Sumbar – Wine Bar and Tapas

By Ally Burnie / Bars, Drink, Eat, Restaurants, Sydney / 6 November 2013

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Sumbar – Wine Bar and Tapas

By Ally Burnie / Bars, Drink, Eat, Restaurants, Sydney / 6 November 2013

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What’s a girl to do when she’s desperate to get away to Spain but has no money and no time to do so? Why, go out for a night of sangria and tapas of course!
Standing small but proud on Frenchman’s Road, Sumbar is your mini-Spanish getaway. Their food draws on Mediterranean and North African influences as well as Spanish. It’s both a cafe and a tapas and wine bar, with the spaces separate from one another but adjoining in the middle.

The tapas and wine bar has a cool and relaxed ambience, the dim lighting creating a warm and welcoming feeling. Entering the wine bar, you’re met with quintessentially Spanish decor, fit with posters of bull-fighting and other characteristics and quirks of Spanish culture, along with the soft sounds of a guitar filling through the bar. On one side of the room you’ve got the bar, where you can sit and order your drinks and some tapas, whilst the other side is fitted with tables and seats.

Tapas menus can often by quite daunting, because if you’re like me, you want to try everything. And trust me, if my stomach could handle such a task, I would not hesitate insisting the waiter “give me everything.”
Because my stomach is not Superman (yet), I generally ask the waiter for their recommendation. So, what did we eat? Drumroll please …

sumbar-randwick9 — Papas Bravas – Spanish style potatoes topped with their signature spicy tomato salsa ($10)

Papas bravas is a tapas must and Sumbar do them beautifully; soft and crunchy pieces of potato in a rich tomato sauce with a great chilli punch.

sumbar-randwick12 — Haloumi A La Parrilla – Grilled haloumi in a honey and dry sherry sauce, sautéed Spanish onion and cherry tomato ($15)

I’m a fan of any place that can cook haloumi without it feeling like I’m eating a car tyre. The haloumi was soft, and nicely complemented by the sweet dressing.

sumbar-randwick10 — Camarones al Ajillo – Traditional style garlic Tiger prawns ($16)

The Tiger prawns were pretty good, I felt like they could have used a bit more garlic. (Can you tell I wasn’t on a date?)

Chorizo al Vino – Spicy chorizo sausage sautéed in red wine ($15)

The chorizo packed a spicy punch, but for someone with a tounge sensitivity akin to a baby (yes, me), they were tolerable, and they had great flavour.

Albondigas – Beef, pork and parmesan cheese meatballs in a rich tomato sauce ($15)

Tender meat balls in a rich tomato sauce with a great and very flavoursome combination of spices.

Cheese board – An International three cheese plate served with seasonal fruit, quince paste and crackers ($22)

Check out all the cheese! A beautiful cheese board with a great selection of cheeses and complementary fruits.

Homemade Chocolate Mousse – Milk chocolate mousse with fresh whipped cream topped with blueberries ($10)

This mousse had a smooth texture and rich chocolate explosion of flavour. And of course, although there aren’t many, the blueberries on top make it healthy. I wouldn’t lie to you.

With great food, good prices, wonderful service and a seriously chilled vibe, consider Sumbar as your tapas and wine bar of choice next time you feel like releasing your inner-Spaniard.