Portello Rosso Tapas and Jamon Bar

Portello Rosso is no stranger to the Melbourne dining scene. Nestled away in Warburton Lane, this Spanish tapas and wine bar has been serving its patrons for years. 

Arriving at the venue we were greeted at the door by a very cold woman who, within 10 minutes of us being there, managed to not only be rude to a fellow staff member, but also rude to another patron who asked for directions to the toilet. Although, my friend did inform me that this very lady was polite to her later on, so perhaps we just caught her in a bad moment.  Our actual waitress, however, was absolutely wonderful - friendly, attentive and informative. 

To eat we ordered the mushroom and blue cheese croquettes, slow roasted crispy skinned pork belly, sweetcorn and zucchini fritters, patatas bravas, roast beetroot baby salad, bbq sticky lamb ribs , pork and veal meatballs and churros to finish. 

The pork belly was amazing - the crispy skin was perfectly cooked and the meat beneath was just melt in the mouth - all resting on a delicious almond and garlic purée. The croquette and fritter were nice but lacked seasoning and unfortunately didn't really excite me.
 

 

The pork and veal meatballs were also rather ordinary and the patata bravas were very disappointing compared to the usual dish we are served by the same chefs at its wine bar next door Murmur - the potatoes were soggy and were lacking in the delicious sauces that are usually served with these normally golden delicious morsels. 

The lamb ribs and the roasted beetroot salad were by far the dishes of the day. The roasted beetroot salad with its sweet potato crisps, goats cheese and bursts of flavoursome beetroot was absolutely delicious and one of the best salads I've had in a long time. The lamb was incredibly flavoursome and was so tender it just fell off the bone. 

 

Last but not least we had the churros with white and dark chocolate dipping sauces for desert. I would highly recommend saving room for these - crisp and surgery on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. Dipped into the warm chocolate sauce this dish is just heaven.
 

 

Overall, whilst it had some incredibly delicious dishes, Portello Rosso is not my favourite Spanish tapas bar in Melbourne.  Nonetheless, being a Melbourne institution, if you haven't yet been I would recommend checking it out at some time. 

 

Service: 3/5

Decor: 3/5

Food: 3/5

Total: 9/15

Verdict: Like - get around to trying it at some point 

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/71/761528/restaurant/CBD/Portello-Rosso-Melbourne">