Before heading to Melbourne for a recent weekend away, I was fretting over Movida. So many people told me that I HAD to go there. What’s more, I HAD to book. Sure enough, I rang Movida a week before to book, only to be informed that they were booked solid for the next fortnight. Strike one.
Slightly panicking, D and I devised a plan: get to Movida at 6pm on the dot. Try for a seat at the bar. If we can’t get one, we’ll go to Movida Next Door. If we can’t get in at Movida Next Door…cry. Cry until someone gives me a goddamn croqueta.
D and I headed out at 5.45pm, confident we’d have plenty of time to make it to Movida – earlier, we’d spotted it just a few minutes away from our hotel. We arrived at Movida just before 6. That is, we arrived at Movida Aqui. The smaller, bar-like version. Not the original Movida restaurant.
Strike 2.
We threw a few curses around, then decided Google Maps would get us to Movida in time. Except for one little problem. My new shoes were too big for me, and thus my feet were literally slipping out of them. So, I did what any respectable young fashionable girl would do, and I defiantly took off for Movida, one hand in D’s, shoes in the other, and traipsed around Melbourne in my stockinged feet.
Strike 3.
Normally, three strikes would see me sobbing in the gutter and bitterly eating a 7-11 burrito. But not this time. We were going to have our Spanish tapas, goddamn it.
After much indignant stomping through the streets (where I glared at anyone who I thought was looking at my feet), we arrived. At Movida. And were seated at the bar.
Ahhhh.
Was it all worth it? Hell yes mo fos.
Movida offeres very small plates (Tapa) or slightly larger serves (Racion). We selected the croquette and tortilla from the Tapa menu ($3.50 each), and the Bistec tartar de waguy ($18) and a chickpea seafood salad from the Racion menu.
But first, we fell in love with the complimentary bread. My GOD. The crust on one of these loaves was insane – it had like a salty, nutty coating to it. We dipped and dipped them in the good quality olive oil until the dishes arrived.
The croquette (pictured below) was a little fried parcel filled with leek and mahon cheese. The shell was lovely and crunchy, and the rich filled oozed out in a very sensual way. It was a cheeky little croquette.
The tortilla was also a tasty little thing; small yet hearty, the rich potato flavours were comforting. These two tapa were quite rich and heavy despite their size, so they were ideal for sharing.
I can’t remember the name of the salad (below right) and it doesn’t seem to be on the menu anymore, but I remember a fresh and crunchy plate filled with vegies, chickpeas, and seafood.
But the wagyu beef tartar (below left). My GOD. D and I still talk about it. A generous little mound of shaved rare wagyu beef was surrounded by delicate little bagel chips. An egg yolk sat in the middle, and the whole presentation was just beautiful. It tasted crazy delicious. The beef was so flavourful and fresh, had a little kick to it, and was perfect scooped up with the rich little chips. It was hearty yet light, and rich yet moreish. Amazing.
The interior of Movida is Melbourne meets Madrid: warm, cosy, welcoming, yet very chic and exotic at the same time. Service is absolutely impeccable – and this was just from the bar. I know the prices sometimes make people balk, but our food was around $45 (for two), and we were 
very satisfied. The wine and beer list is extensive, and offers varieties from Australia and Europe, with prices from $7 for beer and $11 for wine.
So, unless you want to be that idiot trotting shoe-less around the most chic city in Australia, book at Movida. Guarantee a seat, and you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic meal.
Movida
Spanish Restaurant and Bar
1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Victoria
(03) 9663 3038
www.movida.com.au