MESA LUNGA TAPAS BAR Y RISTORANTE & SANGRIA BAR
140 Gouger Street
(cnr Morphett and Gouger Streets)
Adelaide South Australia 5000
W www.mesalunga.com
T +61 8 8410 7617
F+61 8 8231 1994
OPEN Mesa Lunga Lunch Wednesday to Friday and Sunday 12 noon till 2.30 pm, Dinner Tuesday to Sunday 6.00 pm till late, Sangria Bar Wednesday to Saturday from 6.00 pm

FOOD Booked out there was no option but to start at Sangria Bar and weasel our way into Mesa. Recognised by their great bar manager Steve (after just one previous visit) we were set with drinks and warned it would be a while before there would be a table at Mesa. A total stranger wanders across to my very gorgeous young friend, picks up her hand as if to kiss it, and instead bites her. And, to think we’d been worried about being bored! Flamenco guitarists packed up when they should have been arriving, but we love Sangria Bar.
Finally into Mesa, their bar was packed and noisy and lingering diners seemed so comfortable they were reluctant to leave. At 10.30 pm wait staff must have been wishing they were sitting at the bar instead of still working but were utterly professional.
Not confined to the Spanish kitchen, there remains a creeping Italian influence. We chose from their tapas menu. Clams with white beans and Gambas al ajillo, prawns with mushrooms and sherry vinegar. Both were sweet, succulent and interesting. Three types of croqueta, Buenelo baccala (salt cod), Croqueta, leek and Manchego and Lobster croqueta and SA oysters with lime foam from the specials board. The croqueta were perfectly textured but needed a greater intensity of flavour to define them one from the other, but the Leek and Manchego were pretty good. Oysters were fabulous but luckily we had asked for the foam on the side because it was bitter and would have ruined them. Desserts are very good. The Churros, fried in clean oil were exactly right. Luscious crispy, soft-centred sticks with a good chocolate sauce and the Caramel flan, Spanish crème caramel was gorgeous. The food at Mesa Lunga has leapt ahead. It is well priced and interesting and their kitchen exhibits a pleasing level of skill. We appreciate, that whilst there are ample ’popular’ choices they use a lot of ingredients that have dropped from menus like for instance eel and blood sausage.
The partners of Mesa Lunga and Sangria Bar have the courage to spend big designing and outfitting their properties. They have perfectly pitched to the new generation of diners and drinkers whilst at the same time attracting the older generation and their demographics are an indication of the longevity of their ventures. Mesa Lunga is dark and daring, a gorgeous mix of Madrid and Morocco, long bar, massive communal table, big comfortable chairs. Both have fabulous iron chandeliers and we love the Madonnas between the bottles in Sangria.

WINE An extensive and seductive spirit list with a good medium, well–price wine list with many interesting choices by the glass and here lays our only real criticism. We think that wines by the glass should be poured at the table as part of the experience. We want to see the label, especially when we haven’t tried it before. Who knows, we might even have some questions to ask! Besides the partners must surely be contemplating a wine shop??? We’ll need to know what to buy.

OWNERS — Danielle Tsogas, Mirella Morizzi, Walter Ventura & Sarah Howell
CHEF — Brad Sappenbergs
MANAGER — Attilio Labbozzetta
MANAGER SANGRIA BAR — Steve Burns