AMAZING! I went in by myself and got a mango margarita and the chicken fajita tacos. Best tacos I've ever had, and the mango marg was excellent as well. It was very welcoming and chill. read more

Cantina Bar - Fajita chicken tacos - Bars Near Me - Balmain, NSW

See all

A Mexican style place on Darling street. Looks lovely from the outside and has a few tables outside too. The ambience is lovely but the quality of the food and service leaves a lot to be desired. The jalapeño margarita was very nice and I enjoyed it. The nachos were so bland I had to look for the flavour in the guacamole, beef or salsa. read more

See all

This place was great! It was packed when three of us arrived for dinner last night, the first instinct we all had was never mind lets go somewhere else, but I asked the girl working there, who didn't seem worried about the crowds at all. Sure enough they had us seated by the bar in a matter of moments and drinks in our hands not long after. I have to pause at this point and stress what a difference the attitudes of the girls working there made! They were so chilled out relaxed and friendly, that we instantly felt at ease. I hate writing unnecessarily wordy reviews but I think that this first part of the night just really set the mood. So different from so many other places where the staff get a bit crabby if it gets busy! The two girls who looked after us, were great, attentive and friendly all night. Despite the fact it was chock full of people. Ok so on to the food, one word: Awesome. I find a really good gauge for Mexican is to see what people from the US think of it, as most Mexican in Australia is pretty sub standard compared to the US. My American friend loved it. It's a really basic, but really good menu and I want to go back already and have more! Highlight of the night was the Chorizo Hot Dog Sliders, I must stress it was all great though. Last little detail: love the look of the place and the movies projected in the wall. Ok this is getting long, you get it: I liked this place a lot. read more

Cantina Bar - Chorizo Hot Dog Sliders. - Bars Near Me - Balmain, NSW

See all

This place has just opened (like two nights ago) and man has it opened with a BANG! I think they have probably underestimated how busy they would be because it is fair to say they were a understaffed on the floor Saturday night. This meant there was a bit of miscommunication leading up to actually getting a table, but finally, that moment came and boy were we glad we hung around. And to be fair- the staff were super friendly & accommodating. The aesthetics of the place are really cool. It has a Mexican theme to it, an exposed brick wall with a projector showing an old Mexican film (with a fair bit of nudity)... Also look at the wall to try find the little toy figurine hidden in a crack- this is a great example of their awesome attention to detail- these guys did a great job on the layout. The menu is small, simple and easy to understand. Cocktails are $16 each, pretty standard, the beers I found a touch pricey with their cheapest option being $8.50. There isn't an extensive spirit and wine list, I did find it a little disappointing but they definitely have a mix of stuff so everyone should be able to find something they are happy with. I had a mulled wine (with spiced rum, cinnamon, star anise & stewed fruit) this was the perfect winter drink, I suspect during summer they will do a fresh sangria version! We had already eaten (which we began to regret) however my brother grabbed a plate of pulled pork sliders which were DELISH! I will definitely be back to try the big mixed board for $35 which includes meats, cheese, olives, nuts, tortillas, and a couple of other hot options. The nachos looked great too. A definite winner. This place is the perfect addition to Balmain! read more

See all

Being a Yank from NJ (holla!) I am fortunate enough to have had some delish and authentic Mexican in my time. Maybe not as authentic as my West Coast peeps would argue, but I digress. Bf and I often stroll down Darling Street being foodie snoops and checking out all of the eateries. The Cantina caught our eye early on and a few weeks ago we took the plunge. The waitress was incredibly sweet and helpful, recommending their special chicken wings. I asked whether they were crispy; she reassured me of their crispiness. In the meantime, we ordered drinks, with the bf getting a Spanish beer. I settled on the Tecate from Portugal. I was surprised when the waitress came back with my beer in a CAN. For $10. As a new arrival in Balmain I'm getting used to the exorbitant Sydney prices, but that seemed a little stiff to me. We decided on the chicken wing special, the pulled pork nachos and the pint of chips, all priced around $8-9, which is not too pricey. The wings came out first, which were not at all crispy, accompanied by the flustered waitress who stated that the wings had been much crispier yesterday when the other chef was on. She offered to exchange them but she was so sweet we declined. Plus the bf happily munched them down as he's not as fussy. The pulled pork nachos were pretty tasty but the standout was def the pint of chips. They were piping hot, crispy, salty, slightly spicy and just top notch, served with a zingy aioli. The ambiance is great and I really enjoyed my meal, but had to ding them a star for the un-crispy wings, overpriced beer, and their prominent featuring of sangria. It's a Mexican restaurant, not Spanish, and while they do apparently make margaritas they are not as well advertised as their sangria jugs. read more

I have been going to Cantina Bar for almost three years and have never had a less than great experience. The food is delicious (my fav is the Cantina (mushroom) burrito), the staff are lovely and they make what is the best margarita I've ever had in Sydney . They also do $10 margaritas from 12-5 on weekends, which is a massive bang for your buck. Stoked I live so close to this place! read more

Definitely not remotely Mexican or American, had the taco share plate and was basically presented with a more or less super market-esque collection of old El-paso tacos, old shredded lettuce and mediocre guac and sour cream. Incredibly overpriced for the poor standard of food. Nice interior though. read more

Very nice prawn dish, staff very attentive and made sure we were topped up with water, which was needed as it can be quite spicy Mexican food, I would go back and would recommend it. read more

Cantina Bar - Bars Near Me - Balmain, NSW

Some long-time locals took us last night and it was really great. Busy, so book a table if you really want to go. A couple near the front are tall, with stools. It's got a good buzz, more busy than relaxed, and is a little crowded. But the food was tops across the board. The spinach salad had delicious blobs of goat cheese. The caramelised chorizo with slices of apple, currants, and delicious sherry sauce was intense. The garlic prawns were cooked perfectly, and the garlic well-roasted. The cod croquette-things (I forget the Spanish word) were very nice. They've got good beers on tap, and make OK cocktails. It's the quality of the tapas that make this place great. Go for when you want a great food experience. read more

Nope... Rip off... The good: The waitress staff were fantastic. They were quick, friendly, and helpful. They deserve to work in a better establishment... The vibe and decor is awesome... There's an old mexi movie playing on the wall, crazy shit all over. I just wish the food and price was better... The bad: The food was meh.... very bland and simple. I hear people saying, "Oh, it's authentic mexican street food. It's supposed to be like that." Well, authentic mexican street food shouldn't cost this much. $15 for 6 chicken wings in a pint glass? I don't think so... and they weren't even crispy. We also had the 'pulled pork' soft tacos. At $16, it had pulled pork, sour creme, and two out of the three had red onion and coriander. They were poorly made and definitely not worth it. It looked like someone had 'pulled' over my pork... dreadful. The fish tacos came with a few small pieces of fish in each... Not good enough. The fish was tasty though. The Ceviche was lacking both onion, and avocado. When the tuna warmed up it tasted fishy... Yuk! Best ceviche in town is at Rockpool bar and grill... Amazing! The ugly: The Sangria was $35 for half a litre... $35... My god that is crazy. When I got the bill my eye's bulged out of my sockets like a cartoon character. So did my lady's. I confirmed with the waitress this was right. She said, "Yeah, I know. The full litre is $50. I don't make the prices." Jesus. Who does? $50! Come on, I know it's Balmain but you are seriously taking the piss, right? Recommendation: You want Mexican Street food? Go to Mexico. It would be cheaper even with the flight! Seriously though if you want good mex street food go to 'Al-Carbon'. It's one of Sydney's new Food vans, however, they set up shop on Canterbury Road and call it 'La Lupita' during the week. They have live music and more importantly the food is superior. Charcoal cooked marinated meats... mmmmmmmm. Do it... read more

Excellent! Exactly what Balmain needs. Every suburb should have a kickass Mexican joint. Food was great, so was the quick and friendly service. I've had better Margaritas but who really cares when the food is this good. If it had outdoor seating and was open for lunch during the week I'd give it 5 stars, send out change of address cards and move in permanently! The best, Jerry! The best!! read more

The address given above, 245 Oxford St., is incorrect. The correct address is 350 Darling St. Great place thoroughly recommended. read more

Firstly the food and Cocktails are just below average. The biggest issue is that if something is miss communicated from a staff member they make it your problem. They charge you for their errors and are happy having customers leave feeling unimpressed about their experience. In short you don't matter when you visit this restaurant. read more