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A chef as seasoned as Matt McConnell renders the salt and pepper on your table utterly redundant. Cooking with quiet confidence and bold precision for nearly 20 years, he’s set the bar high at Lourinha – and kept it there.

Charry chicken heart pintxos skewer any side-eyes from the offal-averse, each bite punctuated by tart cubes of blood plum. Plump mussels and slivers of tender cuttlefish bob in a paprika-spiced Portuguese stew, its saucy remnants beckoning to be mopped up.

Close tables create conviviality, and regulars relish the opportunity to lean in and share suggestions with newcomers. Try fluffy chocolate-filled bunuelos, the doughnut balls swiped through a pool of dulce de leche.

Solo diners sit at the bar, necks tilted, pondering the wall of homey knick-knacks and the chalkboard wine list. A Spanish sensibility doesn’t stop Lourinha feeling quintessentially Melbourne. It’s the best of both worlds.