Matt McConnell, chef and co-owner of Melbourne’s popular Bar Lourinhã, is putting on something pretty damn special for locals who have a particular craving for crab. Drawing inspiration from his cultural homes of Portugal and Spain, Matt plans to host a one-off “Crab y Cava” party at the bar, set for Wednesday 22nd November with a specially designed menu featuring eight courses of crab.
Coinciding with the reveal of Bar Lourinhã’s new downstairs banquette seating, the Crab y Cava will feature fresh crab in various forms, from croquetas and bocadillos to natural and roasted. It follows a festive year for the bar, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2016 with an upstairs refit by Pascale Gomes-McNabb to refocus on the lively Mediterranean spirit of dining and drinking.
“Turning 10 last year was a personal achievement for all of us. We went in with so much passion and we had idea Bar Lourinhã would be there next week, let alone the next month,” said McConnell. “It’s a catalyst to do more and look for more ways to have fun with our guests. And what’s more fun than crab and cava?”
Cava, which is sparkling wine from the Catalonia regions, will be paired with the likes of crab and black bean croquetas, served with crisp soft shell crab bocadillo; spanner crab potato salad with peas and truffle; chilli-roasted blue swimmer crab with organic beets, creme fraiche and liquorice; and a dessert of blood orange crema with burnt orange caramel. Tickets to the dinner are set at $99pp and can be purchased from the website listed below.
Bar Lourinhã’s Crab y Cava Fiesta
Address: 37 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
Date: Wednesday 22nd November; 7pm arrival for 7:30pm dinner
Contact: (03) 9663 7890
Website: barlourinha.com.au
Price: $99pp
Image: Jo Gamvros
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