An Ex-Restaurant Botanic Head Chef Leads the Kitchen at Picoso, a New Mexican Restaurant in Prospect

There’s no denying Oliver Luxton’s bona fides. He has cooked in some serious kitchens: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, Pescatore in Christchurch, The Charles Grand and the short-lived but much-loved Raja in Sydney. Most recently he worked as head chef at Adelaide’s Restaurant Botanic under executive chef Jamie Musgraves. 

Now he’s making tacos, tlayudas and tostadas at Picoso Mexican Bar y Cocina, the latest venue to land on a stretch of Prospect Road that’s quietly collecting culinary cred.

Picoso – which means spicy in Spanish – goes deeper than your standard Taco Tuesday joint. It sits confidently between casual cantina and refined diner, bringing its own heat and personality to the neighbourhood. 

“You don’t just slap a taco on the grill and here you go,” says Luxton. “There’s so much love that goes into Mexican food and so much work involved to create just one dish. I think people really misunderstand Mexican cuisine. It’s food for gathering, designed to share with friends and family. It’s not just a quick takeaway.”

That philosophy shapes everything on the menu. The mole poblano is made with more than 20 ingredients and spends a week maturing in the fridge before serving. The braised short rib that accompanies the mole is cooked for 62 hours to achieve that tender, fall-off-the-bone effect. 

The menu moves through small plates – citrus-cured ceviche blanco, SA prawns in aguachile verde, smoked cod roe with chicharron, charred elote with chipotle mayo – into tacos and larger dishes. Centrepieces include smoky whole-roasted prawns, carne asada ranchera off the open-flame grill, and a mushroom Oaxaca tlayuda, which reinterprets the traditional crisp flatbread. 

Soft house-made corn tortillas come with every main dish, turning the table into its own taco spread, with crisp slaw, pickled veg and punchy salsas to stack as desired. “I’m using my background in fermentation, aging and my love of cooking with fire and smoke to add that extra depth of flavour to each dish,” says Luxton. 

The drinks list celebrates the Margarita in all its forms: shaken or frozen, Tommy-style, coconut-infused, or garnished with spicy pineapple with jalapenos and tajin. But for the Marg-avoidant, there are also cocktail classics, local and Mexican beers, and a well-considered edit of local wine including Basket Range, Gentle Folk, Koerner and Thistledown.

The fit-out of the art deco building – led by Simone Eichler of Coda Design – draws on the warm desert and sunset tones of Mexico: earthy oranges, deep reds, dusty-rose walls and bold checks throughout. Traditional folk art pays homage to Mexico’s history, lush palm-tree wallpapers are designed to transport you, and ambient pendant lighting gives the space a warm and intimate feel. 

Outside there’s a terrace which will fill out in warm summer evenings, but is currently decked out for winter with blankets.

Luxton’s vision for Picoso is clear. “It’s not stiff, but somewhere lively and fun, which invites people to settle in rather than pass through. I want people to walk away thinking, ‘Wow, that’s actually different to what we thought Mexican food is’.”

Picoso Mexican Bar y Cocina

89 Prospect Road, Prospect

0431 921 249

Hours:

Tues to Thu 5pm–9.30pm

Fri to Sun midday–2pm, 5pm–9.30pm

www.picoso.com.au

@picosomexican