Team behind Australia‘s Best Bar turn 1940s Paddington pub The Rose into Mexican oasis

On the eve of international margarita day, a Paddington pub has become a Mexican oasis, celebrating muchas mezcal and an assortment of agaves.

Bar staffer Tatiana Ciraci will be whipping up margarita when El Primo Sanchez opens its doors. Picture: John Grainger

At more than 20 pages long, the spirits menu at El Primo Sanchez, the new venue from the team at behind Australia’s Best Bar Maybe Sammy’s, is anything but simple.

“There are more than 270 types of agave plant. We don’t want to make it more complicated for you, but not every agave spirit is tequila or mezcal,” a page states.

But with Mexican cuisine and beverages surging in popularity once more, co-founder Martin Hudak believes now is the time Sydney customers can up their game when it comes to drinks from Mexico.

“Last thing I want to do when I go to a bar is be educated, I hate it. We don’t want to force our ideas onto anyone. However we’ve created a bar for the drinks geeks or people like my Mum,” said Hudak.

The venue opens on National Margarita Day — Wednesday February 22 — after a VIP opening on Tuesday.

El Primo Sanchez is the fifth venue from the Maybe Group, and this venue is in partnership with Jon Adgemis’ Public Hospitality.

The Mexican themed bar opens to the public on February 22. Picture: John Grainger

Paddington pub The Rose becomes Mexican oasis El Primo Sanchez. Picture John Grainger

The bar is situated at the site of Paddington’s The Rose and is next Oxford House on Oxford Street.

Hudak said say the groups were inspired by the 1940s framework of the pub to create a Mexican bar that is throwback to the colourful local bars in the country at that time, where cocktails are meant to be shared and served in clay jugs.

“We’ve paid so much attention to our margarita. We’ve gone so far into the details. We’ve even designed our own glass for it.”

El Primo Sanchez is set to open soon. The Mexican themed bar is Located at 27-33 Oxford st Paddington,

Tatiana Ciraci pours a margarita. Picture: John Grainger

With the rise of popularity in Mexican culture, Hudak said it was important for the venue to not feel kitsch.

Which is why more than 80 per cent of the staff are Mexican or Latin American. It’s also why the food is developed by Mexican chef Alejandro Huerta, who also has worked at what is known as the world’s best restaurant Noma in Copenhagen.

El Primo Sanchez will feature a refined Mexican menu. Picture: Supplied

“It’s a huge to step into the [food] space but it’s important we continue to grow,” Hudak said.

“Alejandro has worked at Pujol, the best restaurant in Mexico City. He’s created the most refined Mexican menu.”

For Huerta, he wants guests to leave knowing they’ve tried real Mexican food. “Many of the dishes on the menu are beloved in Mexico but are unknown in Australia so I wanted to expand the understanding of what Mexican food is,” he said.

Another departure is the name of the bar. While the previous Maybe Group offerings have been named after members of the Rat Pack like Sammy Davis Jnr and Dean Martin, Cousin P. Sanchez is a fictional character.

“He’s not as famous as the others, yet and to us he’s living. We’ve got a shrine of his red jacket from when he worked as a bartender on a cruise ship in the restaurant. He’s a persona Sydney knows,” Hudak said.