An intimate Spanish-inspired dining room built on heart, warmth and perfectly poured sherry.

Añada: Where Time Slows on Gertrude Street

In a city obsessed with what’s next, Añada stays still — and that’s its magic. Open since 2008, it remains one of Fitzroy’s most quietly confident restaurants. The space glows with amber light, the walls lined with bottles and the sound of laughter slipping between tables. It feels like a little bar in Andalusia, reimagined through Melbourne’s lens of understated cool.

It’s the kind of room that asks nothing from you but your attention, the kind that feels alive before you’ve even ordered.

The Menu: Simple, Earthy, Perfectly Pitched

The kitchen keeps things stripped back, letting technique and produce do the work. Start with marinated olives and anchovies, move to jamón and charred octopus, then sink into the slow braised lamb shoulder that seems to fall apart on cue. The flavours are deep, smoky and honest, anchored in Mediterranean tradition but executed with quiet precision.

The menu changes with the seasons, but the soul stays the same — food that’s best eaten with your hands and friends within reach.

The Bar, the Buzz and the Ritual

Wine and sherry are at the heart of Añada’s charm. The list is full of Spanish varietals and local bottles with similar spirit. Staff glide between tables with small pours and big smiles, reading the rhythm of the room better than any script could teach.

Añada doesn’t chase trends. It stays steady, and that’s why it endures. It’s everything a neighbourhood restaurant should be — familiar, generous and impossible not to love.