Beso

The Verdict

Situated on the corner of Spencer Street and Flinders Lane, Beso is Melbourne’s new contemporary Spanish dining experience. Looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows, you’ll see long leather banquettes, an illuminated marble bar and a kitchen surrounding an open flame.

The tapas-style menu is an ode to the relaxed lifestyle of Frigiliana — a seaside town in Spain that can be seen illustrated on the walls of Beso’s dining room. 

Executive Chef Ana Cortes Garcia, former Head Chef of two-hatted Lee Ho Fook, brings her 20 years of industry experience to Beso’s kitchen. Born in Spain, Ana grew up in a rural town surrounded by family and neighbours who nurtured her passion for fresh produce and cooking. 

“Growing up in the countryside, everything was made from scratch, house-made and handmade,” Ana explains. 

For Ana, Spanish cuisine is about celebrating produce, and Victoria is the perfect place to do that. Beso’s menu is a testament to this, utilising ingredients our land has to offer, like Western Australian razor back prawns and locally sourced mature-aged steak. 

One of their signature dishes is Córdoba oxtail dumplings, with Parmentier and Lanzhou chilli oil. It takes a rich, traditional stew from the South of Spain, and bundles it up into pan-fried dumplings—a skill Ana mastered in her time at Lee Ho Fook. Served with hints of chilli and Szechuan, the dumplings sit on a cloud of parmentier potato that has gone through a tedious process to remove the starch, transforming it into a gooey cloud. 

“For me, it’s a really playful way to eat… I’m really proud of them.” 

The venue’s open-flame, custom-built parilla (open-grill), is used to evelvate simple ingredients. The grilled mandarine and radicchio acquire a unique, smokey taste, from the red gum used in the heart of the parilla. A white garlic sauce, inspired by ajo blanco, is poured over to tie the dish together. 

“There is a really beautiful smoke that comes from the red gum, making everything tastier.” 

The beverage list has been carefully curated to pair with the tapas, exclusively offering Victorian and Spanish wines, as well as signature cocktails. The line-up of sweet wines and digestifs enrich the dessert menu that offers three classics: green apple sorbet, chocolate mousse and orange blossom caramel. 

While the menu and interiors offer an elevated dining experience, the team at Beso is committed to creating a relaxed atmosphere, where food is always on the table and being shared. “I want it to be like dining in someone’s home,” says Ana.

Image credit: Beso (supplied)

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