Little Mez

Queenstown has agave-based spirits covered with speakeasy-style basement bar Little Mez. The 42-seater is located directly below its Mexican sister restaurant, Margo’s and co-founders James Ace and Bert Haines, plus site manager Stu Campbell, say they’re led by two principles: style and service.

The fit-out combines low lighting, plenty of artificial plants and distressed, handpainted interiors. Pull up a leather stool or slide onto the Aztec-inspired banquette, and highly trained staff will recommend the daily cocktail, a limited edition sipping tequila or a house-crafted infusion to suit your taste. There are more than 90 spirits to choose from, priced between $11 to $85 for 30mls, and the staff know them all.

Prefer a perfectly balanced Margarita? You'll find that here too. You can also try mezcal served in a locally made clay cup for something more in line with a traditional Mexican experience.

Food-wise, snack on corn chips, various salsas and guacamole all made by chefs upstairs, or try the Coca-Cola barbeque pork ribs and market fish ceviche. Aside from spirits, there’s also a biodynamic and organic wine list.