FOOD TYPE
Mex
FOOD QUALITY
Four of us dined on a chilly mid-winter Sunday eve in July.We ordered a selection of dishes to share, skipping the entree/mains distinction, except for a plate of totopos guacamole ($9) - that’s the corn chips with a creamy avo dip - and a couple of refreshing Sol beers, to start things off with. We choose four fish tacos and four chicken tacos ($6 a taco), a Mex street salad ($10) and a beef and bean enchilada ($24). We all enjoyed the food. It was beautifully prepared with love, care and attention to detail and presented to the table on attractive wood or stone serving trays. The fish and chicken tacos were soft and succulent and I loved the well cooked beef and bean enchilada. The salad was appetising and tasty. Clearly, only the finest quality ingredients are used, as it all tasted fresh and wholesome. Serving sizes were just right for us so we didn’t leave feeling hungry or bloated.
ATMOSPHERE
There was a small turnout on the night we dined, with only a handful of other diners. We were seated in a large booth, which had space for about six to eight people. The booths are private and secluded, so even though the place was quite empty, we didn’t notice it too much. As one would expect from a Mex restaurant, decor is colourful and bright, and a lot of time, effort and money has obviously gone into creating the right interior design to suit the South American vibe. It was just a pity that it was so quiet, which tended to make the atmosphere a tad soulless, despite the cheerful surrounds.
SERVICE
Service was outstanding. All my emails were promptly responded to, making the booking process a breeze. When we arrived, our reserved booth was ready and waiting for us. The waitress was friendly, helpful and efficient, but without being overbearing or obsequious. Orders were promptly taken, and the food was brought out by the chef in double quick time. First the salad, followed soon thereafter by the other dishes. The maitre d who attended to payment was also polite and friendly.
COMFORT
I found the booth seating to be a bit cramped and claustrophobic. Pity the person sitting right at the end if they want to go out to the toilet. Everyone else would have to get out first. The table is long and thin, but sufficient to be able to easily handle all the plates, dishes and bottles although of course it is designed to seat six people and we were only four. If I ever went to El Topo again though, especially if we are six people, I would not choose to sit in a booth, but rather one of the regular tables in the middle of the restaurant
MENU
The menu is almost impossible to read in the dim lighting. It’s made worse by the small font and faint, washed out colour scheme on the pages. Luckily I had my daughters with me - their eyes are better than mine - and they managed to decipher it with the help of phone torch.
TOILETS
Shopping centre toilets are outside the restaurant in the nearby food court. But being Westfield, of course, they’re clean, adequate and well provisioned.
ACOUSTICS
The booths are quite well insulated so we had no trouble conversing, although the small turnout probably also helped. But just for the record, though, this could be a noisy venue with all the concrete, tiling and wood and not a noise absorber anywhere to be seen.
COST
We came armed with our 25% Ent Book voucher (up to a max of $30) so that kept our bill to a modest $86 for the four of us. That bought us two beers, one mango juice, a salad, eight tacos, a plate of corn chips with dip and a beef and bean enchilada.
BOOKING
Doesn’t seem necessary except perhaps for a Fri or Sat night.
PARKING/ACCESS
Westfield BJ offers free parking after 6pm seven nights a week.
SUMMARY
We had a pleasant evening here and everything went off smoothly. The food is delicious and service is fast, friendly and efficient. The ambience is relaxed and casual. Prices are reasonable with your Ent Book discount and being in a Westfield Shopping Centre, you’ll enjoy free parking in the evening, a safe and pleasant environment with clean and adequate bathroom facilities. On the negative side,I found the lighting too gloomy and dim, making the menu impossible to read, and the booth seating, cramped. I was expecting a lively and rather noisy venue, but the lack of other diners made it fairly quiet and laid back.
MEMO
Although not stated, if you book through Dimmi, you can’t use your Ent Book voucher.
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