Bar Nacional: 727 Collins Street Docklands

Early on in our Melbourne journey we visited Bar Nacional on a Friday night. There was a live band, lots of people and a really good vibe. We ordered cocktails and a bunch of tapas items as from other tables it was evident the dishes were small.

I took the risky road and made assumptions about what was/was not safe for me to eat as the wait staff were really busy and we had already waited 25 minutes to be served, meaning I didn't want to mess around with questions about the menu (I had tried to order at the counter and see if staff close to the kitchen could help me but I was told to go back and someone would come to take my order shortly).

We ordered olives, marinated pickles, patatas bravas, a charcutrie plate and chorizo with octopus for Senor Gringo. I ate the proscuitto and bresaola but the bread was clearly the Barossa bread 'bark' with lots of yummy things that leave me feeling awful. Therefore, just the meat for me (tiny portion for $16 may I add). The patatas bravas were covered in aoili, not a spicy tomato sauce like I was expecting and the marinated pickles were just pickled garlic cloves, weird. Senor Gringo liked his food a lot, said my patatas bravas were excellent and his octopus was divine but alas we will not be going back to eat there.

If you have food intolerances like me, save this place for the cocktails, music and the atmosphere. Its best on Friday nights as like a lot of places in the Docklands, it can be very quiet on weekends.

One tick. Sad result. I will get my patatas bravas somewhere, I'm sure of it!

I left hungry but I googled 'best souvlaki docklands' and I wound up at King Jon's near Southern Cross Station: 175 King St. The place looks really dodgy and King Jon is slow and ancient but it is the best damn souvlaki I've had yet - the meat was so flavoursome even without the garlic sauce and he had bread with no dairy. King Jon saved my evening, for which I am forever grateful. Plus, Senor Gringo got to go home with a partner that wasn't hangry, of which I'm sure he was relieved :)