Basque Tapas & Wine

Ph: 9533 7044; 159 Chapel St, WINDSOR 3181

spanish, $$ -
Open 7 days 8am-late; Licensed; AE DC MC V EFT
Chef Quentin Hobbs (5-12-08) Owner Robin Mcleod (5-12-08)

Mietta's Review
This funky cafe is Chapel St's take on Barcelona. At night a flamenco guitarist plays some nights and the food is redolent of garlic and olive oil. It's open from breakfast through the Prahran locals can sample everything from donuts with dipping chocolate to tapas and on to dinner.

Other published opinions

Age Good Food Guide 2009 Score: 12/20 "At a time when every cafe, wine bar and latenight roadhouse seems to be padding its menu with a selection of so-called tapas, sexing-up otherwise mediocre bar snacks, you can't help but admire a place like Basque, where the word refers less to the size of the serve than an entire approach to eating and drinking"

The Age Cheap Eats 2008 "Spain. Windsor. Spain. Windsor. The two aren't immediately linked. But Basque is doing its darnedest to create its own mini-Spanish scene"

Age Good Food Guide 2008 Score: 12.5/20 "A word of advice to the weary, the stressed or the not-so-young-anymore: come to Basque early, before the throng descends, and throw down a pick-me-up (aka sangria) or two in preparation for the macho flavours, high-level hubbub and harried service that go with the territory here"

The Age Cheap Eats 2007 "You could live here, spending mornings dipping churros (finger-shaped doughnuts) into chocolate sauce, lunching on huevos a la flamenca (baked eggs), then, post-siesta, launching into paella or the tapas menu."

The Age Good Food Guide 2006 score 13/20 "Kooky candelabra, a smattering of religious kitsch and staff likely to be sporting sparkly eyeshadow help explain the bright young things fluttering about this small tapas bar at the grungier end of Chapel Street. But, of an evening, the lively atmosphere, great selection of Spanish wines and sherries and simple, colourful fare deservedly draw all sorts. Every velveteen chair and bar stool seems occupied with patrons engaged in animated conversation."

The Age Good Food Guide 2005 "you could be forgiven for thinking this is Las Ramblas. Alas, Chapel Street it is, but no one's complaining. This thumping tapas joint, decked out like Baz Lurhmann does Barcelona'"

The Age Cheap Eats 2005 "CANDLES flicker on the tables, a flamenco guitarist pours his heart out via the speakers and best of all, from the kitchens waft wonderful smells of garlic and olive oil."

The Age Cheap Eats 2004,Excellent breakfasts,Good Bar,Somewhere really special,'Basque is hot.So hot that punters don't mind squashing up at the bar,sitting kerbside,joining a waiting list,even showing up at an unseemly 6pm to snack on Basque's tasty tapas.'

The Age, A2, 15/5/04, Melinda Houston,'for this joint, tapas is its raison d'etre, and it does it well.More of a cafe by day (the brunches are recommended),after dark,Basque is a genuine tapas bar,where you can pull up a stool,order up a glass of Rioja, and snack all night on saucy,spicy Spanish tidbits.'

The Age, A2,/17/4/04,John Weldon,'Basque is in Melbourne's ever burgeoning tapas scene,and being such,is not the kind of restaurant which would need,or want,a degustation menu;isn't tapas just a series of tastings anyway?But surprisingly it works very well at just $26 per head.'

Herald Sun, weekend, 13/3/04, Bob Hart,'This is top value tapas at its authentic best...all-time Spanish favourites'

The Age, A2, 29/11/03, Melinda Houston

Herald Sun, citystyle, 9/12/03, Stephen Downes, Score 11/20

Epicure, The Age, John Lethlean, 30/9/03 score 15/20