Introducing Casa Merida, Santa Catarina and Londres 126 and Santa Catarina by Milpa Collective.
Just when you thought Sydney couldn’t have any more Mexican restaurants, the team behind Calita Carbon, Taquiza and Sonora are about to launch three more! The hospitality heavyweights have proved they specialise in Mexican restaurants and Casa Mérida, Londres 126 and Santa Catarina will follow the theme. You’ll be able to get your hands on more margaritas, more tacos and more good times starting this September.
Casa Merida, Potts Point
New to Potts Point, Casa Merida will be located inside a renovated terrace house on Kellett Street. Slated to open its doors on the 8th of September, diners will experience traditional Mayan cuisine that will take your taste buds to the Yucatan Peninsula. The venue has 70 seats and is fitted out with time-worn interiors like chandeliers and luxe gold detaining. As expected, the menu will highlight classic Mayana dishes including Infladitas, Ceviche and Cochinita Pibil all made with the best quality locally sourced produce. The bar will stock a selection of rare Mezcals imported from Indigenous communities in Oaxaca, with one shot at $400 a pop. Cocktail lovers will be in heaven with an extensive list of margaritas and Latin American classics, as well as an Australian-led wine list.
Santa Catarina, CBD
Clarence Street is about to get spicier. In late September, Santa Catarina will pay homage to its name. The 100-seat mezcal bar will highlight the world’s best Mezcal as well as the cuisine of Oaxaca. Expect a modern menu focusing on traditional dishes such as Mole Madre and Tetelas. With an on-site wine cellar, open kitchen and an intimate candlelit private dining room, it’ll be your new favourite dining destination in the CBD.
“Mezcal and tequila are at the heart of all of our venues, but Santa Catarina is an opportunity for us to showcase something really special. We have sourced ancestral mezcals distilled in clay alongside rare and premium tequilas as part of what we call our ‘Mezcal Cazadores de Sabores’ approach (‘Mezcal hunters of flavour’) and we’re very excited to share them with our community”, says Milpa Collective co-owner Liber Osorio.
Londres 126, Quay Quarters
As the name suggests, the restaurant will be iconically Mexican taking the name of the most popular address in Mexico City. The venue is set to open in October amongst Sydney’s brand new Quay Quarters. The venue is inspired by the legendary parties thrown by renowned artist Frida Kahlo at her home Londres 126 in the 1940s. Drawing inspiration from the dynamic food scene of Mexico City, the menu will feature flexible set menus for your weekend get-togethers. Expect to see the best Australian produce, complemented by a boutique selection of agave Mezcals and high-quality tequilas. Mexican twists on classic cocktails will highlight the drinks list.
Pablo Galindo Vargas, co-owner of Milpa Collective says of the expansion “In essence, Milpa Collective is a celebration of the beauty and vibrancy of our home country, Mexico. It is a rich tapestry of unique cities, flavours, people and experiences. We want to honour that by representing a different part of Mexico in each of our venues. To be able to build on that story with the launch of these three new venues is incredibly humbling. We can’t wait to open our doors and share the vibrancy and diversity of Mexico with our existing community and new communities”.
Casa Merida will open on 8 September, operating Tuesday-Friday: 5.30pm-late, Saturday-Sunday: 12pm-late. Bookings available here
Santa Catarina will also open in late September, operating Tuesday-Saturday: 12pm-late.
Londres 126 will open in October.