Cantina OK! is an iconic alleyway bar in Sydney that has been ranked among the best in the world multiple times — it landed at number 23 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2021, and its Margarita OK! has been named one of the five best cocktails in the world. So yeah, there’s hype. But….
Look, I get it… These reviews are subjective. But still. If you’re in Sydney temporarily, or live there, it’s worth a visit if you haven’t been.
Worth knowing the backstory: it’s the third venue from the team behind Tio’s Cerveceria and The Cliff Dive, and the owners did a big road trip through Mexico, picking up mezcal along the way, before opening this hole-in-the-wall in a converted single-car garage in 2019. There’s space for just 20 people, all standing.
One highlight of the place is their antique ice-shaving machine. It uses giant blocks of ice which are hooked into the machine, then rotated against a blade to create shaved ice. There’s a subtle difference between this and ice done with modern machines — I think it’s that this comes out somehow softer, as well as less cold, having been part of a block that’s been sitting around. Anyway it’s good, high quality, and mixed well with the drink we had. (Fittingly, the whole place leans into this hand-made ethos — hand-imported agave spirits, hand-pressed limes, hand-shaved ice.)
We actually got two copies of the same thing — the non-alcoholic drink — to which we, perhaps ironically, added a shot of mezcal to one of them. This was our way of tasting the exact same drink with and without alcohol. They were both great, but you could see how the alcohol-laden one had a different, more dampened texture due to the booze, while the no-alcohol one really sparkled and popped with the natural fruit flavors.
I loved the generous heaping of salt on the side of the drink, but my companion thought it was overdone and disliked drinking the salt. Perhaps I ran too much earlier in the week, meaning the salt tasted better to me.
It’s true this is probably the very best spot in Sydney if you want deep knowledge of margaritas, mezcal, and tequila and really want a place that knows their stuff. If you need to sit down, or want a beer or something more standard, there are better options.
Anyway, recommended!
Take Risks Be Happy Score: 9.5/10
The rating above assumes you know it’s a standing-room-only place. If you’re expecting a quiet bar with seating, it’s not a 9.5 for your needs.
