10 May 2022: Bar Lourinhã, Matt McConnell and Jo Gamvros’s Iberian-Mediterranean inspired restaurant, will take over the NGV’s Garden Restaurant for a strictly limited time from 10 June. A celebration of Spanish culture and dining, the Bar Lourinhã pop-up coincides with the NGV’s world-premiere Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, The Picasso Century, which presents the work of Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in dialogue with more than 60 of his contemporaries.
Open for lunch daily and Friday evenings, Bar Lourinhã at the NGV will offer diners a bespoke menu designed by executive chef Matt McConnell exclusively for the NGV that celebrates Victorian produce and Spanish flavours. The offering includes a set menu featuring contemporary versions of Spanish classics including: Jamon croquetas; manzanilla-braised beef cheek; and blood orange crème caramel; as well as an extensive a la carte menu with tapas and larger dishes designed to share.
The drinks menu features cocktails with a Spanish-inspired twist, including the Negroni Iberico, as well as a wine list with an emphasis on the Spanish sherry, El Marco de Jerez.
Interior design will take inspiration from the eclectic design of Bar Lourinhã and the atmosphere of Spain and Portugal’s tapas bars and tabernas, the NGV pop-up will evoke the energy and excitement of travelling through Spain with its use of bold colours and music.
Tony Ellwood AM, Director of the NGV, said: ‘Bar Lourinhã has redefined bar dining culture in Melbourne with its inventive Spanish-inspired menu, relaxed atmosphere and intimate setting. This brand-new pop-up restaurant experience coincides with the world-premiere of The Picasso Century and offers visitors yet another way to immerse themselves in the life and culture of Spanish-born Pablo Picasso.’
Matt McConnell, co-owner and executive chef of Bar Lourinhã, said: ‘Bar Lourinhã was inspired by our love of Europe’s bar dining culture, particularly in Spain, the birthplace of Picasso. Jo and I share a love for Picasso’s work – and we cannot wait to share our love of Mediterranean flavours, wine and cherished memories of visiting Spain with audiences at the NGV.’
Andreas Gober, Restaurant Associates Executive Chef, said: ‘Restaurant Associates are proud to be partnering with one of Melbourne’s most iconic dining experiences, Bar Lourinhã, and bringing their special brand of Spanish hospitality to the NGV. Our RA chefs love playing with new food styles and have the honour to present chef Matt McConnell’s menu with shared feasts of tapas and raciones during the NGV’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition.’
Bar Lourinhã opened in 2006 after Matt McConnell and Jo Gamvros returned from Europe, where they immersed themselves in the continent’s bar dining culture, particularly in Spain and Portugal. The pair established Bar Lourinhã to share their experiences, taberna atmosphere and Mediterranean flavours with Melburnians. Bar Lourinhã celebrates its sixteenth birthday in 2022.
The world-premiere Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, The Picasso Century, charts the extraordinary career of Pablo Picasso in dialogue with the many artists, poets and intellectuals with whom he intercepted and interacted throughout the 20th century, including Guillaume Apollinaire, Georges Braque, Salvador Dalí, Alberto Giacometti, Françoise Gilot, Valentine Hugo, Marie Laurencin, Dora Maar, André Masson, Henri Matisse, Dorothea Tanning and Gertrude Stein.
Exclusively developed for the NGV by the Centre Pompidou and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, the exhibition features over 80 works by Picasso alongside over 100 works by more than 60 of his contemporaries, drawn from French national collections, as well as the NGV Collection.
The Bar Lourinhã pop-up in the Garden Restaurant at NGV International will run from 10 June – 9 October and will be open daily 11:30 am – 4:00 pm and Friday evening 6.00 pm – late to coincide with NGV Friday Nights. For bookings, menu and more information, please visit the NGV website: NGV.MELBOURNE/BARLOURINHA
The Picasso Century will be on display from 10 June – 9 October at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne. For tickets and information, please visit the NGV website: NGV.MELBOURNE
Exhibition organised by the Centre Pompidou, Paris, the Musée national Picasso-Paris, and the National Gallery of Victoria.
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