El Primo Sanchez — Restaurant in Sydney

Last night I celebrated my birthday at a new and supposedly upbeat Mexican restaurant in Paddington, and I must say, the experience left much to be desired. If you're considering a group menu, I would strongly advise against choosing this place. We paid a whopping $65 each and were left utterly disappointed with the portions. It felt like we were paying for the ambiance more than the food, as we were served a single piece of corn, one sashimi slice per person, and a mini palm-sized taco each. With eight of us at the table, we left the restaurant feeling famished. It felt like we were paying a premium for the hype and ambiance rather than the quality and quantity of food. The supposed "set menu" turned out to be more of a culinary tease than a satisfying meal. Frankly, we would have been better off preparing our own Mexican feast at home, which would have undoubtedly been more fulfilling and cost-effective.

On the upside, the drinks were tasty, albeit on the smaller side. They packed quite a punch, which added a silver lining to our evening.

Our waiter, though amiable, left much to be desired in terms of attentiveness. It was frustrating to observe that we had arrived before another table, yet they received more prompt and attentive service throughout the evening. We waited for nearly an hour and a half for our starter, which, when it finally arrived, turned out to be a meager portion of guacamole and a few corn chips. The stark contrast in service between our table and the one next to us left us feeling overlooked and neglected, making the overall dining experience even more disappointing, particularly given the prices we had paid.

If you're seeking value for money and a fulfilling dining experience, I'd recommend looking elsewhere , while the drinks were strong and tasty, they couldn't compensate for the disappointment we experienced with the food and the price we paid at the end of our bill. Our waiter couldn't save the evening from the lackluster meal and prolonged wait times. If you're looking for a place to celebrate with a group and enjoy a satisfying meal, I'd strongly advise looking elsewhere. This restaurant may have a cute and upbeat vibe, but it left us wishing we had chosen a different venue to mark...

I chose to book here for my birthday, expecting a fun and memorable night—but unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the most stressful experiences I’ve had. I was fully aware of the $1000 minimum spend and the two-hour time limit, but I assumed we’d at least be able to stay at the bar afterwards. Instead, we were abruptly told to leave by someone claiming we weren’t buying drinks—even though I literally had a drink in my hand and we had just paid a $1000 bill minutes earlier.

I had high hopes for this place, especially as a Latin venue—I expected warmth, hospitality, and a good time. Instead, we were rushed through our meal, constantly reminded of how much more we “needed” to spend, and then pushed out the door the moment our booking ended.

Out of all the venues I’ve visited in Sydney, this one stands out—for all the wrong reasons. It felt like the only priority was profit, not providing a genuine or enjoyable experience for guests. I won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend it to others.

REPLY— It’s disappointing to see the facts being misrepresented. My booking was made for 15 people, as shown in the attached confirmation. If the reservation had been for 10, the minimum spend would have been $500 — but I was told upon arrival that because we were 15, the minimum spend was $1000. This is a direct contradiction of what you’re implying in your reply.

Additionally, there was nothing polite about being told in Spanish that I had to leave. The way it was handled was abrupt and disrespectful. What I found most troubling was the use of sarcasm in your response to my review — that’s not only unprofessional but insulting to a customer who genuinely believed this place was welcoming and...

Arrived fairly early, before 6 pm, a party of 3 girls. We were taken to a small room with 4 tiny tables and hardly any light. No one asked us if we would be eating. Ordered cocktails, chips and guacamole. Arrived fast and was nice. Then we ordered food. I would describe the food as some sort of weird fusion of Mexican and Japanese cuisine. Kingfish ceviche was more like kingfish sashimi, mushroom enchilada was made with shitake and kikurage (black fungi) mushrooms, served on corn tortillas that were not charged before serving so they had no consistency and fell apart. We ordered other dishes and none of them contained any of the Mexican flavors and spices. When a waitress asked how our food was and why we didn’t finish we told her that were there was no Mexican flavor in the dishes to which she replied that they didn’t want to cook the “poor” Mexican food. She then sent the host to our table and again he asked about the food this time his reply to our comments was that the menu was designed for the “Australian”palette that cannot handle spicy food and that they are not really a restaurant, more like a bar. At 10 pm a waitress came and blew out our table cable and we were left in the dark. No one warned us that it would happen or asked politely. The staff looked miserable to be working there. It’s a real shame because the drinks were lovely and the decor beautiful but the food was not Mexican and staff very unprofessional. Restauranteurs need to remember that when people decide to spend money at their establishment they should get the entire experience, friendly and efficient staff, great food and drinks and good entertainment. That’s...