Carino’s Tapas Bar

If I could tango my way around Melbourne and eat all the tapas I would. I’m a huge fan of good quality, innovative tapas. Thankfully Melbourne has a lot to offer in this area.
Carino’s has been reliably serving tapas for a few years now. It’s a welcome change in the area from the variety of ever changing pubs and Asian inspired restaurants. There’s quite a bit of table space here, street side, front of the venue and some outback space.
The staff are friendly and helpful, which was really appreciated as we had a large table. It was never an issue ordering extra drinks and meals.
The table ordered a variety of tapas, from bread and dips to jamon on bread and pulled pork sliders amongst others. I didn’t quite get the sliders and spanish tapas combination. The sliders came out rather large. The calamari style dish came out a bit soggy and underwhelming. The chocolate accompanying the churros had a distinct powder taste about it. Next time I’ll be trying out the flan.
Overall it’s a nice suburban restaurant, more suited to small groups and date nights.

Excellent quality tapas. We had a variety of dishes and every single one of them was perfectly cooked, quickly delivered and tasted amazing.

Really pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tapas here. Everything dish we tried was great if overall a little pricy.
The sangria is fantastic and it’s almost impossible to stop ordering it. Good date place or if you are just heading out with some friends. Definitely recommended.

I love tapas bars, and Carino’s is about as good as it gets. It’s the unique quality of this Spanish cuisine that makes Carino’s stand out.
If you’re a little unsure of what ‘tapas’ actually means, it’s a Spanish word, and indeed tradition that translates to a ‘wide variety of appetisers’ in English. If you make Carino’s your first foray into tapas, you’ll make a very wise decision.
The Popitos, (spiced pork medallions with wood roasted peppers) and traditional Spanish dish Paella al la Escorza are to die for. Individual tapas plates start from just $ 6.50, or do what I do and get a combo for around $ 25. Tapas is meant to be shared to be enjoyed, so take a date and share between the two of you — how romantic!