After more than two years of serving tacos and tequila in Paddington, El Primo Sanchez has resurfaced in Surry Hills. The venue has officially reopened this week, and has found its new home on Crown Street, inside the old Four Pillars Lab and Eileen’s Bar site – with the newly launched Maybe Sammy Cocktail Studio tucked below.
It’s a new era for the beloved bar – same mischievous spirit, with new sophistication. The playful, high-energy taqueria has evolved into a 100-person cocktail lounge that still knows how to have fun.
“This is still Sanchez – it’s loud, colourful and full of personality – but it’s grown up a little,” says Venue Manager Eduardo Conde. “We’ve focused the drinks, sharpened the atmosphere, and built something that still feels like a party, just one that happens in a velvet booth instead of a taco line.”
Conde leads the charge behind the bar with a new cocktail list that keeps agave front and centre. Margaritas are still the headline act – from the bright Tropical Margarita with mango and passionfruit, to the indulgent Coconut Margarita, and the crisp, no-nonsense Primo Margarita. For something tall, the Sanchez Paloma mixes mandarin and agave for a fresh hit, while the Cuatro Spritz blends gin, kiwi, and prosecco.
There are a few clever reworks, too – the Horchata Colada brings a macadamia twist to the classic, and the Gimlet al Maiz infuses tortilla into a silky, savoury spin on the gin staple.
Over in the kitchen, Head Chef Diego Sotelo has stripped things back to a snack-driven menu built for grazing. Empanadas come stuffed with chicken and salsa de ají amarillo, while tostadas top roasted mushrooms with porcini cream and pickled shimeji. The hits keep coming with chips in a bag loaded with beef tartare, stracciatella and guindilla peppers, and the cheeseburger taco, already destined for cult status.
The new look channels the familiar warmth of Eileen’s Bar, but with the Sanchez attitude and personal touch turned up. Think low light, vivid artwork, and a splash of disco energy – complete with a custom DJ booth. A scattering of low tables and intimate booths keeps things relaxed, and yes, the karaoke room lives on.
Downstairs, the Maybe Sammy Cocktails Studio makes its long-awaited debut. It’s the group’s first retail and experience space – a shopfront, tasting room and a cocktail classroom all under one roof.
“Surry Hills gives Sanchez a fresh kind of energy,” says co-owner Stefano Catino. “It’s still fun and a bit wild, but with a new layer of sophistication. And having the Maybe Sammy Studio beneath it means people can extend that experience – take a piece of what we do home with them.”