Cocina Del Barrio
526 King St
Newtown, Sydney
When we think of the eateries along the Newtown strip we all know that Spanish tapas isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. For most of us it may well be Thai or cafes. Well now you can think of tapas with the addition of Cocina Del Barrio to the list. This tiny place punches out tapas to a constant turnover of customers - some there for the first time with others being regulars.
We started with the simply named Smashed Sardine Toast. While this description was accurate it did understate the dish. The sardines were smashed and combined with onion on toast slices. We ordered double so we could have a piece each and it was really tasty. If you’re concerned that the sardines may be a bit overpowering - don’t be - as they were surprisingly subtle.
We then moved on to Pimientos a la Queso - or cheese filled baby capsicum. These bite sized morsels are always so easy to eat and this was no exception. We also had a regular for us at tapas - chorizo. They do two ways here - grilled or cooked in cider. We went for the tried and proven grilled version. Here they serve it on a plate with grilled onion pieces. We love chorizo and ate every last piece.
The squid pieces in ink with bread caught our eye. squid ink adds such a rich intensity to dishes and looks great too. There were no white pieces of squid visible on the thick sauce. It turned out to be a tasty dish made even better by having it on the toasted bread.
Meatballs are almost always on tapas menu’s and we welcomed them again being shown here. Listed as Albondigas de la Casa - the house meatballs came served in a rich tomato puree with a side of toasted bread. They certainly were tender and tasty.
A dish of assorted fried seafood sounded so simple and tasty we just had to order it. We weren’t sure what to expect but it really was just what was described. The seafood was simply fried and it was a good mix with some potato in there as well. Simple food done well is always a winner.
This is a small place but they use the space well. There are only a few inside tables but there’s also the bar area. Here you can also watch all the action as the food is prepared right in front of you. It’s like dinner and a show!
It’s great to see the diversity of Newtown being even further enhanced with this quaint and casual tapas bar. It’s a welcome addition to this cosmopolitan dining precinct.