Tucked away in the corners of Paramatta Sydney is this bustling tapas restaurant, Lola Cocina. We dined here on a Wednesday and was surprised it filled up to full capacity by the time we were finished eating at 8 pm. The total bill was approx $50-$60 per person.
Food
I’m a sucker for garlic bread. Pan de ajo was a Spanish-style garlic bread topped with manchego cheese for $10. There was a good buttery, garlic spread on the bread whites. The crust was crispy but not burnt or dried out. The cheese had a rounded, mellow taste. All the seasoning came from the garlic of the bread.
The aceitunas marinadas $8 were simply marinated mixed olives with herbs and spices. Straightforward.
This was gambas al ajillo for $21. A small bowl of tiger prawns cooked with extra virgin olive oil, chilli, tomato, garlic, onion and side bread. The prawns were tender and succulent, with a strong savoury, garlicky flavour.
The grilled chorizo with px sherry, spices and side bread for $15 was also savoury. The chorizos were chewy with a nice charred flavour to it. There wasn’t much sauce, as the chorizo relied solely on its own oils, so the combination was a little dry.
The croquetas de bacalao $18 were salted cod fish croquettes with aioli, salsa picante, verde sauce. The filling was enjoyable, however slightly on the bland side, with the verde sauce helping to oooomphf the bite up. The batter of the croquettes were crispy, but a little thick for our liking.
The vientre de cerdo for $21 were thick, crispy crackling pork belly with red cabbage, caramelized apple sauce and red wine vinaigrette. This was delicious. The meat was succulent, oily and fatty, with a crispy skin that cracked nicely upon contact with our teeth. Even though we had one each, the cut was very big, making it a filling piece.
The pulpo a la plancha $20 was slow cooked tender octopus with fried potatoes, spices and lemon. The octopus was a bit chewy, but indeed tender with a burst of charred umami flavours in its orifices. The lemon helped cut through the chewiness.
The empanadillas de carne for $16 were average. The batter of the spanish pastries was too thick and dry. The slow cooked beef and pork filling was decent and well seasoned. And the salsa picante was enjoyable.
I really enjoyed the paella de marisco for $52 but it was mainly due to the seafood flavour. There were mussels, tiger prawns, calamari, octopus, fish and green peas. The paella sauce was viscous, making it a little unbearable and sickening to finish, even with the lemon to cut through the
The paella serrana for $48 was even more dry and unbearable to finish. It had chicken thigh and pork chorizo, green peas, chicken stock and paella sauce.
Service
They had a live harp performance on a Wednesday night, which was very surprising and pleasant. The service was a bit absentminded in taking our orders but attentive throughout the meal by checking up on us regularly.
Review
This was a decent local spot for Spanish tapas. The food was a little pricey for its average quality but it’s nice that there is this option in the west of Sydney. Worthy of a try but for us, we will not return.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
