Catalonia
By Franz Scheurer
Nestled in a strip of shops next to the Harbour Bridge in Kirribilli, Catalonia brings tapas-style dining to the northside. Brian Villahermosa (ex Salt Yard, London) and Thomas Hoff (ex Victoria Room, Sydney) have created a contemporary tapas bar, influenced by their time in London and Spain. Two small floors and an umbrella covered pavement area cater for the small-plate loving crowd. The menu is concise with some standards and a few interesting variations, the cocktail list is extensive and well put together and the wine list appropriate with lots of Spanish entries.
We shared a plate of lightly fried Spanish green peppers and a beer while perusing the menu. Having tried these peppers before more deeply charred and salted, I found these a little undercooked and bland by comparison.
Our selection of tapas included ‘Pan con tomate’ ($3.50) and ‘Pan con jamon’ ($6.50), slices of toasted baguette topped with a creamy tomato puree and with jamon respectively, ‘Zucchini flowers with goats cheese mousse and honey’ ($14.50), ‘Patatas bravas’ ($10.50), deep-fried kipfler potatoes with lots of smoky paprika, ‘Wagyu beef meatballs ‘albondingas’, caramelised peach’ ($17.50), ‘Slow cooked pork belly with Spanish beans’ ($17) and ‘Pequillo peppers stuffed with salt cod brandade, olive and bagel migas’ ($16.50). The breads were good, the colour of the tomato bread yellow rather than red despite having good tomato flavour. The zucchini flowers tasted more of blue cheese, perhaps the effect of combining the goat's cheese and honey. I loved the potatoes (despite the fact that they were not peeled), crunchy, spicy and moreish, but the meatballs were dry and a total waste of Wagyu and, to my palate, the peach flavour did not work at all. The pork belly was terrific, good meat and excellent beans, while the stuffed peppers were the weakest dish of the night, bland in taste with a soft, uninteresting texture not redeemed by the bagel chips.
A bottle of La Goya Manzanilla (unfortunately the staff were unable to tell us how fresh it was) and a couple of glasses of Martin Codax Albariño matched the food perfectly.
‘Churros con chocolate’ ($12) for dessert stole the show. Terrifically salty-sweet churros, crunchy on the outside, cooked-through but still slightly gooey on the inside, worked a treat with the soft, cream-topped chocolate served in a glass.
Service was attentive, casual and speedy. Value for money was good and I do believe they’re on the right track. Certainly great to see an ethnic restaurant of that calibre open on the ‘wrong’ side of the bridge.
Score: 6.5/10
For more information or bookings:
Catalonia
Shop 2, 31A Fitzroy Street
Kirribilli NSW 2061
Tel.: 02 9922 4215