garlic, good salt and sherry vinegar that we add to the pan. We don't give away all of our secrets but we want people to have a great experience."

Bar Lourinha

As well as creating culinary European jaunts, the team talks to suppliers to incorporate produce that needs to be pushed through the supply chain. Recently that meant a luxury seafood box with Southern rock lobster, cumquat mignonette and cocktail sauce.

37 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 03 9663 7890, barlourinha.com.au

Advertisement

Also try

A Tavola CookIng School

Delightful and informative cooking teacher Katrina Pizzini has brought back her popular online gnocchi-making classes. Participants receive a kit and personalised instruction by video. You can coordinate the class across households and cook "together". pizzini.com.au

Epocha

Take the elegant road to Europe with Epocha. Classic dishes include scallops with tarama butter and pangrattato and apple tarte tatin, plus epic date-night packs with wagyu and duck fat potatoes. Most dishes are available ready to eat or prepared to cook at home.

49 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, (03) 9036 4949, epocha.com.au

Continue this series

October hit list: Hot new places to order takeaway from in Melbourne
Up next
Egg banh mi is part of the permanent menu at Ca Com, the new sandwich bar from the Anchovy team.

Anchovy restaurant's banh mi spin-off Ca Com opens in Richmond

Anchovy chef-owner Thi Le fires up the hearth at her much-anticipated banh mi shop on Bridge Road.

The Maltese hobz-biz-zejt is one of six sandwiches on the menu.

Mortadeli is Torquay's new sandwich destination

The coastal town's European-style providore offers six staple sangas plus pastizzi and picnic and pizza provisions.

Previous
Red harissa falafel salad bowl is our pick from The Pita Man.

Five places to get a takeaway falafel fix in Melbourne

Essentially healthy, yet feeling like a treat, the fried balls can be served in countless delightful ways, writes Dani Valent.

See all stories

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.

Sign up
Dani ValentDani Valent is a food writer and restaurant reviewer.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement