In a quiet alleyway in inner-city Sydney, wedged between towering office buildings, lies a small sliver of Mexico. In this tiny space, a Latin spirit thrives. There are no seats, the walls are painted bright pink and purple, and the venue can only squeeze in around 20 patrons at a time. Passion runs high and the mood stays light. It’s a place built on experience, good times and, most importantly, incredible drinks.
The founding story is simple. Colleagues Alex Dowd, Jeremy Blackmore and Alex “Happy” Gilmour embarked on a road trip across Mexico and returned wanting to showcase the incredible spirits they had discovered along the way. They came back to Sydney with 140 bottles and, from that, Cantina OK! was born.
Behind the bar sits an impressive range of spirits, including mezcal from across Mexico, tequila, raicilla and even sotol — a spirit distilled from the Desert Spoon plant. Some of the rarer pours aren’t for the faint-hearted either, with bottles including mezcal distilled with rattlesnake heads.
The cocktail menu is kept fresh and exciting through rotating weekly specials alongside a seasonal core offering, with every drink built around a Mexican spirit base. A 68-page guidebook is also on hand to help guests navigate the extensive selection, ensuring there’s always something new to discover with every visit.
Cantina OK! is located at the end of Council Place, Sydney, and is open daily from 4pm-12am.
For more information, email more@cantinaok.com.au.