Chica Bonita

Chica Bonita is concealed at the back of a little arcade and spilling onto the laneway and car park behind it is one for the books. With a roller door opening to a tiny wooden deck, it shares the strip with Infinity Sourdough, so it’s in good company.

Walk into this Mexican taco joint and find multi-coloured Mexican tiles covering the bar and tables; rainbow-striped cushions leaning against the raw brick walls; and Dia de los Muertos dolls dotting the décor, most of which is direct from Mexico. And if skulls aren’t your thing, it’s worth toughening up for the food.

Lunch offers burritos from 11am to 3pm and cochinita pibil (slow-roasted shredded pork) makes for a hefty foil-wrapped roll the size of your forearm (so bring your appetite). Orders of guacamole arrive with smoky chips in brown paper bags. Dinner offers a slightly different combination of dishes, but they’re all along the taco/tortilla line and both menus are tight and designed to be knocked back with a Mexicali beer, shot of tequila or a margarita. It’s all delivered with the option of three hot sauces, which vary in intensity, so make sure you take note of which one is the hot hot sauce.

Mates Sean and Luke Miller (not related) are Manly locals with a passion for Mexican food and they wanted to create the sort of place that they’d want to hang out in themselves.