Sydney’s Best Mexican Restaurants

¡Hola Sydney… Viva la fiesta! Sydneysiders are suddenly going loco over tacos and tequila. The wave of Mexican eateries washing over the city is certainly having a ripple effect and well frankly, we just can’t seem to get enough!

To spice things up we’ll start at the top of town with Sydney’s northern suburbs. Mona Vale is revealing its foxy side with Missy Foxall. Sip fruity sangria at the bar before dining on dolled-up Mexican. Or fly the Mexican flag at Guzman Y Gomez in Crows Nest. Wrapped up in paper, this is no-fuss stuff. But quesadillas and burritos are best eaten this way, right?

Once north, you may as well take a drive up to the Northern Beaches to visit Narabeen’s newest little amigo, Mexicano. Known for attracting hordes of tanned beautiful bodies, with their old school tortilla press and spicy jalapeno margarita’s, this little cantina is not one to be missed on a chilly Sunday sunset.

Moving on to the foodie postcode 2010. Some zing has been added to Surry Hills;

over-fed with tapas and over-drunk with small bars. Dan Hong of Ms G’s is ole’ing at El Loco inside the Excelsior Hotel with fiesta fun fare. Think bits and bites like lemongrass beef and tofu tacos, grilled fish sandwiches and hot dogs with a twist. Neutralise the spice with some frozen margaritas. And to keep the slim hipsters happily styling those spray paint Ksubi’s, the tortillas can be swapped for lettuce leaves.

After J-Lo the next best Latino diva is El Capo, also nestled in the Hills. Not exactly Mexican, but worth a mention as this is Latin-American street food at its bad-ass best. Especially since the place is decked out in gangster-themed murals of guns, cars and dollar signs. Funny, since you don’t need to hit the jackpot to eat well in this hood. Creative dimes include grits and pork with corn bread, Caribbean chicken rice and black pudding with soft-cooked egg and saffron aioli.

And just a few shots away is Agave, who’s flexed its Mex on Crown Street for a little while. Named after the Mexican plant- from which the nation’s nectar springs- this restaurant is all about authentic cuisine. Minus the cheese and sour cream stodge. Instead there’s pan-fried octopus with guajillo chilli, garlic and onion, and pollo en mole poblano- chicken simmered in exotic Mexican spices. No taco bull here.

Barrio Chino is the new Mexican chica on the Cross’ Bayswater block. Brought to you by the team at the nearby Fei Jai, this low-lit spot is tops for a pre-clubbing tostada or corn cob.

While waving in the new let’s not forget the stalwarts of Sydney’s Mexican scene.

Glebe Point Road’s Flying Fajita Sisters changed our Tuesday nights forever with their $3 tacos and tequila deal. Not to mention the veteran amigos Montezuma’s and Baja Cantina. They started us singing one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, four or 90, in the case of Cafe Pacifico. That’s right!

Cafe Pacifico has been attracting bartenders all around Sydney for the past 14 years with their selection of over 90 different types of rare and premium tequila. The atmosphere is like nothing else, probably thanks to all the tequila! Make sure to order the fajitas… you hear you meal before you see it! That’s the real Meso-American deal for you!

Clearly Sydneysiders are still wanting more. So, watch this space.

Where is your favourite Mexican hideout?

Missy Foxall
18 Barrenjoey Road
Mona Vale NSW 2103
(02) 9997 8884
Daily 6-11pm

Guzman Y Gomez
Shop 2, 77 Willoughby Road (Cnr Holterman Street)
Crows Nest NSW 2065
(02) 9191 0901
Daily 11am-10pm
Also in Newtown, Bondi Junction, Kings Cross, Australia Square, MLC Centre, Westfield Sydney, Fortitude Valley

Mexicano
Shop 2, 209-211 Ocean St
Narrabeen NSW 2101
(02) 9970 8975
Tues-Sun 6-10pm

El Loco
64 Foveaux Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02) 9211 4945
Mon & Tues 12pm until late
Wed 12pm-1am
Thurs-Sat 12pm-3am
Sunday 12pm-10pm

El Capo
52 Waterloo Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02) 9699 2518
Tue & Wed 12pm-10pm
Thur-Sat 12pm-12am

Agave
410 Crown Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
(02) 9326 9072
Daily 6pm-late

Barrio Chino
28-30 Bayswater Rd
Kings Cross 2011
(02) 8021 9750
Tues-Sun 6pm-late

Flying Fajita Sisters

Cafe Pacifico
95 Riley Street
East Sydney NSW 2010
(02) 9360 3811
Tues-Sat 6pm-late

Jenna Chaitowitz

Jenna’s passion for the food industry began when she was introduced to Sydney’s café culture at a young age, coupled with an interest in the Sydney ‘what’s on’ pages. This led to a love for discovering the latest restaurants and bars around town, and the rest is food history. Click here to find out more about Jenna.

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