The details
If anyone is qualified to give an insightful read into the state of Graceville’s dining scene, it’s Maddison Walker. The daughter of Trish Walker – owner of popular brunch haven Hunter & Scout – has spent the past few years working alongside her mother at the bustling cafe, chatting to locals about what they’d want to see open in the area. One of the most common gripes was the lack of casual evening hangouts nearby, and when a corner tenancy became available in the same heritage-listed Central Building’s strip as Hunter & Scout, Maddison thought it would be a good opportunity to satiate demand. Botellón (Spanish for ‘big bottle’) takes cues from Spain’s vibrant wine bars, bringing a level of flair and sophistication previously unseen in Graceville’s post-sunset dining scene.
The space
Botellón’s triangular corner space was gutted and overhauled to match Maddison’s vision, which was curated over a period of research deep-dives and inspiration trawling. The aesthetic started with the colour green – chiefly a set of handmade deep-green tiles coating Botellón’s bar front. From there, Maddison expanded on the scheme to include green-leather stools and booths, a white-marble bench top and flashes of gold trim. The white-rendered walls of the interior were sandblasted back to reveal the earthy natural walls of the historic space (built by Walter Taylor – yes, the same bloke responsible for the bridge), adding a touch of rustic warmth to the mix. Outdoor seating is also available, bringing Botellón’s total seating capacity to 70.
The food and drink
Botellón’s culinary offering is shaped by a desire to facilitate conversation and atmosphere – therefore flavoursome share-style plates are king. Diners can perch at the bar or pack into the booths, lingering for hours over various morsels and a bottle (or two) of wine. The tapas selection includes the likes of crispy eggplant with thyme and truffle honey, twice-cooked octopus in paprika, potato and bacalao croquettes with hickory-smoked skordalia, and cheese platters piled with manchego, jamon, sardines, chilli mackerel fillets and freshly baked sourdough. Diners can also divvy up mains such as 16-hour lamb belly with smoked eggplant, pot mussels with jamon bits in romesco and deglazed white wine, marinated chicken-thigh paella with fresh La Boqueria chorizo, and a sizeable Stanbroke angus rib fillet with chimichurri and farofa. The wine list offers everything by the glass, including the likes of Spanish Rioja, white Grenache, Tempranillo, Argentinian Malbec and five kinds of Spanish sherry. A short but punchy cocktail list features classic sips, while local and mainstream beers (including Estrella and Peroni on tap) cap off the quaffing material. Early birds can also pop in to Botellón in the morning for a simple breakfast service and barista-poured cups of coffee from Noosa’s First Batch.
Botellón is now pouring! Head to the Stumble Guide to find opening hours and extra details.
