AJ and I made our way up last night to Launceston. Toro's was the dining choice, a Spanish restaurant in the Charles Street strip. The terracotta tiles, a mix of red and yellow throughout adds a uniqueness and embodies the Spanish theme.
The menus are impressive with tapas, pizza, a la carte and steak options. These selections make Toro's a family-friendly venue with something for anyone and also caters for those with special dietary requirements.
Keen to give the menu a bit a decent sampling AJ and I ordered the some selections of the tapas menu for a starter; Salt & Pepper Calamari, Baby ribs, Champignon Mushrooms, Patatas in Aioli and some Yoghurt Chicken skewers.
The tapas plates were all served with a salad garnish. The calamari was tender and in a light tempura style batter. Each plate was well prepared but just didn't have the character at nearly $10 a plate that I expected. To be fair, my critique is based on a comparison to higher-priced Hobart restaurants like the Mill on Morrison and Ethos. The menu is not pitched as fine dining so while my palate may not have been excited, diners who enjoy clean and balanced flavours will yet enjoy Toro's tapas.
Next we thought we'd have something a bit more substantial off the a la carte menu so we ordered the Paella and the Lamb Fillet.
The Paella comes in four varieties but due to AJ holding strong to her hatred of all things remotely fishy the traditional seafood paella was off limits. So we opted for the Zamorana which was a Paella with chorizo, ham, meatballs and chicken. The vegetables were fresh and cleansing, the rice was perfect and the entire dish was underpinned by a mildly spicy tomato sauce. A good traditional-Paella-substitute that received positive reviews from all the other diners at our table.
My main was the Lamb Fillet, and it was impressive. Served grilled (medium) on a potato tortilla with some roasted vegetables and a rich jus. The lamb was tender and superbly cooked. The jus was seasoned with rosemary and accompanied it perfectly making each mouthful a joy.
The restaurant's atmosphere and expansive menu really does make it a winner for those in big groups (there was a party of about 30 at the table next to ours). The price structure is very fair with drinks being some of the most reasonably priced I've seen in some time. Because of the fusion of cuisine and an accomodating layout it is a restaurant in a category of it's own and really something worth trying when you're next in Launceston.
Keen to give the menu a bit a decent sampling AJ and I ordered the some selections of the tapas menu for a starter; Salt & Pepper Calamari, Baby ribs, Champignon Mushrooms, Patatas in Aioli and some Yoghurt Chicken skewers. 
The tapas plates were all served with a salad garnish. The calamari was tender and in a light tempura style batter. Each plate was well prepared but just didn't have the character at nearly $10 a plate that I expected. To be fair, my critique is based on a comparison to higher-priced Hobart restaurants like the Mill on Morrison and Ethos. The menu is not pitched as fine dining so while my palate may not have been excited, diners who enjoy clean and balanced flavours will yet enjoy Toro's tapas. 
Next we thought we'd have something a bit more substantial off the a la carte menu so we ordered the Paella and the Lamb Fillet.
The Paella comes in four varieties but due to AJ holding strong to her hatred of all things remotely fishy the traditional seafood paella was off limits. So we opted for the Zamorana which was a Paella with chorizo, ham, meatballs and chicken. The vegetables were fresh and cleansing, the rice was perfect and the entire dish was underpinned by a mildly spicy tomato sauce. A good traditional-Paella-substitute that received positive reviews from all the other diners at our table.
My main was the Lamb Fillet, and it was impressive. Served grilled (medium) on a potato tortilla with some roasted vegetables and a rich jus. The lamb was tender and superbly cooked. The jus was seasoned with rosemary and accompanied it perfectly making each mouthful a joy.
The restaurant's atmosphere and expansive menu really does make it a winner for those in big groups (there was a party of about 30 at the table next to ours). The price structure is very fair with drinks being some of the most reasonably priced I've seen in some time. Because of the fusion of cuisine and an accomodating layout it is a restaurant in a category of it's own and really something worth trying when you're next in Launceston.
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