Checho's Penrith — Restaurant in Sydney

The Chechos Dining Experience Where do I begin? From the moment we entered, anticipation settled... I've eaten at Chechos a few times now, and I keep coming back because I know we will get excellent service, delicious food and fabulous cocktails. It was my husband's 32nd birthday, something that one doesn't often get excited about; but I insisted we celebrate at one of my favourite places, and as he's a good husband, he listened. He did not regret. Oh no. Instead, we began the night with the aforementioned fabulous cocktails; now, we have two little ones, and as common-sense dictates, it's not ideal to be throwing back hard liquor when raising young children in this day and age (no matter how tempting, and believe me, toddlers incite such temptation on a daily basis). So, when the opportunity arises, you'd better believe we are going to indulge...and Checho's did not disappoint. He had a tequila twist on one of his favourites, the Old Fashioned. I myself settled for the Passionfruit Sangria; it's a testament to the staff that I tried this, not being one to normally drink passionfruit or white wine, but it did not disappointment. Now, for the food: again, because marriage is built on trust, I took the reins on ordering what I believed to be a good choice. We began with a classic- guacamole and chips. A highly underrated starter, and the avocado was so fresh, we scored a hearty chunk at the end. Being the millennials we are, we rejoiced. Next, the tacos! What do you do when you can't decide between vegetarian, beef or pork? You get all three, of course! When I say the flavours were not to be underestimated, take me seriously. Being the Caucasian folk we are, ingesting spice is a roll of the dice...however, Chechos is able to allow the flavours to sing their songs in a symphony befitting of a national choir. Don't get me wrong, there was still spice, but it didn't overpower the carefully chosen ingredients and my stomach did not protest in the slightest. My favourite was the vegetarian, which again surprises me because I pride myself on my carnivorous tendencies. Goes to show the magic Chechos spins, when cauliflower is on par with 12-hour cooked brisket. And finally, the piece de resistance...the Patatas Bravas. Anyone who says they don't like potatoes I assume are liars; these were made to perfection and would turn even the most anti-carbohydrate heathen into a Believer. The combination of paprika, chipotle mayo smeared onto golden brown potatoes is worthy of a chef kiss; I thought the Mexican cartel had developed new product, it is unbelievably addictive. We opted for these potatoes over dessert; and that should speak volumes.

The service throughout this evening was fantastic; our server did not hover uncomfortably like a hummingbird, but flitted in and out to check all was good, make quality recommendations and then get on with it- very much my style. I did not catch her name, but she wore a snake pendant necklace, which was unique. She was brilliant, and clearly knows what she is doing! Not to mention, the food and beverages came out ridiculously fast, especially considering how busy the restaurant was getting.

If you are a fan of Mexican food, and a fan of fun, then go to Chechos. Just do it. Make a booking first though, don't be foolish. This place is super popular, and you wouldn't want to miss out!

Muchas...

Very disappointed with our visit. I will start by saying that what we did eat was good, very delicious however…. We ordered 2 starters and 2 mains and when ordering we asked if the mains were served with any sides or was it just meat on the plate and were told just meat so we also ordered a salad from the sides menu to go with the mains. We were served 1 of the 2 starters and when we were almost finished that our salad was brought to the table. We had to say sorry but we ordered that to have with the mains, we said that when placing the order, so it was taken back we also asked at that time where our second starter was as we were wanting to share and eat them together. The second starter was brought out a few minutes later and then a few minutes after that 1 of our mains was brought out. Again we had to send it back and inform the waitress that was our main and question why would we want our main when we have only just received our second starter. Then we waited 45 minutes after finishing our starters and our mains still hadn’t been brought out and we had empty drink glasses sitting on the table with no one taking them or asking if we wanted more. Also when ordering we were given the choice of still, sparking or tap water and asked for still and were given tap. We ended up leaving without our mains and salad after waiting so long that another couple had come in after us ordered eaten and left while we were still waiting for our mains. Then the waitress tried to charge us for the food we hadn’t even received. It wasn’t busy in the restaurant to justify the long wait for the mains or the empty glasses just sitting on the table. Suffice to say we won’t...

CHECHOS® PENRITH

🧐 I was lucky enough to be invited to try Chechos in Penrith. As soon as I saw the line-up of modern Mexican dishes and that neon-lit vibe, I knew it was going to be my kind of place. They’re opening in Camden soon and I already can’t wait to go again.

🎨Neon signage, moody lighting, loud music, bold art and a seriously fun energy. It’s cool, cheeky and full of flavour — just like the menu. Think late-night taqueria meets upscale Mexican diner. Definitely somewhere you’d go with friends or for a fun date night.

🍸Didn’t get to try a cocktail this time but their bar setup looked so fun. Tequila and mezcal lovers, you’re covered.

🍽️

✨ Kingfish Aguachile

Kingfish, yuzu, pickled onions, jalapeño, tajin seasoning and lime

So fresh, so zesty and just the right amount of heat. The kind of starter that wakes up your taste buds in the best way.

✨ Fish Tacos

Flathead, garlic cream, pico de gallo, onion salsa and consommé

My favourite bite of the night. The garlic cream was next-level and the consommé on the side gave it that rich depth. Crunchy, creamy, punchy perfection.

✨ Wagyu Scotch Fillet MB3+

With chimichurri and lime

Juicy, charred and cooked beautifully. Loved the simple yet powerful flavour combo. That chimichurri is no joke.

👀 Next time I want to try The prawn tostada

The birria tacos — I’ve seen these all over socials and they look insane

🙏Chechos is the kind of place that leaves a lasting impression. Bold, modern and full of flavour. If this is what they’re doing in Penrith, I can’t wait to see what magic they bring to Camden. Massive thanks to the Chechos team for having me — I’ll be back the minute those...