Chef Matt McConnell and front of house pro Jo Gamvros are partners in life and work, having established Bar Lourinha in Melbourne, Australia together more than 10 years ago. In that time, their restaurant has established itself as one of a handful of beloved stayers in the city's competitive restaurant scene.

The seeds were sewn for Bar Lourinha when the couple spent extended period travelling overseas in 1997. They returned home determined to open a place that captured some of the magic they had experienced in the Catalonian capital. They describe it as homestyle hospitality, something that typifies a lot of Spanish culture: convivial, warm and giving.

Lourinha actually takes its name from a municipality in Portugal - and Matt says one of the reasons they chose it was that it wasn't definitively Portuguese or Spanish - hence it offered freedom in the restaurant on the creative side of food, a freedom that it is reflected in their book. Ditto, the idea that the best drinking experiences are accompanied by food: hence, Eat at The Bar.