Barrio Chino and Spice Cellar Team Up for New Late Night CBD Mexican Bar

When Elizabeth Street's Spice Cellar served its last Negroni, cranked its last house track and packed its bags for Erskineville, Sydney's hospitality scene knew the space wouldn't stay vacated for long.  The owners of Kings Cross taqueria and tequileria Barrio Chino and Potts Point's Cantonese eatery Fei Jai quickly snapped it up, now reopening the Spice Cellar basement as a new tequila bar and Mexican street food joint, Barrio Cellar.

Owners Nicole Galloway and Peter Lew have worked with bigtime designers Luchetti Krelle (ACME, The Butler, the new Single O takeaway bar and the upcoming Hello Kitty Diner) to transform the Elizabeth Street venue into a late-night, Art-Deco-inspired Mexican street food den; one which keeps the kitchen open until the early hours (wait for it... until 3am) Monday through Sunday. Plus, Galloway and Lew have joined forces with Rebecca Alder and Murat Kilic of Spice Cellar who have returned to their former home to curate Barrio Cellar’s music program.

“When Spice Cellar out grew the space, Nicole and I knew immediately this was our new project," says Lew. "We had been looking for a unique basement space for some time to really expand on our current tequila and mezcal list and create a menu that is very much the heart and soul of authentic street food. We are thrilled to make the move to the city."

Galloway and Lew developed the menu after a trip to Tijuana, Ensenada and Baja California, so expect grassroots Mexican street food here. Barrio Chino favourites will be making the city trip, with some of the restaurant's go-to dishes and cocktails appearing on the Cellar menu alongside new specially-created dishes. Best bit? That 3am closing time. You can munch on Chicharron, smokey chilli pork crackling with arbol mayo, a mariscos (seafood) taco selection and Mexican ‘street style’ hotdogs (streaky bacon-wrapped beef dog with pico de gallo, jalapeno, queso) until the wee hours.

Of course, this wouldn't be a Barrio endeavour without a little tequila. Try a little of Barrio Cellar’s house Mezcal, Neustra Soledad cocktails and Barrio Chino's speciality, Tommy’s margarita. Barrio Cellar's motto? "Everything with tequila."

Find Barrio Cellar at basement level, 58 Elizabeth Street, Martin Place. Open Monday and Tuesday 4pm–midnight, Wednesday to Friday 4pm–3am, Saturday 5pm–3am.

Images: Barrio Cellar.