Sydney’s Mexican food scene is having a moment, with Mami’s Casa Latina setting the gold standard for wildly affordable family-style cooking, Redfern’s Lottie bringing on-point (entirely gluten-free) Mexican share plates to one of the city’s best new hotels, and Chippendale’s Radio Taco accruing queues around the block for its moreish tacos. Now, just in time for summer, the rooftop space crowning the multi-level Potts Point Hotel has been reborn as Sweethearts Terraza – a breezy Yucatán-inspired oasis serving up more than just exceptional Margaritas.
Designed as an open-air homage to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, the 120-seat space has been reimagined with warm, terracotta tones and bursts of greenery. If you’ve spent enough time in Sydney, you’ll have found yourself up on this rooftop in one of its previous iterations, but the new look makes it so much more than a convenient spot for a sky-high Spritz. The summery makeover and impressively creative menu make this a seriously solid venue in its own right, with the super central location in the heart of Potts Point an added bonus.
In the kitchen, chef Roberto García – whose résumé includes Marrickville’s beloved San Pancho Taqueria and beloved Greek eatery Alpha – plates up a menu he describes as “fire, citrus and celebration.”
Beyond the Mexican-eatery musts (chips and guac), expect colourful, shareable dishes that tow the line between authenticity and contemporary flair: a picture-perfect halo of zesty Ceviche Yucateco layered with coconut, passionfruit and habanero; a melt-off-the-bone slow-braised beef short rib glossed in sour orange and honey; and Tikin Xic, a whole roasted barramundi marinated in annatto and citrus. It’s all fresh and fun and exceptionally Instagrammable, and the banquet menus (starting at $55 per person) will give you a taste of the highlights without the emotional labour of having to choose between dishes.
Behind the bar, Neilsen Braid (Maybe Frank, Maybe Sammy) has channelled Mexico’s bright, sun-drenched energy into a cocktail list that’s playful, fun and (if you’re looking for a tequila-fuelled buzz) incredibly effective. House infusions, smoky chipotle fat-washes and achiote-spiked twists on classics bring the Yucatán to Sydney, from the chipotle-kissed Sol Fuego to the zesty, clarified El Claro, the Sweethearts Terraza feather-light take on a Tommy’s Margarita.
We visited on a Sunday afternoon, and the open-air space was busy with groups of friends ordering rounds of Palomas and dipping handmade tortillas into plates of creamy labneh. Beneath the sunshine and scalloped umbrellas, tiled tables fill with colourful plates and punchy cocktails served in Mexican-style pots. There’s something gloriously holiday-mode about the venue – if you’re looking for a taste of Mexico’s sense of summery fun without leaving Sydney, this is the place.
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