With Chinese tourists and Scandi backpackers taking selfies outside, American singer-songwriter Kurt Vile on the speakers inside along with montaditos (tapas-style sandwiches), tapas and an armada of Spanish wine, Bar Tini could be the most unlikely candidate for the quintessential, unmissable, Melbourne bar.

Frank Camorra’s colonisation of Hosier Lane continues; the man who introduced Melbourne to small-plate bill shock back in the early 2000s has slowly expanded his MoVida empire up this famous graffiti-covered laneway, where Bar Tini now joins the original MoVida Next Door in a triumvirate of top tapas.

There’s so much to like. Whether the textural triumph of salty air-dried tuna draped across juicy watermelon, or a swoon-worthy quail stuffed with cheese, jamon and deep fried to a glorious crunch, or, indeed, the very addictive addition of kimchi to an Andalucian ham, mozzarella and anchovy toasted sandwich, this is top-shelf snacking of the highest order. Bigger plates, such as a generous selection of smoked, cured and pickled seafood, sate until late.

We should give Camorra an OAM for services to croquettes. His version here is a brilliant all-meat affair, the crisp and flaky tanned outer hiding a filling of sticky-rich rendered pork that’s nothing short of perfect. It demands a crisp Moritz beer, one of three on tap.

Thanks to Coravin, the exceptional, almost exclusively Spanish wine list is all offered by the glass, though many will solely come for cocktails with an Iberian bent – a PX martini, say, or the signature sherry-washed Bar Tini.

While you order and pay at the bar, warm, savvy staff come out when it’s quiet to take orders and ferry drinks. It’s the type of flexibility that’s just one example of the experience and attention to detail that creates a great space. And that’s exactly what Bar Tini is.

3-5 Hosier Lane, Melbourne; bartini.com.au