"Sydney's loudest tequila-and-taco room, now relocated to Crown Street — book a Friday night for a birthday or a big group."
About Mejico
Dr Sam Prince opened Mejico on Pitt Street in 2013, ran it there for eleven years, then moved the whole room up the hill to 355 Crown Street in Surry Hills. The format did not change: a loud, low-lit cantina built around tequila, share plates and guacamole smashed tableside in a stone molcajete. Margaritas anchor a list of more than two hundred agave spirits. Dinner lands around A$70 to A$90 a head; the express lunch is a set A$48. It is fun before it is fine dining, and it has always known the difference.
The Kitchen
Mejico is a group restaurant rather than a chef's showcase: founder Dr Sam Prince, who also built the Zambrero chain, set the template in 2013, and the kitchen has held to it through the 2024 move from Pitt Street to Surry Hills. The cooking is modern Mexican with a market-fresh streak. The signature is the tableside guacamole, Hass avocado pounded to order in a molcajete with Serrano chilli, Spanish onion and coriander, served with golden plantain chips.
Beyond it, the Hiramasa kingfish ceviche with aji amarillo and grapefruit is the dish regulars order first, and the grass-fed beef rump tacos with salsa roja and charred corn are the benchmark off a taco list that also runs to wagyu, tempura lobster and jackfruit. Prices sit around A$70 to A$90 a head at dinner, with a set express lunch at A$48 and happy-hour margaritas at A$12. The address is 355 Crown Street, Surry Hills. The draw is the tequila wall, more than two hundred agave spirits among the largest selections in Australia, and a kitchen that keeps the snacks sharp.
The Room
The Crown Street room is dark, tiled and deliberately loud — this is a party cantina, not a quiet date table. Lighting is low, the music is up, and on a Friday the volume makes across-the-table conversation work for four but a strain for ten. Seating runs to banquettes, share tables and a busy bar, set close together for energy rather than privacy. Dress is smart-casual with no real rules; people come straight from work and from the gym alike. It seats well over a hundred across two levels, and the front opens up in summer.
Best for a Birthday or Big Group
Book the Crown Street room for a birthday or a big group because three things line up: the share format means nobody is stuck with one plate, the two-hundred-strong tequila list turns a round of margaritas into the entertainment, and the volume swallows a table of twelve that would get glared at elsewhere. Order the tableside guacamole as theatre when everyone sits down, then let the taco list do the rest. It is one of Sydney's most reliable group rooms. See more in our team-dinner restaurants guide and the global best Mexican restaurants list.
Not for
Not for a quiet conversation or a deal you need to hear — the room is loud by design, the tables sit close, and a Friday night runs at full volume from eight.
Frequently Asked
Is Mejico worth it?
For lively modern Mexican and the biggest margarita list in Sydney, yes. You are paying around A$70 to A$90 a head for share plates, tableside guacamole and a tequila wall of more than two hundred agave spirits, not for fine dining, and the room delivers exactly that energy. Come for a birthday, a group or a loose Friday and the value stacks up. Go elsewhere for a quiet, refined dinner.
How hard is it to book Mejico?
Weekends and happy hour are the busy windows. Mejico takes bookings through SevenRooms and on +61 2 9230 0119, and Friday and Saturday nights at 355 Crown Street fill a week ahead, so book early for a group. Midweek and the early express-lunch sitting are easier, and walk-ins can usually find a bar seat before 6pm.
What is the dress code at Mejico?
Smart-casual, with no hard rules. It is a loud, fun cantina rather than a white-tablecloth room, so jeans and a nice shirt or a dress are right at home, and people come straight from work. There is no jacket requirement and no sportswear worth worrying about. Dress as you would for a good neighbourhood bar and you will fit in.
What should I order at Mejico?
Start with the tableside guacamole, smashed to order in a molcajete with plantain chips, for the theatre and the benchmark. Then the Hiramasa kingfish ceviche with aji amarillo, and from the taco list the grass-fed beef rump with salsa roja or the tempura lobster. Pair it with a classic margarita or a flight from the two-hundred-strong agave list.
Is Mejico good for a birthday?
Yes, it is one of Sydney's go-to birthday rooms. The share menu suits a table that wants to graze, the margarita and tequila program turns the night into an event, and the volume means a big, loud group fits right in. Book the Crown Street room for a Friday or Saturday and start with the tableside guacamole. See our team-dinner guide for more group rooms.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Mejico
Via SevenRooms · book a week ahead for groups
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Practical Information
Address355 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010
NeighbourhoodSurry Hills (relocated from Pitt Street, 2024)
CuisineModern Mexican · share plates
Average spendA$70–A$90pp dinner · A$48 express lunch
SignatureTableside guacamole; grass-fed beef rump tacos
FounderDr Sam Prince (opened 2013)
Drinks200+ tequila & mezcal · margaritas from A$12
Dress CodeSmart-casual
ReservationSevenRooms · direct
KidsWelcome earlier in the evening
