La Cantina

Upstairs Los Vida, 419 Pacific Highway Crows Nest
losvida.com.au

While some suburbs north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge have of late been described as an “oasis of boredom”, Crown Nest is doing its part to offer something exciting to the locals — witness Christian Blair’s (ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill) restaurant, Annata, and now La Cantina, which occupies the loft space of Mexican restaurant Los Vida.

Here the offering is simple, in the sense that the things you want — nay, the things you need — are provided: good quality, and yes, artisanal mezcal; top-flight tequila; and proper Mexican flavours by way of the food. They’re pretty damn passionate about their mezcal in particular, so a trip across the bridge to settle in for the night doesn’t seem like such a tall order.