Sydney's Mexican scene still has a way to go. The right ingredients can be hard to get, and the Mexican expat population is slim compared to say, the Thai and Italian populations. Then there's Tex-Mex, which has its place, but tends to be conflated with genuine south-of-the-border cuisine.

These restaurants are leading the pack. A few do fusion in a respectful way, but for the most part they work with traditional recipes and ingredients such as ancho, guajillo and poblano chillies; 100 per cent agave tequilas and mezcals; and perhaps most importantly of all, nixtamalised white-corn tortillas.

One last thing: it's not a restaurant, but we'd be remiss not to mention La Casa Latina, an incredibly authentic Mexican stand that appears at the Marrickville Markets.