Pre lockdown we had a work function where the initial plan was to walk over to Howard Smith Wharves. It turned out a little too far for us to get to within the lunch hour, so our team opted to try out the fairly new Spanish inspired Rico Bar downstairs where Aria used to be. Calling a few minutes ahead, the staff were able to reserve a large table for us which was great for such short notice.
Bright and simple but elegant, it was a wonderful setup for a casual work lunch with coworkers.
There were quite a few options on the menu, with quite many Spanish inspired dishes along with mainstream Australian dishes. Service was fast and friendly.
After ordering, we each had a serve of complimentary gazpacho. As chilled tomato based soup it was lightly savoury with a delicious fruity and tart taste and capsicum fragrance to it. I would definitely have ordered a larger size next time.
Food came quite quickly after. Some colleagues of mine had the seafood paella to share. This was quite well received and I definitely had a lot of food envy looking at it.
Most of us had ordered individual mains which came with sides. It was quite interesting for us that rather than being presented on the plate with our mains, it was served as akin to a high tea tower which caused us a little bit of confusion when it came to sorting out who ordered which side.
I opted for a more mainstream option of fillet steak with pepper sauce. Cooked to a wonderful rare it was tender and juicy with a very low fat content which I enjoyed. The sauce was rich but not very peppery. I enjoyed it greatly.
My steak came with a side of chips and salad. The chips were lightly dusted with paprika and served with aioli. The portion of chips were quite generous and definitely was more than my steak. Crisp and hot, they were quite delicious.
My salad was crunchy and refreshing with minimal dressing but a good amount of Parmesan and topped with some spicy spanish onion. Again the sides were larger than the main but I did enjoy how balanced the meal was.
Price Range: $20 - $30ppTaste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 9/10
Environment: 8/10
hi
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