Tequila Mockingbird – Paddington

There isn’t a lot that excites me more than trying a new restaurant for a mid-week, date night.  This week we decided to visit Tequila Mockingbird for some modern Mexican and Latin inspired food with some innovative cocktails.

Being a massive Mexican fan, I had high expectations walking into dinner.  The environment is intimate and active.  I was a fan of the separation of front of house bar area and the rear dedicated to dinning.  The areas are separated by a bustling open kitchen.

Decor:  Warm and well lit.  The tables are a little small for a tapas restaurant but managing all the plates is half the fun.

Service:  Efficient and helpful.  The wait staff were well versed in both food and drink options, assisting with both ordering and explanations on arrival.

Food:  Ample!  Delicious, authentic Mexican flavour combinations presented with a contemporary twist.

Location: Based in the popular Paddington restaurant precinct.  The location is easily accessible by public transport, a short taxi ride from the city or street parking available.

Drinks:  Kai (hubby) tested 3 cocktails – just to be sure – and happily informed me they were all fantastic.  His favourite being the signature cocktail, The Tequila Mockingbird.

Value for money:  Excellent!  We ordered more food than was recommended and Kai always thinks he’s a bottomless pit.  He struggled to finish.  We ordered 3 starters, 2 main plates and 3 sides along with 3 cocktails (all guzzled by my companion) and the bill came to around $200.  In hindsight, we should have ordered the suggested amount from our friendly waiter.  The suggestion: A couple of starters, 1 main plate and a couple of sides.

Stars: **** (4 out of a possible 5)  Highly recommend.

Here is what we ordered –

Starters:

Guacamole – pico de Gallo, plantain chips

Cast Iron Provolone – friend onion, jalapeño

Eggplant Nacos – ají panca & ricotta

Main:

BBQ Chicken – tamarind, crispy scallion, confit ajo

MB6+ Jacks Creek wagyu flank steak – jalapeno butter

Sides:

Baby Gem Lettuce – Huancaina dressing

Grilled Corn Cob – Lime mayo, salted ricotta

Crispy Chat potatoes

Cocktails:

The Tequila Mocking Bird

The Atticus Finch

Gengibre Y Romero

 

NB We were guests of Tequila Mockingbird.