Want to spice up your next family dinner or plan a delightful night out with friends? We’ve found the most tantalising tapas restaurants around Sydney’s North Shore. Discover small plates bursting with big flavours, ideal for sharing and trying a bit of everything. Whether you’re a tapas aficionado or new to this Spanish culinary tradition, here’s our top picks for your next adventure.
Perfect for a family meal where everyone can try something new, or a relaxed evening out with your mum friends, these restaurants promise an array of dishes that are as enjoyable to share as they are to eat. Use the quicklinks below to discover some fabulous restaurants near you.
- Delicado, McMahons Point
- Lola Cocina Spanish, Crows Nest
- Encasa Restaurant, Lane Cove
- Kiplings Garage Bar, Turramurra
- Bar Topa, Sydney
- Bar Tapavino, Sydney
Tapas Restaurants on the Lower North Shore
1. Deliciado, McMahon’s Point
The name says it all! Discover a Spanish restaurant, wine bar, bottle shop and deli all rolled into one. If you’re in search of new flavours and for a little taste of everything, this modern Spanish restaurant is the perfect spot.
You can settle at the counter and enjoy a selection of cheeses, charcuteries and antipasti delights, or even take them away with you. Or, grab a table and make an evening of it, sampling their delicious menu. They also have an extensive selection of European and South American wines from famous regions around.
- Address: 134 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point
- Phone: (02) 9955 9399
- Website: delicado.com.au
2. Lola Cocina Spanish, Crows Nest
This old-world venue is splashed with murals with high ceilings and hardwood features. Enjoy an intimate and relaxed dining experience that offers something different with memorable Spanish food experience every time, including paellas & a wide range of tapas. They even have a separate kids’ menu with a range of plates for them to taste test and develop their love for the cuisine.
Also be on the lookout for performances from time to time, including their famous Flamenco Show that runs over certain periods. Adds something a little extra to that meal out!
- Address: 19 Falcon Street, Crows Nest
- Phone: (02) 8068 7829
- Website: crowsnest.lolacocina.com.au
3. Encasa Restaurant, Lane Cove
Translating to “at home”, Encasa operates with the vision of providing Sydney with an authentic Spanish. They offer an extensive tapas menu, ranging from grilled chorizo and Moroccan lamb fillet skewers to garlic mushrooms and Spanish omelette. They also have a range of bigger sharing dishes, with an authentic paella and rice that comes in a number of different varieties to suit all tastebuds.
This is also a great family-friendly option with a separate menu for the kids. They can choose from crumber chicken, fried calamari, or meatballs. Of course, they can simply share your tapas choices too!
- Address: 132 Longueville Road, Lane Cove
- Phone: (02) 9418 8577
- Website: encasa.com.au
Tapas Restaurants on the Upper North Shore
4. Kiplings Garage Bar, Turramurra
While not a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant, if you’re on the hunt for a great place on the Upper North Shore where you can settled in for a few drinks and share plates with friends, Kiplings Garage Bar has it all. This lively, industrial-chic bar is located in a former garage, serving inventive tapas plates and craft beer.
Designed with a relaxed approach to good food and wine in mind, sample their delicious menu with everything from marinated olives and pork crackling to mushroom & black truffle arancini with aioli and bake haloumi, honey & oregano with pita bread. yum!
- Address: 2 Eastern Road, Turramurra
- Phone: (02) 9440 4088
- Website: kiplingsgaragebar.com.au/
Tapas Restaurants in Sydney
5. Bar Topa
If you’re on the hunt for a fun night out with the girls, you can’t go past Bar Topa. It’s a nice and intimate spot for you all to start your night, with a great selection of tapas and pintxos bar for you to enjoy. Inspired by the tapas culture of Spain, it is the newest addition to ivy’s dining.
Dishes draw upon the flavours of the Mediterranean coast and include small snacks along with tapas cooked on ‘la plancha’. Drop in and share a special bottle of wine, or sample some sangria on tap, as you graze the menu of sliced jamon, whipped salted cod and patatas bravas.
- Address: 4 Palings La, Sydney
- Phone: (02) 9114 7368
- Website: Bar Topa
6. Bar Tapavino
Looking for a restaurant that will set the mood for your night out? With red lighting and dark walls lined with wine bottled, this is a great place to grab a bite to eat before your night out with the girls. Influenced by the culture of sip-a-little-bit-of-this-and-eat-a-little-bit-of-that, Tapavino began in August 2012 as Australia’s first Sherry Bar in Sydney, in a little lane-way not unlike something you would find in the cobblestoned alleyways of Spain.
Tapavino is split into two levels. Upstairs will be for those who would like to make a booking in advance, whilst the ground floor, the bar and the outside seating has ample seating for walkins.
- Address: 6-8 Bulletin Place, Sydney
- Phone: (02) 9247 3221
- Website: Tapavino
