Melbourne is home to some fabulously authentic Mexican cantinas, some well-known and others well-hidden… until now. We’ve put together a list of our 8 favourite spots for a Mexican feast.
Little Hop
Fitzroy
Little Hop. It’s loud, it’s sweaty, it’s pumping with Spanish salsa music and trays of mescal shots. Often mistaken for “taco”, as the light-up sign reads out the front of their Brunswick Street eatery, and true to the signage, they deliver simple, affordable and authentic Mexican street-style food, specialising in tacos. Their menu includes a taco list, enchiladas, quesadillas, corn chips and homemade guac, paired with a range of craft beers, mescals and spicy margarita variations. The pulled pork taco is especially moorish.
How to order: Walk-in or call (03) 9078 2252 to order takeaway
Mesa Verde
Curtin House, CBD
Mesa Verda is a Mexican tequila bar and kitchen right up the top of the Curtin House building on Swanston Street. They’ve got a pretty bangin’ modern Mexican menu, with crispy pork belly tacos, swordfish ceviche and Mexican chorizo quesadillas. Aside from the gourmet food menu, they also have a 10-page drinks list, which includes the Selena Gomezcal margarita, the Spice Girl cocktail, sangria jugs, tequila and endless deliciousness by the bottle. Right now, they’re offering this incredible bottomless lunch, which costs $65pp and runs between midday and 3:30pm. This insanely good deal offers Palomas, Batangas, Tap Beer, Micheladas, Prosecco and Soft Drinks for the drink options, and guacamole & tostadas, corn esquites to share, 2 x tacos and 1 quesadilla each is what you’ll get for food. Better get that tum ready.
How to book: You can book online through the MV Website
Taquito
Carlton
A refined Mexican Cantina and Bottleshop located in the leafy suburban streets of Carlton. As well as offering some banging mescal margaritas and lots of classic Mexican faves, Taquito likes to get a bit experimental with it’s dishes. Expect things like Fried chicken ribs with seared scallops, potato foam, and jus gras crisp or tuna sashimi with grapefruit, avocado, coconut and in-season prickly pear. Mexican-born owner Alec Villarreal and New Zealand born but Mexican-obsessed chef Paul Clarke, Taquito will take you on a journey of Mexican flavour sensations that you won’t forget in a hurry.
How to book: Book via OpenTable or give them a call on 0450 651 247
Bodega Underground
Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
Bodega has a 100% gluten-free menu and serves all of the Mexican goodness until 3am. Bodega could be the place you go after a big night out and you’re really craving Mexican-style lime and chilli fried chicken or a shot of mescal to keep you going, but it could also be the place you go for a Saturday bottomless brunch. With a gluten-free and vegan-friendly menu, Bodega pulls out some incredibly good Mexican food. It’s also pretty well-known as a bar, serving up countless Micheladas to hungry hospo folk who claim it’s the ‘best in town’.
How to book: Call them on (03) 9650 9979, or walk-in
Radio Mexico
St Kilda
Radio Mexico is one of the best places for a feed in St Kilda, tucked away on the corner of Albert and Carlisle Streets. Best known for its ‘carro de tacos’ and crispy pork belly, Radio Mexico serves up supreme Mexican Street food in the heart of St Kilda craziness. It’s a kind of food-truck-meets-restaurant-style menu, with tacos like BBQ pork belly, with pork crackling and pineapple, chipotle prawn and slaw and scallop and pork crackling with pickled red cabbage and habanero cream on offer, as well as bigger plates serving Mezcal marinated slow-cooked beef enchiladas and street-style corn on the cob.
How to order: You can order takeaway over the phone or via their website, and just walk on in if you want to have a fed!
Nachos Cantina
Aspendale
Nachos Cantina has become a local favourite of the South-East with two restaurants, one located in Mount Waverley and the other in Aspendale. Turning out the nachos for over 30 years, Nachos Cantina is old school excellence. They’ve got potato skins, buffalo wings, original nachos, burritos, tacos… the lot. Oh, and if you can’t decide, they’ll feed you (and by feed we’re talking a literal 9 course feast) for $39. Yep. If you haven’t been, go.
How to book: Just give them a call. You can find phone numbers for both restaurants here.
La Tortilleria
Kensington
With their own brand of corn tortillas available at almost every supermarket (and are the yummiest gluten free option tbh), La Tortilleria is the definition of authentic Mexican. Located in Kensington since 2013, the restaurant is impossible to miss, painted in bright blues and reds with a traditional floral mural along one side. All of their carbs (tortillas, corn chips, tostadas) are made true to the ancient Aztec recipe, they claim that their corn tortillas taste like the ones in villages in Mexico. Every Tuesday you can grab three of their delicious tacos for only $12, as well as a $5 Mexican beer or house wine – bit of a no brainer.
How to book: You can book via their website
Trippy Taco
Fitzroy
Trippy Taco is Melbourne’s entirely vegetarian Mexican restaurant. Rightly located on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy, Trippy Taco opens for a late breakfast and well into the evening, as a hotspot for craft beer, margaritas and a delicious pile of spicy vegetarian nachos. They also offer the state’s best Mexican crinkle cut hot chips – who knows what’s on them, but they’re bloody yum. Their sangria jug is perfect as the nights cool down, and nestled in next door to some of Fitzroy’s grooviest record stores, they don’t disappoint with the tunes.
How to book: No need to book. Just walk in.
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