Bar review: Mexico, Ellerslie

Drinks at Mexico Ellerslie. Photo / Nicky Park

Address: Corner Ladies Mile & Main Highway, Ellerslie
Rating:

First drinks: We are sampling of all three margaritas on the Mexico menu - the Mexico City traditional style; the coconut with 1800 coconut tequila and a sugar rim; and the black plum variety, jazzed up with black Doris plum and a sugar and cinnamon rim. We've had our share of sangria at Mexico in days gone by. Our only qualm with the drinks is they have too much ice but to be fair, that's just a personal qualm.

The vibe is: Really excitable on this Thursday night. We made our debut at the Ellerslie outlet ahead of Cirque recently and it's by far the biggest Mexico restaurant in town. We loved the massive outdoor space, and there's something about sharing tables with strangers that brings people together.

It smells of: The awesome Mexican fare coming out of the kitchen and on to our table. They've just released their new spring menu so we picked a selection of snacks to accompany our drinks - the flautas with pumpkin, queso fresco and pine nut teamed with a fresh fennel and orange salad was a hit, as was the chef's special spicy cauliflower dip.

On the stereo: Is it the sounds of salsa that just make you feel so good?

Room for improvement: The Mexico chain is killing it, and there's a reason.

The perfect spot for: Getting a group together so you can sample as much of the menu as possible - you can book for 10 or more so wrangle all your mates.

Most redeeming feature: The massive wooden outdoor deck, which is warm enough to sit on, even on a chilly spring evening. We reckon summer will see this place packed to the rafters.