Have you ever just walked into a restaurant and felt right at home from the very beginning? There I was standing outside Cafe Pacifico in East Sydney. Mr NQN had dropped me off so that he could park the car-bless him and curse my heels. I took a look at the little glass display box and alongside the menu was an array of Day of the Dead dolls-what a heart warming sight! I made my way up the stairs and opened the door to be greeted by a hanging ghoul clutching a rose. Ahhh I was home…
I would think Cafe Pacifico is a great place for dining with someone that you’re a) not that familiar with or b) don’t really want to talk to. For point a, there is so much to see inside here from the $65 a shot tequila, parrots, the b&w horror film playing on the screen and b) the music is loud. Still the atmosphere is warm and when someone celebrates a birthday everyone joins in singing and the bartenders clash the cymbal . Then a girl accidentally sets their hair alight. It’s that kind of night.
Quesadillas
Tonight, we’re celebrating one of my good friends The Second Wife from She Goes who is having her first blogsoversary! Our first course of the $42 banquet menu is with the flour tortillas which are lightly grilled and filled in the centre with melted cheese and a runny creamy sauce which is quite delicious indeed. They are supposed to be served with salsa but I prefer them alone. And the photos are deliberately left with the orange hue that bathed the whole restaurant.
Bunuelos de Maiz
These were very popular with many cries of “pass me the balls”. They were round corn fritters stuffed with corn, capsicum, coriander, onion with a fritter flour and egg batter, rolled up and deep fried. It is paired with a sour cream with a layer of spicy pico de gallo underneath it. They’re moreish and I may have eaten three of these, I won’t confirm or deny 
Tostadas
The tostadas were a bit divisive. They are crispy round corn tortillas topped with beef, refried beans, lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo and a drizzling of chipotle sauce. Mr NQN liked these but I wasn’t particularly smitten with them as I found them a tad watery. Also randomly, some mouthfuls were chokingly hot whilst other were quite mild.
Nachos con Frijol Negro and Chorizo
Our plates of nachos come out and they are piled with black beans, slices of chorizo and pico de gallo which is an uncooked tomato and onion salsa. The corn chips remain crispy and the black beans are full of flavour as are the large discs of garlicky chorizo.
Margarita!
Queso Fundido
What we mistakenly thought was our last course so we ate up big was the Queso Fundido. It’s basically melted cheese over sliced chorizo with some pico de gallo tomato salsa and olives. We get some flour tortillas to go with them. There’s nothing quite like a pairing of tomato, chorizo and cheese and this is eagerly eaten.
Taco Platter
Shredded Chicken
They started to bring us more of the same entrees so we figured that this was the end of the banquet. Until of course they brought this baby out. It is massive and it is a DIY taco platter with assorted meats and vegetables in it. There are refried beans, Mexican rice, lettuce, cheese, pico de gallo, gaucamole. It comes with shredded beef and shredded chicken as well as grilled vegetables. The shredded beef is my favourite and it has a hint of cinnamon and the shredded chicken is also good with a tomato based sauce.
Shredded beef
Grilled vegetables
People are having fun, the cymbal is clashed, we bring out a lasciviously wobbly jelly cake and The Second Wife blows out some candles. Is this not the perfect place for Hallowe’en?
So tell me Dear Reader, which restaurant feels most like home to you?
Cafe Pacifico
95 Riley Street, Darlinghurst, East Sydney, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9360 3811
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52 Comments | Add your own
What a place, and what a night, Lorraine! The food looks delicious and like so much fun! (Especially those yummy corn fritters!)
Good to know about this place – we’ve been on the hunt for interesting Mexican in Sydney. Finally found Guzman y Gomez, but will add this place to the list of places to try out!
The tequila looks dangerous!
Yum!! I haven’t had good Mexican for ages! That sounds delicious… although I wonder if I could go on a slightly quieter night…
Wow – what a place! The taco platter is giving me breakfast cravings…
LOL – as soon as I saw the skellies, I knew you’d love this place. The restaurant that most feels like home to me is Weis Restaurant in Toowoomba – home town restaurant with a seafood and dessert smorgasbord.
I love this place! I went there for my birthday this year and am going again next weekend for a friends b-day. The food is awesome and they have lots of gluten free options. If you are there for a birthday make sure you order them the shots of tequila with sparklers (and they get a free Mexican hat to take home!)
Sounds like a fun place, and I think I’d feel right at home too! I love the idea of a build your own taco platter. With all our Tex-Mex joints in town, I can’t believe no one does that here!
Marco’s restaurant across the river from my place in Bagni di Lucca. There is always a big hug from Marco, he does the best pizzas and I get to practise my Italian watching the Italian version of Who wants to be a millionarie? and be one of the locals.
Wow this place is packed! It doesn’t even look like you’re in Syd haha looks like a lot of fun
What a funky place! The shredded meat looks yum, as do those drinks! The Margarita looks wonderful. Can you believe I’ve never had one? I need to get my mexican on. Italian trattorias make me feel at home. Not that I’m Italian – I wish! Also no-fuss chinese canteen style places make me feel at home.
Heidi xo
Oh that would definitely be an awesome place for Halloween. Bet it’s booked out months in advance! Pass me the balls …)
Looks like great fun & I love Mexican. I don’t really have a restaurant that feels like home… that’s kinda sad really. Maybe i’ll say Mum’s
Yummo, I’m craving for tacos already!
Personally, I’d be slightly spooked out by this place, definitely a halloween option though!
I wish this cafe is in Melbourne.
Now that’s a whole lot of bang for your buck. Melted cheese over chorizo … I’m feeling shudders. Good shudders!
Oh yum that looks delicious. As for unintentionally crazy nights, I can totally relate – it involved Blenheim in NZ, the local pub and lots of table/bar dancing…
Meeeeemorriiieees of a corner of my 21st birthday. I was not the girl that had her hair set on fire but I so could have been =)
I AM GOING HERE NEXT HALLOWEEN
The food look amazing. I’m very envious of the giant taco platter at the end.
Can you come to Brisbane and find a good Mexican restaurant? I feel we are lacking.
Looks like a fun (but creepy) place – yummy food too!
My parents and I used to go to a particular restaurant every Wednesday night during my first year of undergrad, so that place felt pretty homely! Sadly the owners changed and the food went downhill, but I still have nice memories of it
That place really does seem right for your fun-loving personality! I wish I could’ve seen your face upon entering
I *love* this place!
There’s a number plate at the front near the register that says EMILYS – that’s mine.
YUM I want to go there now!
My hubby went here for a bucks a few weeks ago and LOVED it. I had heard good things, but he was a bit hesitant as he thinks you get a bit short-changed on banquet menus. He happily admitted he was WRONG – loved the food and loved the atmosphere – a good groups venue I think.
Well, Mexican is not something you’d be able to drag me to and even though this looks like an interesting spot, Mex food just doesn’t grab me at all. Now, the restaurant where I most feel at home is Burlington Bar & Bistro in Crows Nest ’cause Lela is just a great hostess with the mostess, the food is casual but interesting and ever changing and the wine list is varied and reasonable.
Aw, no pics of the wobbly jelly cake, hehe!
Ooops, missed the link to the jelly cake, thanks!
I remember the jelly cake! I must make one for my daughter one. She saw your picture and said to me “Mummy I want to be a jelly cake queen”. I think she thought that it was a queen on top!
PS. Maya, the pictures of it are on the link
I nearly choked on my tea at the pass me the balls remark! And that DIY taco platter concept rocks.
Super fun place to ‘do Halloween’ I’d say, in fact possibly the only place. What a great environment for a fantastic Mexican meal.
I hope everyone was suitably hung over from the celebrations – as it looks like that sort of place!!
After looking at these pictures i’m ready for a tasty cocktail and craving some delicious food… the photos are great, look forward to getting there!
what a wonderfully unique cafe!!
Actually, I could see this place as a good destination for a first date. After all, if you ever ran out of things to talk about, you could easily start gabbing about the unusual decor. That in and of itself would provide hours of entertainment.
I went to Cafe Pacifico for a friend’s 40th earlier this year and we loved it. Loved the atmosphere and the food – I especially remember the chicken fajitas. And you’re right about the noise levels there, hubby and I woke up the next morning with sore throats from spending the night shouting to the person you were trying to have a conversation with, but saying that, it’s all part of the fabulous vibe of the place.
I looove that taco platter! What a fun concept, and what a huge amount of food! Yumm…
Sounds wonderful Lorraine, I LOVE Mexican food!
What a lovely time, spent with friends n family….
Had enjoyed the novel idea of the jelly cake…..
Would love to visit this cafe…
Cheers,
The Variable, Crazy Over Desserts – Nachiketa
Catch me on facebook @ Crazy Over Desserts
Enviable, just so enviable…right down to the number of balls you ate or didn’t! I’m lovin’ it!
{pls delete the last comment…finger trouble!!}
Sounds like a great evening indeed for your friend!
Never tried this place but the food looks promising and the decor looks fun – for one night, wouldn’t want to live with it
.
Ahhh you broke down and went to have nachos after all!! I guess some of my posts are giving you some cravings after all!! Everything looked delicious…
¡Muy delicioso!
I wish I were there too.
In regards to my favorite restaurant, I seem to recall a tiny, Cuban restaurant on Calle Ocho, in Fla.
Unfortunately, it’s about 1600 miles from my house, so it’s not one I frequent often
What fun celebrating day of the dead with FOOD! hehehe
The tostadas look amazing.. I’m not usually a huge fan of Mexican but I’m getting there!
I’ll have one or two of those lovely Margaritas ! Btw lovely pearl ring Lorraine.
The food looks delicious but I feel a heartburn attack coming on lol.
We love dining at Chinta Ria at Cockle bay Wharf, homely and the food is consistently good, only negative is that it’s very noisy . Luke Nguyen’s Fat Noodle at Star City casino has us going back again and again.
Oh wow what a fantastic find. Such atmosphere and mexican!
Reading about your Halloween parties I know why you are totally at home here =D That skeleton would freak me out if it were the first thing to greet me walking into a place.
the decor is eerily enjoyable–methinks i’d like this place very much. the food is just my size too–nice find!
nice photo (last picture) with a sneaky shot of Charlie Ainsbury, (former Australian Bartender of the Year!!!)
Twas a good night slinging drinks with Naren and Chino… check out Chino @ The Duke, above Flinders Hotel.
Naren @ the netheregions of NYC.
I went there a few years ago for a birthday and it was a very good atmosphere. I remember the food was quite good too, although we didn’t get the wonderful assortment that you had. That taco platter looks amazing!
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