Given he’s the godfather of modern tapas in Melbourne and his original MoVida on Hosier Lane is smack-bang in the middle of every camera-toting tourist’s must-see sites, you could almost understand if Frank Camorra simply dialled it in.

But almost 15 years on and MoVida is still evolving, pushing for excellence and delivering an all-class experience that’s hard to fault.

Sure, you won’t want to miss the iconic anchovy toast with tomato sorbet, but neither will you want to skip the Spanish mackerel with pine nut sorbet delivered to the table under a cloud of smoke, or the toasted crumpet with Manchego custard. Or, indeed, the fried bread tostada topped with a thin sliver of cured pork, onion jam and a perfect quail egg. It’s tapas with one eye on tomorrow, all the while respecting the past.

Raciones up the ante and favour the brave: callos y chorizo is a brilliant stew of soft tripe, chickpeas and chorizo with lively heat, the bowl studded with thin potato crisps standing to attention; while plankton lends a vibrant seaweed vibe to a soupy rice filled with octopus tentacles and meaty clams.

Spanish wines are served by switched on staff who know the drill and execute it effortlessly, while the room, sporting the patina of a million contented sighs, remains as comfortable as ever.

Don’t let the tourists have all the fun. MoVida is perenially high-quality Spanish from the hands of an industry don.

Must eat dish: Arroz Caldoszo (Catalan wet rice)
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