If you’re like me, Michele Bullock and her merry band of Reserve Bank misfits, along with the cost of just about everything right now, have crushed all hopes of an overseas adventure any time soon.

Forget passports, suitcases, little chocolates on your pillow and sipping drinks with little umbrellas in them as you watch the sun go down on another perfect day in paradise.

For now, those dreams are all but dead — buried in the name of fiscal restraint as our budgets fall victim to forces well beyond our control.

Grounded (for now at least), the best we can do is hopefully find somewhere to saviour a fraction of the flavour we’re missing.

For anyone longing to wander down Barcelona’s Las Ramblas before ducking into a hidden taberna for a long lazy lunch, we’ve found you the next best thing . . . and in the most unlikely of places.

Tucked away on the top level of a shopping centre carpark in the northern suburbs, the enormous red bull out front offers the only clue to what lies within.

The atmosphere the second you step foot inside Bar Ole in Iluka is electric, and infectious. There’s the dark wooden floor and tables, and a leather bench seat that stretches the full length of a dusty-red brick wall.

Within a few steps you’re in touching distance of the busy team of chefs in the open kitchen. The intoxicating scents of Spanish fare immediately get your mouth watering even before you’ve been seated.

It’s the sort of place where conversations stop mid-sentence so you can peer over your dining companion’s shoulder to get a closer look at the dishes whizzing by.

Deeper inside it’s buzzing and loud, but relaxed. The low lighting and candles on the tables keep the mood warm and intimate. There is, however, one bizarre design choice that can catch your eye and, for me anyway, shatter the tone. I’ll get to that later, but first the food.

There’s a big tapas menu made for sharing, as well as mains covering the full array of Spain delights.

My wife and I are happy to let the chef do the choosing and go for the Clasica La Fiesta ($69 per person). There’s also a Prima version for $95 that comes with a few extra dishes and both need at least two people to order.

With sangrias delivered, we kick off with beautifully cooked chorizo in tempranillo. There’s also sourdough to soak up all that leftover oily goodness. Pincho de Cordero — woodfired lamb skewers with a mint salsa — are sublime. There’s just something about tasting the smell of meat that’s fresh off an open grill.

But the hero so far is the Vieira — a pan-fried Hokkaido scallop that comes with chorizo butter and a touch of honey that adds just a hint of sweetness. It’s out of this world.

For mains we’ve gone for the woodfired steak, a 300g O’Connor picanha, soffritto and chorizo oil. Bar Ole has made a name for itself when it comes to meat, especially its famed Sunday roasts, and it’s not hard to see why. The soffritto is the perfect accompaniment to bring out the flavour. You can wash it down with something from the wine list which has plenty of local and Spanish options.

A huge portion of patatas bravas with aioli and a side of charred broccoli with ajo blanco ensure you’re not leaving hungry — unless, like us, you choose to take a short break and end with a plate of churros.

Bar Ole is part of Ryan and Nikki Esqulant’s fast-growing Perth restaurant empire. It’s proved such a hit they took the name south of the river to Applecross earlier this year, along with Heart next door. They’re also the family-owned business behind Hillarys Beach Club and now Yanchep Beach Club, along with the Waterfront at Hillarys Boat Harbour.

It’s a true homegrown success story. But — and this brings me back to my earlier gripe — do we really need big TVs positioned at either end of the restaurant plugging the other venues in the stable?

The glow can create a distraction that spoils an otherwise carefully-crafted ambience — especially if you’re unlucky enough to be sat right under one? Do they seem unnecessary? Yes. But would they stop me returning? No.

I’ll keep coming back for a taste of the Spanish life I won’t get the chance to enjoy until Bullock and co let me loosen the purse strings a little further.

The verdict: 17/20

Authentic Spanish tapas with exceptional attention to flavour that’s ideal for any occasion.

Bar Ole Iluka

Iluka Plaza, 6A/98 O’Mara Boulevard, Iluka

Open: Monday to Thursday, 4pm—late; Friday to Sunday, noon—late

Contact: 6166 5705

Bookings: Yes