olotl — Restaurant in Sydney

(4.5 stars) Olotl is all heart. On the same weekend where a small number of Australians chose to march alongside neo-Nazis against immigration, it was just the antidote I needed. Listening to Alexander Perera explain: “This is my Mum and my grandma, they own the restaurant,” as he pointed proudly to the women in the open kitchen, made me smile. When I walked to the counter to place my order, Blanca Perera (his Mum) was quick to celebrate the work of other women immigrants whose products she sells with all money going to the maker. The gorgeous iced gingerbread cookies are made by a woman who was displaced by war in Ukraine. The ginger tonics take Queensland ginger to West Africa in the hands of Yarrie Bangura, who fled Sierra Leone when she was eight.

Blanca Perera, and her mother, Blanca Mejia, began Olotl in 2023 as a pop-up in Glebe’s Tramsheds. They moved to Newtown, finding daytime digs above Campos Coffee. Two months ago they found a permanent home on King Street in a former Domino’s Pizza. Vestiges of the former occupant remain, with reportable conduct signs visible if you take a trip to the bathroom, but the two businesses couldn’t be further apart. At Olotl everyone is kind, and all food is made by hand from scratch, including the gloriously soft and pliable corn tortillas.

The mole verde taco ($6.50) is an update to a recipe used by Perera’s grandmother. She’s added macadamias to the list of nuts roasted and blended into the 31-ingredient slow-cooked sauce that also includes subtle chilli, tomatillo, cinnamon, and sultanas. A green salsa verde with jalapeños, zucchini, tomatillo, garlic and onion makes the shiitake taco ($6.50) a winner. The birria taco ($6.50) made using five dried chillies, and the cochinita taco ($6.50) with citrus-spiked pork turned red from achiote paste, are probably my favourites. The beef taco has a lovely chilli lift, though this spot isn’t about killing your tastebuds with too much heat. It’s about subtlety and flavour, delivered with compassion and care. They don’t even...

It is definitely not my opinion that this is the best Mexican around..... there is no opinion here... it is a fact you will not find better Mexican anywhere. The best way to describe this place would be " delicate Elegance". The food is small but the passion is enormous. It's a mother daughter Mexican Powerhouse team that looked like they have just recently moved here? They are still setting up the kitchen but the passion is just infectious. this will now be a regular staple for me. If you're looking for extra large cheese loaded greasy Mexican don't expect that here this is like Michelin star Mexican in an $8 taco and even if you're not a real fan of Mexican food you should still come and try this because it's unlike anything...

Some of the best tacos I've ever eaten, as someone who has eaten a lot of tacos in Mexico.

We tried the conchinita, mole, birria, and nopales tacos and loved every single one (the mole and the birria we ordered extras of).

The tortillas were absolutely delicious, and the taco fillings were better that many that I have tried in Mexico.

We wished that you could order a full plate of chicken, mole and rice.

And we would have ordered a giant portion of those chips, that salsa and guac if we could have (they very kindly gave us some extra for free).

This isn't just authentic Mexican food, it's top tier Mexican food.

I cannot wait to go back and can't wait to try more menu items.

Cannot recommend...