Subtlety isn’t in the Bar Louise playbook. Sophistication? Si. Consideration? Claro. But subtlety only dulls the “party in the mouth” scenario diners have lapped up since the tapas bar opened in September.
If you’ve been to one of Elvis Abrahanowicz and Ben Milgate’s establishments before you’d expect such fireworks. “Ever since Bodega opened [in 2006] this has been our cooking style,” says Milgate, referencing the duo’s first venue, now Wyno x Bodega. And while the chefs forged their names on Latin cuisine, notably at Porteño, this time they’re going for “something more Spanish,” says Abrahanowicz. “A bit Mediterranean,” adds Milgate.
Coming to the fiesta is executive chef Marcelo Munoz, formerly of Continental Deli (a half sibling in this blended family of venues). Munoz has taken Abrahanowicz and Milgate’s three-part menu (seafood, vegetable and meat) and made it his own. He says: “Not all the dishes are Spanish. It’s a Spanish way of cooking. Nothing is delicate. You go hard and it’s full of flavour.”
At home, Abrahanowicz says these Bar Louise recipes are best served with “good music to create a mood”. And like all good chefs he says preparation is key, “so the fun can begin as soon as guests arrive”. Milgate adds, “That can mean prepping your
