Coming Soon: Grazeland's El Taco Team Is Running the Kitchens at Hotel Mexico and Bar Mexico

Grazeland Director John Forman is preparing to open two new Mexican restaurants in Melbourne this year, and has enlisted the help of siblings Neven Hayek and Sandrow Yalda from El Taco (also at Grazeland) to run the kitchens.

The duo has been pumping out tacos, quesedillas and loaded fries from the shipping container from the Spotswood site since 2019, and they are now taking things to a whole new level with these new sibling venues in Preston and Yarraville.

The first site, Bar Mexico, is slated to open on Thursday, June 13, within the old Northside Food Hall on the Preston end of High Street. The bar will showcase over 50 tequilas, mezcals and raicillas sourced directly from distilleries across Mexico — either in cocktails or tasting flights — while the kitchen will serve up El Taco's signature Mexican-style street eats. You can expect to find birria quesadillas and taco platters that you can personalise. Latin music and DJs will also be blasting tunes throughout the week.

The second venue, Hotel Mexico, will be more like a pub than bar, opening within Yarraville site that formerly housed live music venue The Mersh sometime in August this year. The food and entertainment offer won't be too dissimilar to its sibling venue, but here, the crew has also gone all out by redesigning the venue's front bar, beer garden and private events space.

As for the design, both Hotel Mexico and Bar Mexico's interiors are inspired by hacienda-style Mexican architecture and mid-century Central American beach culture — think stucco walls, rustic wood accents, archways, art deco murals and an eclectic mix of lighting. They'll be big, bright and buzzing with party energy.

Once Bar Mexico and Hotel Mexico open this year, we expect they'll be hosting some proper taco- and tequila-fuelled fiestas.

Bar Mexico will open on Thursday, June 13, at 39 High Street, Preston. Hotel Mexico is slated to open in August this year and will be located at 238 Whitehall Street, Yarraville. We'll be sure to keep you updated with additional information as we get it.