It’s incredibly hard to find a good tapas restaurant in Sydney. There are only a handful of Spanish restaurants when compared to the populated Japanese or Lebanese cuisine that dominates the Sydney food scene. When our friend took us to Born, we had the best experience and couldn’t stop thinking about that jamón ibérico. We returned in March 2023 to satisfy our cravings so enjoy this updated review.
Food
This was marinated olives – variedades espanolas for $9. This was a soft infusion of fresh herbs, lemon and garlic soaked into the briny and salty skin of the olive.
These croqueta del día, ajo negro mayonesa for $7 was sooo creamy and fulfilling. The exterior batter was crispy and light. This contrasted nicely with the smooth and dense potato stuffing. And the mayonnaise tied everything together perfectly.
If there’s a burrata on the menu, we will always order it. This jamón serrano, crusted burrata, pickles for $26 was muy bueno. The jamon was to die for 🤤. It melted in our mouths and the savouriness of the pork danced with our taste buds in a loving waltz. The fresh and creamy cheese complemented the saltiness perfectly. And the pickles brought sweet notes to the bite.
This was the classic sourdough bread with extra Virgin olive oil. It was good, with a nice crust. It was charged $4 per person.
This warm cow’s milk cheese wrapped in jamón serrano and truffled honeycomb for $25 was everything you’d expect. It was rich and sweet in flavours overall, with a piquant taste in the cheese. The textures were quite enjoyable, with crunchy honeycomb and smooth, oozing dairy.
These were mushrooms and I did not touch them and I cannot see them on the menu so let’s assume they’re ok…. 😃
This was braised basque chorizo, white bean green oliv for $35. The basque chorizo was bold and savoury, with a smokey flavor and a slight spicy kick. It had some bite, and was hella juicy, after the meat had been slow-cooked in all that flavourful sauce. The additional white beans provided a hearty and nutritious element, with a creamy texture that paired well with the bold flavors.
I’m not too sure what this dish was and no one seems to have any recollection of eating it. I do remember it was savoury but I was also too full to really comprehend what I was tasting in my mouth.
Of course we ordered a side dish of fried potatoes, chilli salt, sherry mayonesa for $14. It was perfect: finely crispy skin, starchy dense carbohydrates and smooth and creamy mayonnaise.
Our main dish was the lamb fillet, charred green peppers, and hummus for $38. This was a soft bite with not a lot of textural differences. The lamb was robust with a slight gamey taste. And very tender, pulling apart with our forks. The hummus was smooth with a strong garlicky taste.
This was balanced by the slight zing of the green peppers. We could detect a hint of that smokiness coming through the peppers too. Overall a great delicious dish but unfortunately we were too full to enjoy its beauty to its full potential.
This was balanced by the slight zing of the green peppers. We could detect a hint of that smokiness coming through the peppers too. Overall a great delicious dish but unfortunately we were too full to enjoy its beauty to its full potential.
Drinks
The cocktails were mostly delicious, with bright fruity flavours. Only 1 out of the 6 ordered was a miss.
Service
The service was spectacular. One of the server was so fast to whip out his flashlight on his phone for my photos. “I do this all the time for the Instagram foodies” 🤭 Little does he know, I’m a professional food blogger who only needs one shot and lightroom.
Review
We really like this restaurant. The food and vibes are perfect for a fun night out in the city. The price is reasonable too, considering the water views of Sydney Darling Harbour. We are likely to return if we have another strong craving for Spanish tapas.
Thanks for reading! Happy eating! 😘
Thanks for reading! Happy eating! 😘
