El Rincon

In the beating heart of Queen Victoria Market, El Rincón brings the bustle of a Spanish tapas bar to Melbourne’s CBD. Open on market days and weekends, it keeps pace from breakfast through dinner, with a convivial hum that feels straight from the plazas of southern Spain. The kitchen leans into tradition, celebrating the flavours and rhythms of Spanish dining with ever‑changing seasonal sharing plates and time-honoured staples.

Croquetas land with silken centres—setas lifted by truffle or jamón with a savoury whisper—while patatas bravas arrive crisp, saucy and impossible to resist. Boards of Spanish cheeses and embutidos nod to the bodegas, with jamón iberico taking a star turn. There are paellas, of course: Paella de Pollo with green beans and capsicum, and Paella de Mariscos brimming with prawns, calamari, mussels and clams. From the Tin to the Plate keeps things delightfully simple with marinated mussels and olives, and the bocadillos range from the Santander roll to the Badajoz layered with jamón ibérico and salmorejo.

In the glass, a polished line-up of premium Spanish and Australian wines sets the tone, while Running Bull Sangria on tap adds an effortless fiesta to the mix.

Go early for a market breakfast, drop in for a long lunch or slip in at dusk for tapas and a glass of something cold. Follow the bravas, stay for the paella, and let El Rincón steal your corazón.