El Rincon

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“This is the most authentic Spanish / tapas place in Melbourne but isn’t bound up in tradition. Great wine list- includes some harder to get Spanish drops. Good hand with seafood - such as saffron granita oysters (pictured) and classics such as albóndigas were great. As you would expect a top line of embutidos”

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“Really enjoyed our visit to El Rincon, great spot right at the Queen Victoria Market. Seafood was fresh and very well crafted, serving sizes were generous and we definitely left full. Tough to pick a favourite dish but ordering the fried white bait fish and Tuna Tartare as a starter while we waited for our Paella main (which takes 30 minutes) while we enjoyed a glass of wine was a great idea.”

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“All of the dishes were delicious! Especially, the service from Alex and Paula was amazing and made the experience even better! The chef also kindly gave us a dish that had been made by mistake, and thanks to that we were able to enjoy great food and have a wonderful time with friends🫶 If you’re looking for Spanish food, you should definitely visit this place!!!!”

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“Every dish is delicious. The risotto portion is very large, we ordered a two-person risotto, but it was so much that even three people struggled to finish it. It’s the best squid ink risotto I’ve had so far.”

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“Great ambience. The lady service lady is very friendly and patient. The seafood, both prawns and mussels were cooked to perfection. Love the songs they played on the background. A must visit place if you are near the Victoria market”

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“Was extremely impressed by the food quality and service that i went twice in my 5-day trip! Tried the mushroom croquette, patatas bravas (fried potatos), Gambas Al Jillo (garlic prawns), almond cake. The croquette was crispy without being too oily, mushroom tasted fresh. Was small size, but was a bomb. Patatas hit the flavour, loved the fried surfaces. The salt and seasoning helped enhanced the taste. Prawns were fresh, crunchy, and fragrant (garlic oil). 9 prawns for a portion, served with olive bread. Prawns were on the salty side, but the bread helped to balance it out. The olive oil in the prawn dish was great for dipping the bread; the mini garlic pieces in the dish were great to make garlic bread. Great for single diners. Almond Cake was pretty, came with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Service was marvelous! Waiters and waitress were warm spanish ppl, they look like a family. The lady and senior guy served me on the first day, they was patient although i was rather undecided and the restaurant was packed. On my 2nd time, the young man was full of energy, and attentive to my needs. He also chitchated to make me feel welcome and ensure the food is to the taste. Gracias! A place to return again if given the chance!”

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“Great little spot with a fantastic front of house team. Friendly, welcoming and really helpful. Unfortunately the food didn’t live up to expectations. It’s not terrible, but it came across as cheap and uninspired, lacking the quality and attention to detail you’d hope for. The menu is very large, and I think they would benefit from cutting it back and focusing on a smaller range of simple Spanish dishes done really well. Wishing the team all the best. There’s good potential here if the food quality improves.”

★★★★★★★★★★via Google

“Food was tasty and the staff were kind, but service pacing needs improvement. We enjoyed the food and found the waiters genuinely friendly. However, the overall dining experience could be improved, mainly around timing and coordination. We started by ordering two specials with the intention of adding more tapas as we went. We were informed the specials would take some time, which was completely fine. The first dish arrived after about 30 minutes, no issue there. The problem was the gap between dishes. The second dish (a fried fish) only arrived 30 minutes after we had finished the first, despite multiple reminders (2–3 times). During this period, we noticed other tables who arrived later, including those who ordered specials, being served before us. While the food itself was good, the long gaps between dishes affected the experience, and we ended up going elsewhere afterwards for more food. I’d recommend being cautious when ordering the specials unless you’re prepared for a long wait.”