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On an unassuming corner of Cleveland Street’s scrappy throughway, better known for its rows of family-run eateries and congested service stations, stands a new gleaming hospitality precinct. Wunderlich Lane is home to a slate of recently opened venues including Greek diner Olympus Dining, upstairs drinks spot Baptist Street Rec Club, and omakase restaurant R by Raita Noda.
Chances are you’ll walk past every single one of those before you reach Lottie.
The new Mexican restaurant and mezcaleria comes courtesy of Liquid & Larder, the hospo outfit mostly known for their string of excellent local steakhouses (Bistecca, The Gidley, Alfie’s).
The vibe
At the far end of the Wunderlich Lane complex – past a corridor and up an elevator – you’ll finally arrive at the restaurant, tucked within the walls of new boutique hotel The Eve. There’s an immediate calm here – warm timbers, rattan accents and diners shaking themselves off after a splash in the rooftop pool. It’s the kind of room that feels equally suited to a leisurely lunch or a late-night cocktail.
The wide windows, framed by succulents and drenched in sunlight, give the feel of a floating conservatory. The red-rimmed roof is the architectural centrepiece of the fit-out – its fully retractable design transforming the dining room into a rooftop garden for the summer months.
The food
For a place that feels so relaxed (you’re within plunging distance from the pool), the food is upscale, considered and quietly inventive. Guadalajara-born head chef Joe Valero (ex Tacos Tacos Tacos) runs a gluten-free menu that threads together Mexican influence and local Australian produce. Kangaroo steak meets fried masa. WA-native Geraldton wax takes a ride on a tuna tostada.
The small plates are designed to disappear in a single bite (or two). Grab a bunch of tortillas to start. House-made and crafted from imported Mexican masa, they arrive pierced into a guacamole that’s chunky, tomato-bright and flecked with pepitas and herbs.
The kangaroo tail sope is the standout: a neat, rich heap of slow-cooked 'roo steak balanced on a potato masa disc that's both earthy and comforting. Beetroot empanadas, filled with roasted tomato and goat’s curd, land with a salty, tangy pop. Carne apache – sirloin tartare punched up with salsa macha, taro crisps and cooling jocoque – tastes like a seaside ceviche reimagined.
The larger plates include a juicy beef chop, served off the bone and grilled over open flames, with beef-fat beans and a zesty shiso salsa. Then there’s goat barbacoa with miso black beans, pickled shallots. Chef Valero sources whole goats from a small farm in western NSW, which are then marinated in adobo, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked for 16 hours. For veggies, go for the cabbages al pipian rojo, a smoky concoction of roasted and grilled leeks, green cabbages and sugarloaf, served with nutty pipian rojo sauce, cavolo chips and caramelised cauliflower emulsion. Portions aren’t huge and prices lean north, but the precision and originality on the plate make it worthwhile.
Dessert doesn’t drop the ball, either. A coconut sorbet with dark chocolate and mezcal-laced alegria is light and refreshing, but the real showstopper is the tres leches cake: three kinds of milk, a lick of rum and a shimmering apricot jelly top that ties it together like a bow.
The drinks
The drinks list features a long line of tequilas and mezcals, plus traditional Mexican spirits like raicilla and sotol. Most diners are clutching a Margarita, though, with three variations on offer. There’s a classic, spicy and, best of the lot, a slushy frozen Margarita with Cazcabel Coconut tequila, coconut granita and citrus.
Elsewhere, the Horchata Milk Punch blends Flor de Caña rum, macadamia, jasmine horchata and orange pekoe tea into something sweet, spiced and silky. The Paloma is taut and refreshing, layered with Tomba Blanco, ruby grapefruit and Pomelo vermouth, then fizzed with Mischief Brewing grapefruit soda.
The wine list roams across Spain, Italy and Australia, with skin-contact whites and juicy reds that pair neatly with the spice-driven menu. If you’re here with a group, the large-format cocktails – a jug of Paloma or sangria – are the way to go.
Time Out tip
If you live or work nearby, Lottie’s has a special lunchtime set menu on Thursdays and Fridays. For just $55 a head, you’ll get a heap of house guacamole, their signature kangaroo tail sope and your choice of mains and sides. ¡Buen provecho!
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