MoVida — Restaurant in Melbourne

Went for dinner as a celebratory occasion with my partner. Had heard amazing things about this restaurant and being a Melbourne Institution we thought it would be a great place to try.

I’m not sure if 3 stars is necessarily a fair rating as at moments the food really was incredible but there were some things that really were quite average.

Started with a selection of Spanish small goods, all really tasty, the sourdough was also very good. Maybe they could have gave more than a small slice of bread each but overall this course was good.

Had a selection of tapas….

Croquetas - Great Tartare - Okay Kingfish - Great, Pine nut Sorbet was delicious Pincho - Chicken Oysters and hearts were really bland but the salsa was incredible Bollo - Okay but underseasoned and just okay Txistorra - Great

Ordered two mains and shared both…

The Pork Loin was pretty bland, we were expecting an aged piece of pork served slightly blushing in the middle but what arrived was just a grilled piece of pork with no seasoning. It didn’t have any of the gamey-ness you’d expect from the description and hadn’t been brined or marinaded before hand so really it was a pretty bog standard pork that was quite bland and dry. The agrodolce was fantastic and maybe the idea was for that to be the star of the plate but we felt it just fell short of the mark and would have been happy to not have ordered it.

The beef cheek - Again, just okay. Beef was cooked well and the Jus was good, cauli puree was also good but it was just missing depth in the dish, a salsa to cut through the richness of everything or a touch of acidity. There was nothing that really set it aside from a good pub main course. Maybe that’s all it was supposed to be, I don’t know, we just felt that it should have been more.

Forced a flan for dessert down us which was nice, it didn’t feel perfectly executed, but it was nice.

As I said previously, perhaps the 3 stars is an unfair rating but for a restaurant of this reputation and calibre we expected things to be fantastic throughout. The real punchy flavours you’d associate with Spanish food just didn’t seem to be there despite all the elements being present. I’d say a few small touches and the meal would have been incredible but without them it left us feeling underwhelmed, particularly with the main courses.

Would I return? Absolutely, the wine list was extensive and really showcased some fantastic wines from across Spain and I felt the tapas was good. The service was fantastic, knowledgeable and friendly. Perhaps taking 2/3 tapas from the bar with a glass is the best way to enjoy this restaurant.

Would I return for dinner? Probably not, it’s clearly a good restaurant and the menu read very well, all the elements were there but it takes a fantastic restaurant to tie those elements together properly. Also at the $400+ mark there’s plenty of restaurants in Melbourne to try as an alternative

Overall we had a good evening and the meal wasn’t bad, but - not unlike alot of restaurants in Melbourne - style over substance is at play. Maybe we made the wrong menu choices, the paella on other tables looked great and had we had that maybe this is a completely different review but we didn’t and here we are.

Seasoning and acidity is everything and is the difference between okay food and great food. Don’t be just another expensive Melbourne...

We were excited to try this place - the start was good but quickly turned. Our server was friendly and seemed well versed in the menu and helped our group order. We took her suggestions and ordered but she said we needed more - so we ordered more. Big mistake— it was a ridiculous amount of food - we were stuffed way before the mains were due! We asked if we could get the rest to take away because it was way too much but she THEN told us no take away option and also told us the food was just on its way so it couldn’t be cancelled. We were all quite taken aback by not being able to take anything with us since else had 3 main dishes coming and all of us were stuffed. We waited and waited — 15 min later 2 of them came. The other was nowhere in sight. We tried our best to stuff something in but it was all so heavy we left it. The goat dish never came and clearly could have been removed as it was 30min past when we asked to leave. We all decided instead of waiting for it any longer we just had to leave. They didn’t take it off the bill - they didn’t apologize for recommending we over order by at least 3 big mains and we left with a negative feeling of the whole evening. Some of the food was good— bread and olive oil , oysters, chicken/heart skewers, cuddle fish were all enjoyed. Some were so bad we all left most of it - the worst was the gazpacho yuck! It was like thick raw flour paste with chunks of unidentifiable cubes that added fishy taste. The lions mane was runner up for worst- just a heavy mess of hash with no interesting highs or depth. Cava was nice, gin drink was good too. Nice ambiance tho a bit loud when it gets crowded. Good spot in the graffiti alley. Worth it? Not for us. Expensive night and it didn’t need to be. If you go- don’t listen to the server and start with just a few bites to share. Order as you go - it’s all...

Went to MoVida expecting one of Melbourne’s top-tier tapas experiences, but honestly the food just didn’t hit the spot for me.

I wasn’t drinking that night, which maybe plays a role (perhaps the flavours pair better with alcohol), but a lot of the dishes leaned overly sweet or unbalanced. The anchovy dish went from a nice salty crunch to being topped with something that felt like ice cream sorbet — and for me, it just didn’t work. The bug paella/risotto was either too salty or too sweet depending on the bite, and I really wished it had more rice to ground it. A few of the other dishes felt similar — beef, potato, little biscuit-type things — textures and flavours that leaned far too sweet for my liking.

On the flip side, there were a few highlights. The croquettes were the clear standout — the butter corn one was delicious, and the special brisket croquette was bloody amazing. The tasting meat plate was also a winner — simple, clean, and exactly what you want without being overworked. But beyond that, the O’Connor steak was just okay (faint in flavour), and the ox tongue, while dressed nicely, was far too chewy with little distinct taste.

Service was excellent — friendly, attentive, and professional. Just a shame that for me, the food missed the balance and depth I was hoping for.

The churros were great at least, but the cheese and biscuits felt overcomplicated — too many random toppings and textures that distracted from what should’ve just been good quality cheese...