My latest fave eat in Melbourne is Naked For Satan. I remember seeing this place at its final stages of preparation for launch mid last year so I was eager to check it out on my recent trip back to Melbourne.
One of my best highlights from my time in Barcelona a few years ago was a fabulous night out at a pintxos bar. It’s super exciting to see that I don’t have to travel too far to get some pintxos action now!
Pintxos (pronounced pin-chos) are eaten at bars in Spain. They’re like tapas, except are served in individual portions with a slice of bread. They normally come attached with a toothpick to keep the ingredients from falling off the bread, and the toothpick doubles as a counter for the number of items a customer has eaten.
Pintxos offer excellent value, since bars typically make their money from all the alcohol customers end up drinking and the food is just there to accommodate the booze.
At Naked For Satan, they’re $2 each but it just so happened that since May, they’ve been offering 80 cents pintxos on Monday to Friday lunch time, Monday to Wednesday dinner time and Sunday from 6pm onwards.
Yep, I’m here during weekday lunch. 80c pintxos? Score!
The pintxos bar stretches along the front of the bar. There’s almost 20 varieties on offer. I’ve got a full report on every single one of them for you below.
The decor here is quirky and pays homage to Leon Satanovich (“Satan”), a Russian immigrant who created vodka stills in the caretaker’s quarters of the Moran and Cato warehouse during The Depression, and became part of Fitzroy’s history. Giant copper boilers and water tanks are intertwined with plush lounges and wooden chairs.
Drinks on offer include the Daylesford and Hepburn Mineral Springs Co range (I love the sparkling pink grapefruit!), coffees, vodkas, ciders and more.
I have a Weetbix-style challenge with Zen on the number of pintxos we could each do.
He does six.
I do eight. LOL! They’re all super delicious morsels.
This is my first plate –
And this is my second plate –
Plus here’s a snapshot of all the different pintxos on offer –
Tortilla with aioli
Smoked chilli mussels with chickpeas
Pissaladiere: onions, anchovy and olive
Grilled veg salad and balsamic; and pea, tomato and pinenut
Smoked salmon and picked onion
Chorizo, cream cheese and green chilli
Jamon serrano
Blueberry cassis cannoli
Gilda: olives, picked chillies and anchovy
Rice ball, cream cheese and quince paste
Black eyed bean salad and carrot pintxos
Eggplant chip, blue cheese and honey
Seafood, carrot and flying fish roe
Cauliflower and Manouri cheese and garlic prawn
Spicy sopressa
Ham terrine and dijonnaise
Naked For Satan is totally worth a visit, and a re-visit.
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Naked For Satan
285 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, VIC
Phone: (03) 9416 2238
Web: www.nakedforsatan.com.au
