Cocktails and Tapas at Subsolo, Sydney

Subsolo Spanish Restaurant and Bar
http://www.subsolo.com.au/

Saturday night, our good friend Dani decided she would take us 'Asian-clubbing'. Being a Sydney local, she was also responsible for feeding us beforehand. We met up at Subsolo, which is an underground Spanish restaurant. Despite having a booking for 8:30, our table wasn't ready for a significant period of time... so we stood around waiting for a bit.

The place was packed! There was a festive, happy vibe about the restaurant, which lightened the underground feel. I liked the rustic brick walls with red lamps and gothic chandeliers. Noice.

After we were finally led to our table, we let Dani take charge. She had eaten there once before and knew what was good. That's perfect for me because I hate making decisions (except for that rare instance where I know exactly what I want) and like surprises.

Crunchy bacalao (salt-cod) croquettes on aioli

The first dish to arrive was the fish croquettes. These were really yum! I went in to dinner with a small appetite and not intending to pig out too much but these really challenged my resolve. The outside was lovely and crunchy and the fact that they were cod made the croquettes more interesting than stock standard potato/cheese varieties.

Paprika salt and pepper squid with saffron mayonnaise 

Next came the paprika salt and pepper squid. I didn't enjoy this dish too much. One of the other girls commented that it was very fishy and I have to agree. The squid didn't taste fresh and also had a rubbery texture. No amount of aioli can disguise that.

Crumbed meatballs with melting manchego cheese centres

I was excited about the next dish even just on site. Meatballs! I love meatballs. It's sooooo disappointing when meatballs are bad because there's no reason for them to be.

Gooey cheese 

These were fortunately not a disappointment at all. They were packed full of flavor with a cheesy interior and delicious sauce. The meatballs were also lovely and juicy.

Char-grilled chicken fillet and miso completo espatatas 

Finally the pièce de résistance... our meat skewers, or more attractively named the 'char-grilled espatadas'. Dani ordered 2 varieties: the Portugese chicken fillet and the miso (with a bit of everything).

Close-up 

I didn't have uber high expectations because in my mind, I was still thinking 'meh, meat skewers'. The chicken fillet really surprised me - they were just amazingly succulent with just the right amount of that open flame grill taste without coming across as burnt. The miso contained some rump, which didn't leave a huge impression but was still quite good. At the top was a piece of 'morcilla' aka black pudding. Dani recommended we try it and I thought it was rather tasty.

Sides

The espatadas came with sides of potato, salad and sauces. I didn't think much of the potato but anyway, the meats stole the show.

Despite our delay in getting a table at Subsolo, we enjoyed our cocktails and the food was much better than I expected. I should've trusted that Dani would know her stuff! This was a great stop for a good meal and pre-drinks before hitting the dance floors. It was both walking distance from my hotel and to the destination club in heels - bonus!