Two years on, the bar with all the hype never lost its hype…

Beneath the roof of the shortest building on Collins Street, Mamasita is set out to represent one of the most under-represented cuisines in Australian dining: Mexican.

Think cactus salad and ceviche, chipolote corn and the michelada – a beer with tomato juice, lime juice, salt and Tabasco. Yes, a beer Bloody Mary, if you will…and you should. Flavours are light and sharp and, sometimes, even new. When was the last time you could say that about food?

To be able to enjoy such fare in an environment that doesn’t rely heavily Tex Mex pastiche isn’t really rocket science; it’s just that nobody had actually done it yet. Now that it’s done, it makes so much sense and buzzes so loudly you almost wish it was you who thought it up.

The catch? Expect to queue on busy nights… Which is all seven of them. Alternatively arrive before 6pm or after 11pm and the wait might just be a little shorter.

Lvl 1, 11 Collins Street. 9650 3821.