“In the nineties, I had an erotic dream about Kim Beazley…” Marcia says to Natasha and I one evening. I almost spurt out my drink and then try to scrub the visual from my mind. It’s times like this when I’m glad that we’re sitting outside, the busy Sydney Friday night around us muffling our somewhat sordid and not-for-public-consumption conversation. We’re at Tapavino in Circular Quay, in Bulletin Place, a snug little laneway that to be honest I never knew existed that is pitched right next to a hotel. Inside is a red hued wine bar with a shiny display of glasses on the back wall but we’re sitting al fresco in this slightly chilly but still lovely Friday evening.

Cristina Oloroso Abocado sherry $9

Tapavino is said to be Australia’s first dedicated Jerez or Sherry bar with 54 sherries on the menu with 46 available by the glass. Patrons can tell them what sort of wine they usually enjoy and they will match them to a suitable sherry. They also specialise in Spanish wines by the glass or three carafe sizes or bottles. I do love a drop of Pedro Ximenez so I flick through to the sherry pages. On the waiter’s recommendation I try a Cristina Oloroso Abocado which is medium dry scented sherry although truth be told I should have really stuck with the Sánchez Romate Pedro Ximenez which was sublime with an intense raisin flavour, incredible legs and that went down as smooth as silk.

Razor clams $16

We’re on a tiny table for the three of us although it seems that we’re lucky to have this table given the shuffling that’s taking place around us for other tables. The menu is quite extensive and holds an intriguing and hard to choose list of menu items. Between the three of us, we decide on a list of four items and then thought that we should compare them to our friendly waiter’s recommendation. It turns out that there were none in common so we went with our own choices. Our first was the razor clam dish served as six razor clams topped with verdant mashed peas and broadbeans, eschallots and thin, crispy pieces of jamon. They were full of fresh flavours.

Pata Negra $30

There’s a jamon menu with eight different plates of jamon, mostly jamon serrano but as soon as I see Pata Negra, I can see nothing else on the list. Oh my kingdom for Pata Negra or Jamon Iberico, that incredible glossy jamon made from pigs that feast on black acorns. Yes, it’s expensive but it’s quality over quantity and the intense flavour and melt in the mouth texture is hard to find in other jamon. It is served here with fresh crusty bread and breadsticks.

Sardines de Compostela $17

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Mr NQN was keeping a secret from me. I tried with all of my powers of persuasion but alas he wouldn’t budge. My birthday dinner location was going to remain a secret until the very last minute.

One evening, a few nights prior he said to me “I’ve booked somewhere for your birthday on Saturday night…just the two of us” which surprised me because in the entire twelve years we’ve been together, he hasn’t ever made a restaurant booking.

“It’s Pizza Hut, all you can eat” he said giving me a cheeky grin and carried on the joke for several days.

The evening rolled around and he started to pace, nervous. “I’m a bit worried” he admitted. As for me, the control freak and organiser in me was getting very excited at not knowing what the plans were. I warned him that I was enjoying it so much that from now on, he might have to organise all meals. We got in the car and drove down Anzac Parade. In the left lane, I saw Cleveland Street coming up. “Ooh Cleveland street?” I asked and he drove straight past. Going into the tunnel heading north was another surprise and we settled into the lane going towards Mosman and Manly.

“Any idea where we are headed?” he asked. I thought about it, and said that since we had to leave at 7:15pm exactly and we would get to Mosman or Manly at 7;45pm and that was an awkward time for a booking, that maybe we were headed even further north?

I’m surprised again when he turns hard left and we head towards Cammeray. He pulls over and we walk into the door of Bar Fredo. We walk towards our table when I see to my right a large group of my nearest and dearest friends who yell out “Happy Birthday!” to me. Such naughty cheeky buggers and I have to say that they hid the secret very well. Some like Teena and Queen Viv even said that they would be away then so they couldn’t make it. Others like Viggo and Louise we had seen only the night before and they had kept the secret completely without giving any hints!

We take a seat and have some champagne and I spend the first half hour in a daze as this is the second time Mr NQN had taken me completely by surprise (the first time was when he proposed). The food starts coming out and the service here is wonderful. Hot Dog, who is notoriously difficult with wait staff is immediately wrapped around the waiter’s finger and tonight, we are dining from their $45 a head menu.

Mix Dips: Tzatziki, Hummus, Taramosalata with Pita Bread

The mixed dips are the first to arrive and they are made up of tzatziki, hummus, taramosalata and they come with warm slices of fresh pita bread. The tzatziki is a favourite as it is creamy and fresh.

Chorizo and Haloumi Skewer: Crispy Traditional Chorizo with Haloumi Drizzled with Balsamic Reduction

This was my favourite-what’s not to love with chorizo and halloumi and the halloumi here was soft and squeaky and not hard at all. The balsamic reduction gave both the salty elements a nice sweetness.

Salt n Pepper Calamari: sweet and tender Calamari served w/ Mixed leaves, Roma Tomato and Garlic Lemon Aioli

The salt and pepper calamari was a tad too salty but the calamari itself was butter soft and piping hot and it came with a garlic, lemon aioli.

Patatas Bravas

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If my life were a film it would be called “Desperately Seeking Sandwich”. As a Dexter fanatic (and how stomach churningly good is season 6?) I remember seeing Dexter frequently stop at a food truck to have himself a Cuban sandwich or a ham and cheese filled sandwich that would have me wondering whether I was drooling over the food or Michael C. Hall. So when I see it on the menu I have to suppress a squeal-I’m at a business meeting after all. “Do you mind if we try the Cuban sandwich?” I ask my dining companions trying to keep a straight face.

We’re at the Carrington Hotel in Surry Hills where I’ve walked past swans on the bar counter and risque paintings past the kitchen with charcuterie hanging to find my way to the back of the pub at the restaurant Beba Y Cene. By the same people that have revamped The Norfolk and Flinders there is a similar quirky design vibe in each.

The walls are shiny and black contrasted with red and the feel is Spanish. Pintxos or pinchos are small snacks typically served in bars the word meaning spike to signify the toothpick. The menu is divided up into pintxos, salads, bigs, tapas and cured meats with desserts on the blackboard. Chef Jamie Thomas formerly from Fergus Henderson‘s St John restaurant is behind the glass on this quiet Monday lunchtime.

Mushroom and manchego croquettes $12

Our food arrives in a timely manner. I take a bite into a mushroom and manchego croquette and it has a gloriously soft, smooth filling with a hint of mushroom and the unmistakeable flavour of manchego cheese just liquid and oozy against the crunchy outer. It is served with a golden saffron mayonnaise.

Bull’s tail empanadas $12

The empanadas, blistered and crunchy on the outside are filled with a rich, soft braised ox tail or bull’s tail slightly sweet and served with a creamy mayonnaise.

Grilled paella onigiri $4.50 each

As soon as I saw this on the menu I had to try it. They are three triangles of baked squid ink rice topped with saffron mayonnaise and calamari tendrils, piment d’espelette with the trademark pintxos toothpick. It’s paella inspired rather than actual paella on top and it’s a nice contrast in textures. I had to eat these with a  knife and fork though rather than risk picking it up by the toothpick (just in case I got it all over myself-that happens to me a lot ).

Calamari and black eyed peas $14

The calamari and black eyed pea salad had a fresh flavour from parsley, mint and lemon juice and although not my first choice, it ended up being a wise choice when eating some of the richer offerings.

Media noche (Cuban midnight sandwich) $15

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