Review El Publico - Highgate

Best Mexican food in WA and my new favourite restaurant in the area! The food was fantastic, but the mole icecream is where the chef really shows off their creativity. The juxtaposition of the spices and the cream creates a flavour explosion in my mouth of pure joy. I haven't had something so innovative in food for ages. The tacos were fantastic too. I preferred the carne asada one but the fish taco was also good. The crickets taste like popcorn and are fun to eat taco style with an order of tortillas and the green chile salsa. The beef Mogo Mogo balls were surprising full of shredded beef and the dipping sauce went great with it. The tortillas tasted just like the tortillerias from Mexico They're really doing great things at this place!

Went for dinner. We were running late and they were happy to move our booking to an hour later. Ordered birria tacos, pork carnitos and steak tacos. The birria is amazing. The chicaron in the pork tacos adds an amazing texture to the soft shell tacos. Did I mention u can order crickets. Honestly they taste like chips if u ignore that they are bugs. Ordered a mixed platter to share. There is chorizo, rump steak, chicken, pork belly. There is a choice of protein for everyone. Unfortunately the rump was medium well rather than medium rare. A bit on the tougher side.

Cute little spot in mount lawley. Chicken taco was the stand out dish. The asada steak taco lacked flavour. Also the music wasn't matching the theme/atmosphere of the place but overall a fun experience.

Ive never been to Mexico but this is what I imagine authentic Mexican food to taste like. Everything was delicious but our server didnt really seem to care much.

Amazing Mexican food! The flavors are really authentic, we had the empanadas and tacos and they took me back home! The portions were a good size, perfect for sharing. Great venue and the service was exceptional, very friendly staff. Thank you!!! Definitely the best Mexican food you can get in Perth!

Service was OUTSTANDING! Bar was OUTSTANDING! Food was OUTSTANDING AND AMAZING! I can't wait to go back and I live in the USA!

A great and authentic Mexican restaurant with a good atmosphere. Service was good and the food was delicious. The cocktails are a must.

Had a wonderful experience at El Publico. One of the best Mexican restaurants in Perth for sure. The food is served with incredible speed, service is good - and most importantly the food tastes delicious as well. We had a variety of dishes from tacos through to ceviche and they were all packed with unique flavours. If you want a drink then they have a solid assortment of drinks on offer. Great atmosphere - will definitely visit here again!

Food 10/10 Location 10/10 Tequila bar 10/10 Staff.................................... there is not a score high enough to rate the staff at this gem of a restaurant/ tequila bar!!!! Dan and his team would have to be the most attentive entertaining knowledgeable and fantastic team I’ve ever had the experience of. Nothing was too much trouble and their knowledge of all things tequila related was first class! We will be back and I can’t recommend this place enough :-)

The Patron dinner last night was incredible! I never ever thought I would be sipping straight tequila with dinner and loving it! The food was insanely good - especially the steak taco - to die for! The service is phenomenal. Everyone is so knowledgable and their passion for the food, tequila and mezcal is infectious. The atmosphere is always great and so much fun. I will be back time and time again without a doubt. AMAZING! I cannot recommend more highly.

Absolutely great food and fabulous service!! Friendly staff and food came to us nice and quick!! We had the "Feed Me" tapas platter which i highly recommend!! I will definitely be back

Great spot but could be better. Our waiter was not the most attentive and I had to ask him twice for a straw, then after ordering a 2nd drink he still didn't bring me a straw and then went to take away my drink before I was done. We got the "feed me" menu but when it got to the desert board we were given a bowl of ice cream with chile popcorn which was delicious, but it would have been nice to know that the desert board was not available when we were ordering. Apart from that, the food was fricken awesome and so were the cocktails. Compliments to the kitchen staff.

Food and drinks were exceptional. We went for the set menu - steak tacos and street corn in particular were amazing, but treat the steak with respect - no additional hot sauce required! Staff went above and beyond expected and cannot recommend highly enough!

Loved it! We had our long awaited Date Night and went with the Sampler meal, I tried the Mexican beers and the Wife had a Tequila Sunrise, 10/10 for the Meal and Drinks, 10/10 for the Staff, helpful with our selection and information on the Meal, great location and intimate candle lit table for 2 👍🏻 Tried the Crickets as well! Loved them and would recommend el Publico to anyone! Five stars

Awesome food and staff... everyone's super friendly. The el diablo is to die for, at least ten times better than Matso's ginger beer.

I drank mezcal and ate crickets last night and I liked it. Remarkably, I woke up this morning with a clear head. Probably had something to do with the carafes of water the staff brought out, unprompted. Nice touch. Thanks to the friendly staff for the intro to fermented agave and fried insects. I will be back for more.

Faultless food and service once again i would recommend ro everyone, staff wonderful and polite food perfect, i keep coming back,

This place is always amazing, the staff are super polite and happy! The food is really really good and the drinks are incredible, food always comes out quite fast and is plated up well, 5 stars all round guys ��

My wife and I had a fantastic date night here! The bar staff are fantastic and the atmosphere was awesome, I can highly recommend sitting in the window watching the world go by.

From the food to the drinks it was fantastic we were helped by knowledgeable staff I recommend it.

Always amazing! My favourite Mexican place in Perth. Always lovely service and delicious food and cocktails. ���

Great atmosphere, fantastic food, AMAZING service. Our waiter really knew his stuff! What more could you ask for! Highly recommend!

Delicious food and margaritas to die for!<br/>Have eaten here three times and on each occasion left satisfied.<br/>The staff know their food and gladly offer suggestions.

Most amazing food and even better cocktails. We got a bit of everything and I couldn’t be more happy! If you love tasty food you need to try El Publico !! Absolutely amazing tequila as well. I couldn’t fault this place. Great food, amazing service and stunning venue!

Unfortunately the service and atmosphere was lacking. The cocktails were really good, recomend the hibiscus martini..sweet and delicious. The queso fundio was really disappointing, the plate wasnt full, the cheese was cold and the meat portion really small. The tacos were really nice, highly recommend the duck one. J had the main pork dish which was very well balanced, huge portion and tasty.

Slow service to start with. This place prides themselves more on selling alcoholic drinks rather than the food. The food was very bland & no seasoning on any dishes. The waiter did not write our order down therefore got our order incorrect. It would be great to see burritos added to there menu as they only have mini soft shell tacos.<br/>Thier tapas style menu are tiny portions & very expensive. There is a lot of competition in Mount Lawley for food, so no need to go back.<br/>

Firstly, the vibe/decor of the restaurant is really cool. Lighting slightly dim and would recommend for a big group out. We got the feed me deal which came with starters, main and dessert. The food was ok, but nothing to rave about with the starter also coming with a chilli style caramel popcorn, which was strange to start with a very sweet dish. All in all, the meats served were nothing to rave about, but I’d still recommend checking this place out and ordering food from the main menu.

Still the best Mexican food in Perth! I’ve never been disappointed when I’ve come here and would recommend everything on the menu. The staff are very friendly and accommodating which definitely adds to the overall experience.

The beef balls were so nice, tender and melted on your tongue whilst simultaneously being so crispy on the outside. Paired with an amazing dip. Best beef balls I’ve had. The other top and best dish here is the brussel sprouts salad. Absolutely amazing dressing and perfectly grilled sprouts. <br/><br/>The tacos on the other hand were alright. Fish taco was very dry. Chicken taco was okay. Duck taco was the best out of the 3. Tacos aren’t worth the $8 price tag for a small palm sized taco. <br/><br/>The fresh apple tequila was very nice and refreshing! Loved it!<br/><br/>Overall it was a good experience for meeting up with friends but a little on the pricey side!<br/>

Been here a couple of times and you can never go wrong here if you order their tacos! Their 'Oaxacan pizza' has way too many mushrooms and needs meat and their street corn is yum but not worth $12. Their steak tacos and fish tacos are the best way to go if you want to make your tastebuds happy! Their chips and salsa and guac are a no-brainer (chips and guac are a no-brainer in any Mexican restaurant) and are super delicious! The only other thing is that $8 for a taco the size of your palm is pretty steep, but other than that, I would definitely recommend people try this place out!

Mexican restaurant with great ambience. Enjoyed the food especially with the habanero sauce that was given on the side. Got the grilled meat platter which consists of chicken, beef, pork belly and chorizo, some greens and tortillas for you to custom make your own taco. Also had a side of the nachos chorizo which was tasty! Perfect place for someone who wants some spicy Mexican food

Came here on a Friday night with a few friends. What a bumping atmosphere! The classic margarita was very tasty, and the tequila apple could be drunk for days! We decided to be adventurous and try the crickets. It is not for the faint hearted, but if you weren't aware of what you were eating, you'd be munching away! Very well seasoned with a perfect crunch. The lamb chops and chicken diablo were tasty treats. The duck tacito could've done with a tiny bit more flavour. Amongst the mixed grill, the chicken and steak went down well. The Pork belly struggled along a bit. I would recommend ordering the smaller share plates, and tequila drinks. All in all, a great night out!

I ate here recently with a friend and was pleasantly surprised. Staff were very attentive and went above and beyond to ensure diners were informed about the menu and served quickly. Food was tasty and prices reasonable, particularly for tapas. The restaurant was busy and had a great vibe. A good weekend choice.

Absolutely loved our visits to el PUBLICO. We celebrated our 10Yr Anniversary there and then booked again for the following night it was so good. We have since been back a third time and it has not disappointed. Food, service and drinks are all exceptional. The staff know how to look after their guests, and that's just how we felt.  We'll be back again soon!!

Went on a cold night with the gf and was promptly sat into a booth. Ordered the set meal with the house tequila as a starter. Served with a virgin marry chaser and chilli salt, it was suggested we sip it rather than take it as a shot. Could have easily drank them all night if i wasnt driving.<br/><br/>Food had a rustic presentation and was super delicious. Had more than enough to fill the tummy and had to takeaway the desert. Service was great and friendly also.<br/><br/>Easily one of our top 5 places we have had the pleasure of dining at.

OMG THIS PLACE the tommy cocktails (with salt) the steak tartare. The feel. The buzz on a friday night. The trio of tequila shots AMAZING. Dan looked after us early and through most of the night. Your senior waitress makes a mean margerita. We had 7 meals I CANT WAIT TO COME BACK what a great date. Thanks guys!!!

I went to El Publico on Friday night for dinner with my best friend after hearing good things about the restaurant.  Wow! Our expectations were blown away!  Can't remember the last time we had such outstanding service in Perth.  You can usually get one good waiter or barperson but every person that served us Friday night was awesome.  Then there's the food and drinks.  One word....... Ah-Mazing!!!  Thank you to all the staff including the guys in the kitchen for giving us such a fantastic night.  We will be back.

Loved the Guac & chips ... coriander and jalapeño sauce was amazing, best hot sauce I've ever tasted- so fresh and perfect amount of hotness! Could have done with a little more guacamole on the guac to chip ratio but only cos we loved it so much 😋

Near-perfect except for booking rules. I love the food at el Publico, particularly the ceviche options. For the seasoned drinkers amongst us, I'm told the Tequila is worth it all. And when is it not?

We ordered a few dishes - forgot the names actually. Popcorn was very unusual for me, the beef balls was too salty (sauce with it was weird), the chicken taco was ok (little burnt) and the kingfish was nothing special but the duck taco was pretty nice with the salsa verde. Friend enjoyed drinking different tequilas - waiter definitely knew his alcohol.

Love going to El Publico for a few tequilas and mexican food. The Mogo Mogo meatballs were so yummy, think the beef must had been roasted and then pulled and made into meatballs. Love the combination of the mogo mogo and corns together. Highly recommend this place if you are after some chill out time with friends. The outdoor area is good for people watching.

Chelsea was our waitress and my gosh she was amazing. So passionate and fun. Went through the menu with us and we definitely had a great time. It was our first time and if your a fan of tequila you'll love the drinks here. So yummy. Very much enjoyed the food. The kingfish was my favourite.

Our experience here was very disappointing. I know I'd had high hopes since seeing these guys on the Chefs Line, but I actually was quite unimpressed. The food was very average. The staff were attentive at first but then left us sitting for ages for most of the evening. They'd walk by and glance at us but just keep on going. <br/>Our table ordered the set menu but we had to flag a waiter down to ask for our dessert. We asked to have it as a takeaway. We were left sitting for at least another 20 minutes waiting for the dessert to come out. When it did finally arrive they brought two tiny tubs which, when we'd paid for a set menu for five people, is quite a rip off! When we got home and looked at the desserts, one of them had ice cream, which would have been good for the waiter to mention! Both the desserts were inedible as takeaways, which was very disappointing!<br/>Personally, I've had more enjoyable food at Zambreros!

This place is going down on my list as the best Mexican restaurant that have been to in Australia. Way better than the old Mamasita for those Melbourians out there. The food & service is amazing. I recommend the beef rib tacos & corn. If you're after something sweet get the sweet corn sundae (see pic - not pretty but tasty). Went twice for dinner back to back!

We went as a large group on a set menu for a birthday (always much easier then split billing). The dishes were really tasty and staff very friendly and happy to answer any questions.

The Parrilla at this restaurant was quite tasty. It consisted of a variety of mixed grilled meats, salsa and tortillas. Didn't really like guacamole, the dip was a bit tasteless. Drinks were quite nice. Great ambient for after work drinks.

El Publico seems to always deliver. Whether it is something to pick at over a few drinks, an elaborate meal, or a few tacos and churros like tonight, it is quality. The tostada with crab is absolutely superb. The tacos, especially the fish, are also well made and full of the star ingredients. Tonight we are in the bar up the front of the restaurant, sharing a carafe of rose, before going on to a Malbec. To finish the churros are great with the sauce and crushed nuts and praline, but could have been cooked a touch longer as the centre is a bit doughy.

Mexican cuisine is mismatch of indigenous Mesoamerican cooking with Spanish elements added in the 16th century (Highbrow). Mexican food is a mismatch of tomato paste, cheese, those round bready things, and beans. (Lowbrow). <br/><br/>I do have a fondness for Mex food of old, bathing everything in chilly hot sauce, until the middle of the night when you stumble into the kitchen sweating rapping to Wu-Tang Clan after lifting weights and having oily movie sex on leopard skin sheets you realise ‘oh f*ck I eat at Pancho Villa’s.<br/><br/>Remarkably El Publico sits towards the latter. It has a small menu, good ingredients, resulting in more developed flavors. The food is palatably delicious, expect your eyes to roll back on every mouthful. There is a Prix Fixe menu ($39), I mooched a taste of my friends plate all delicious, I ordered the Steak Tartare (am on a diet) which was magnificent (dwarfs Guillaume I know a big call).<br/><br/>Downside the drinks prices are akin to the Sinaola Cartel’s mark up on powders. Don Julio tequila $11 per 30mls, price at Dan Murphy per 750ml $79. (750/30 x 11 = $275) <br/><br/>Ay Caramba !!!. Recommend drinking at home, or from a brown paper bag outside.

Has to be a hipster thing.<br/>Food is nice, not great. Not a 3.5 even. <br/>Service was good<br/>Margarita was ok, have tasted better don't think its certainly best in town. <br/>Teeny serves for taco serve at $7 or $8 .. it didn't impress me. <br/>The potatoe taco came as chips ....lame. <br/>The fried chicken taco was pretty average. <br/>The highlight was the aged ribeye..but at $48 I'm glad it was decent. <br/>Maybe I'm missing it. It just isn't that impressive

I ordered take away fish, duck and chicken tacos. They were so good! The hot chilli relish matched perfectly with the fish taco. Highly recommend eating.

Love this place! Traditional Mexican food and drink accompanied by fantastic service, would not give it a miss! Recommend the mogo mogo balls as possibly the most delicious things on the menu, but then again I do order the same thing every time as it never disappoints!

A favourite for tequila and snacks but recently visited for the new brunch menu. Tommy Payne is killing it! Even hesitantly ordered a fruit plate as suggested and was super impressed! Such a good spot!

These guys really know their tequila and boy do they know how to do delicious octopus! Everything we ordered was super tasty. Be prepared to loose your voice by the end of your meal from yelling over the crowd noise and music.

I came here for my work Christmas party and absolutely loved it. Aside from an initial mess around with our table it was a great experience. We did the 'Feed Me'. The chile popcorn is ridiculously good and the fried chicken taco was a favourite! The sweet corn sundae was so delicious and decedent. I feel like there was a generous amount of food for the price!

We had a lovely dinner with friends at a yummy Trendy Mexican restaurant. We had the "Feed Me" special. One word of warning. Go very hungry, you get heaps of delicious food. Also, if you don't want to wait, go early. el Publico opens at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. <br/><br/>I will be back.

Delicious food, fun vibes & great knowledge of tequila. Great service every time I have been there. Tommys cocktail is a fave along with the aguachile dish & the steak tartare dish. Highly recommend this place for drinks & food!

Terrible service. Rude and impatient and no knowledge of the menu. When we asked "what is good, what do you recommend?" The waiter responded with "do you know what you want to order or what, because they are flat out in the kitchen." We also ordered a bottle of wine which never arrived.

Not a bad mexican place, we had the corn along with a handful of different tacos which were all pretty tasty. Food seems more of a mexican tapas as they're all small portioned. I do love tequila and the margarita was well made

After reading some of the reviews I was looking forward to our trip here,  food was good, but not crazy amazing, service was friendly, but a little on the slow side and ambience was ok.

Absolutely Appalled! Alcoholic drink was served to two of my pregnant girlfriends. I attended el PUBLICO last Friday night with a group of girlfriends for dinner, two of which were pregnant. We ordered 2 mocktails and repeatedly asked for no alcohol as the ladies were pregnant, when the drinks came out we made sure to ask again that these were "mocktails" and alcohol free. The waitress assured to us that the drinks were alcohol free however when my girlfriends drank it they could definitely taste tequila. We returned the drinks to only get a sorry. I am utterly shocked at how they could've got it wrong when we repeatedly asked them no alcohol! Definitely not coming back here again!!!

Food took ages for tiny sharing plates, food was average, bad service not to mention I asked for no hot spices & and everything had spice on it after I was assured it would be fine. Also don't appreciate getting wet during my meal due to a leaking skylight. <br/><br/><br/>I recommend not getting the sharing feed me option or not going there at all. <br/><br/>At least after notifying them of our experience i didn't have to pay for my meal.

This is my all time favourite! <br/>Great tequila bar! <br/>Food is non traditional Mexican... Regional style and tapas sizing. Save room for the delicious dessert options too.

Oh how I love this place! Best Mexican in Perth. I live for the street corn and beef mogo mogo. Be warned - a casual dinner can quickly escalate with the amount of good tequila being thrown around here!

Such a vibrant and dynamic restaurant! The interior design is creative and feels like it was plucked right out of Mexico itself. The food itself itself is fragrant and full of strong flavours, through the use of lemon and coriander. If you're gain enough to try it, I highly recommend the crickets which  are flavoursome and provide a nice crunch.

I love this place, my wife less so. It's not exactly healthy but it is very tasty, and the drinks are brilliant - try the Diablo. Had the most amazing dish here one time with lettuce and chocolate. Worth the 4 stars for that alone.

Great for a small group of people. All about sharing good food, and serving sizes are generous so you definitely won't leave hungry. Just try the freshly squeezed apple juice with a shot of tequila!

It's well known for a reason. The feed me is top value at $45 per head. Drinks arrive crazy quick and service is too notch. The pork tacos were sensational and so generous on fillings. The hibiscus ice cream dessert I wasn't a fan so avoid that. Great for groups!

It's been a while since we were here and couldn't wait to visit again. We had our usual beef Mogo Mogo and street corn, fab as always! Tried the kingfish as sounded delicious on the menu but the flavours were drowned with Apple. It was a bit like apple soup with raw fish, not the punchy flavours I expected. Our waiter didn't really care I didn't enjoy it. Even though it doesn't state on the menu that there is Apple in the dish. Had a selection of tacos, we recommend the pork and duck but the steak taco was odd packed with raw onion. So overall the majority of our food was fab as always but a few misses on this occasion.

As you are all probably aware, FRINGE WORLD Festival begins this week and takes over Perth for the next few weeks. There are so many shows covering many genres to experience over the next few weeks so get reading those blurbs and pick out a few shows. I had the pleasure of being invited to the VIP Launch of one of FRINGE WORLDs newest venue, The Parrott House in Mayland.

This place NEVER fails to deliver. Staff are fantastic, food is delicious and the ambience is wicked. They are also consistently good with options for pregnant women. One of the best spots in Perth to hit up for sure!

This was my 2nd time round at El publico with my first dining experience being a lot better. The set up is nice, the service was good with food coming out pretty quick and we were seated immediately after walking trough the door. Share style food. We had beef mogo mogo, delicious little deep fried balls of beef. Tacos were a bit average. Street corn was good.

The food is so tasty and fresh you will always end up eating too much! I have been here a few occasions for a tapas style meal with drinks. The atmosphere is warm and comfortable, however it does get very loud so if you are looking for a quiet meal I don't recommend. Definitely have to try as many tacos as possible as well as their chicken tostada!!

Love this place!! The 'feed me' menu here is sensational. Leave yourself in the hands of the amazing chefs where everything tastes great. They make everything from scratch as much as possible and it shows. One of my faves.

Having dined at Melbourne's famed Mamasita restaurant last week, we were on a high when we found el PUBLICO's menu on Zomato. It sounded so much like Mamasita's that we convinced ourselves it had to be the same quality. How wrong we were.<br/>Not sure why el PUBLICO is so loved in Perth because the food tonight was so ordinary that we actually couldn't wait to leave. The sweet corn dish was odd -- corn off the cob mixed with crema and herbs to create a soup-like dish with no purpose. Is it an entrée? Is it a side dish? Is it a main??<br/>The tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa was average. The dips were pedestrian and in such small quantity next to the mound of tasty chips.<br/>The fried chickpeas were best left on the menu. Overly-salty and deep fried, they tasted even less attractive once they'd cooled down.<br/>After our entrée, we each ordered tacos -- the potato one comes to the table as fries on a taco (lame!); the soft shell crab taco was too "fishy" to enjoy; and the beef one was too gristly and tasteless to finish. At $7 a taco, this course was a complete waste of $21.<br/>The only redeeming feature of tonight's meal was the friendly service and my apricot cocktail which took ages to get to my mouth on account of our friendly waitress completely forgetting to place the order. At least she was honest.<br/>$66 for our meal and we couldn't wait to get out of el PUBLICO, never to return.

Visited on a friday night sans booking however was seated straight away. The service was edgy with smiles all around. We ordered a mix of food, and perhaps we should have asked our waiter the specifics of each dish (we assumed we knew what we were getting) as we ordered a bit too much deep fried food in the end. Standout dishes were the grilled tiger prawns, and soft shell crab tacos. They also give a few different sauces and the soda water (rather than tap water) is also a nice touch.

Took a chance and walked in off the street...in Perth! But they really impressed us with authentic traditional mex, no nachos available is a reasonable sign that you're not at 99% of the cheap and nasty quick profit mongers. The 3 of us were hungry and with some help from the waitress we ordered plenty of delicious, rich and unique tastes for wait for it...$75! (And it arrived very quick) 3 adults can't eat anywhere at this level of hip these days without being completely underwhelmed by the cost for flavour trade(rip) off. There was no attitude although some of the staff seemed to have been transplanted directly from Central America. ...and the Don Julio Reposada was divine. All round this was an unexpected and delightful quick dinner. Highly recommended.

If I could give it a higher rating I would. Always a great night at el publico. From the bar to the service and to the food I think it's definitely my favourite place in Perth. I've never had a bad meal here and for the first time on taking my family here, I tried the desserts and literally nothing disappointed us.. From start to finish, i highly recommend it.<br/>Always excellent and knowledgeable staff to explain any darn thing, and my family can be hard to cater to at times so a special thanks to the girl that looked after 6 of us the other night.

Staff were hilarious, such great fun which made for a really relaxed and enjoyable night. Would definitely recommend to friends and will be going many more times

Food was very enjoyable and service was good. Though some of the food is quite expensive- the tacos are very small but cost $7 each. I liked the fried chickpeas which was nicely salted, and duck tacos were good with the mole sauce. Fried crickets are on the menu which is interesting, it was ordered by a friend but I wasn't game to try any.

Always fresh, delicious and hits the spot. Knowledgeable staff ensure that both your food and drink selections maximise your appreciation of Mexican street food and accompanying drinks. A favourite.

Had the soft shell crab taco here via pop up store at the Beaufort Street Festival. 👌🏻 just the right amount of crab to dressing to salad 🤗 taco dough was soft. Yum! Will visit their shop soon!

As you are all probably aware, FRINGE WORLD Festival begins this week and takes over Perth for the next few weeks. There are so many shows covering many genres to experience over the next few weeks so get reading those blurbs and pick out a few shows. I had the pleasure of being invited to the VIP Launch of one of FRINGE WORLDs newest venue, The Parrott House in Mayland.

I've been meaning to come here and was glad that we did. We had the nachos, beef mogo mogo, chicken tostada, and a tacos each..every dishes blew our minds! My personal favourite was the chicken tostada! Service was friendly and prompt! Nothing to dislike about this place, highly recommended!!

This place is a regular hang out for my friends and I and we always love it. After an absolute debacle trying to book a table elsewhere for my birthday I thought of el Publico and booked for 10 via email and a follow up phone call (that's how easy it should be right?). <br/>We ordered a selection of food to keep coming out and it was all sensational. Our waitress was friendly and attentive and made sure we were never without one of their amazing margaritas. We all had a fantastic evening and I will continue to be a regular customer and to recommend el Publico to my friends.

Great venue, food was awesome. Only downside for me was lack of vegetarian but that is a small negative. Margaritas absolutely on point! Would be best for groups who can share food.

Music is loud as other reviews have pointed out, I had to yell and read lips to have a conversation with the person across from me. Cocktails were lovely, well balanced. Guacamole and chips, chicken tostada and shrimp entree were ok (not bad nor good). The duck taco was delicious! The meat was a tad charred but still managed to be moist, mole sauce was tasty on a fresh tasting taco. I would come back for the duck taco and try the other tacos on the menu but skip the ok so-so items we ordered.

This is my favourite restaurant in Perth. No matter what you order every dish is full of flavour. I love coming here. Only negative is that inside it is a little too loud.

Good food. Good atmosphere. Good service.<br/><br/>Maybe i'm old or just went to the wrong venue but the music was too loud to have a conversation within our group. <br/><br/>Apart from that it was a good experience and it was enjoyable sitting out the front in the summer evening watching the world go by on beaufort st!

Came here a while ago and it was okay, but it was AMAZING last night. New menu was fantastic! Loved being served by the owner and letting him choose what we should all (10 work girls) eat at roughly $25 a head. As a vegetarian I was super worried about not liking anything- but I LOVED what I ate last night! Now I didn't love the mushroom quesadillas, they had a "meaty" texture to them which was one of the main reasons why I actually gave up eating meat! Flavour was okay though. Street corn was 10/10! SAH GOOOOOD. Zucchini and puffed quinoa was also 10/10. Full of flavour and great textures. My friends said that the lamb ribs were amazing and falling off the bones and I stole some cucumber salad from that plate and that was amazing too. My favourite dish was the Octopus with potatoes HOLY CRAP. I could go for some now. Those potatoes gave me life. We had a sweet popcorn ice cream dessert that was great until the spicy aftertaste kicked in :/ Only reason this review didn't make it to 5/5 was because the music was SO loud. There were 10 of us work girls, so it was loud enough already! Oh well! But I will be coming back!

Dined with friends on a Saturday night. Unfortunately the music was soooooooo loud it was impossible to hear one another. We all had to lean in and shout to each other which made for a very uncomfortable dining experience.  When the wait staff came to explain the dishes we couldn't hear which was also frustrating.  The food was very nice although we could have done with more help with ordering ( she tried but it was just too loud) as we seemed to order far too much as we were expecting small tapas type dishes.  Another problem was the lighting - ate a lump of fat thinking I was eating fish or pork because it was so dark I couldn't see my plate. So all up I'd say the food was nice but it's more of a bar atmosphere than a restaurant (we were very early on a Saturday night too). They could do with having lights up and music down for the early part of the evening. We saw a Dj setting up as we were leaving so I imagine the noise level would have increased significantly after we left!

Loved it! Came here for a girlfriends birthday dinner with about 12 of us. Nick was lovely and informative and the waiter was very helpful and efficient. The food was amazing! Definitely reccomend the tacos. Will be coming back for more! Thanks guys :)

El Publico managed to make it to the Top 100 restaurants in Australia this year alongside LallaRookh, Vasse Felix, Print Hall and Restaurant Amuse. Having been to LallaRookh a couple of times (and I absolutely loved it), with pretty high expectations, we decided to make a trip down to El Publico.

What's wrong with people? El Publico is one the best Mexican (with a twist) restaurants I've tried in Perth. It's at the same time different and authentic. Having lived in Mexico, all 'international Mexican' food tastes fake to me, but El Publico gets the flavours right, and on top of that it adds it's own thing, which makes the food extra special (at least to me). The only con I see it's that to be able to properly enjoy their 'Feed Me' set menu, you'll have to starve yourself all day, otherwise you won't be able to appreciate the quality of the food, as it's so much you'll be full before the main dish.

Food is always good! atmosphere is electric and easily the best margaritas in perth.Surprize favourite was the corn and the whole fried prawns

Always a good night at El Publico. Great tapas style food. Sharing is the way to go. I'd like a bit more variety on the menu, as much of it is filled with different types of tacos. Despite this, the dishes taste great. Desserts are excellent, especially the peanut butter parfait!

After not being able to get a table at another restaurant over the road the staff at El Publico got us in just 20 mins later even though they were also incredibly busy. We opted for the set menu and even though one of our party is vegetarian no one left hungry. Every meal chosen for the set menu had amazing flavour and was cooked to perfection. We all tried the vegetarian substitutes and were shocked at how amazing they were. Most times when there is nothing vegetarian available a place will just remove the meat from something else but each course had its own individual dish to replace the meat dishes. We will definitely be back again.

Cool little mexican bar and restaurant. Music was a bit loud but other than that nice atmosphere. Ordered a whole bunch of tapas style dishes to share for the table, everything had a lot of flavour and kick. Loved the beef cheek tacos that no one else was too keen on, so got to have them to myself. Will be back, next visit to Perth.

My favourite mexican place in perth. The food - just wow. Service we've had has always been top notch. I love it here. Always my first suggestion when craving mexican.

Average would be synonymous to el publico. The public? I bet they spent a while there saying random spanish words until they got it just right.<br/>Sleepy Man or 'hombre slerpy', now thats a good name.

El Publico is a modern Mexican Bar and Kitchen on the foodie Beaufort Strip serving traditional Mexican tapas with a modern twist. You can order individually or choose their Feed Me deal which is $45 per person and in our opinion it is far greater value than ordering individually. Upon first inspection of the menu most of the dishes are quite over priced for the quantity you receive. For example one small taco on its own costs around $7! Therefore we decided on the Feed Me deal featured on their website instead.

el PUBLICO has the best staff in Perth! Friendly, energetic and always up for a laugh. Recently attended a tequila dinner and was really impressed with the staff knowledge and the delicious food. My favs have to be the corn, street prawns and ceviche salmon topped off with a Tommy's margarita! My mouth is salivating thinking about it!<br/>

Yo quería ser legítimo y escribir esta crítica en español, pero no sé cómo, así que estoy utilizando Google Translate. lo mismo que el PÚBLICO, este programa de traducción de software siempre es fabuloso, y servido por un personal maravilloso con deliciosos cojones.

The best way to describe the style of food is that it’s almost like Mexican tappas. You order a few small things to share and are easily able order more food as and when you like, depending on how hungry you happen to be. Best of all, there isn’t a corn chip taco or Old El Paso product anywhere! We opted for the guacamole (which came served with excellent fried tortilla chips), ceviche verde apple mint (a delightful, tangy mixture of raw fish, citrus juices, herbs and julienned green apple), grilled onion cheese salsa negro taco and the adobo chicken pickled onion peanut salsa taco. Being a complete novice, all of it was new, exciting, original and very tasty, with the smoky, charred chicken in the adobo tacos being a particular highlight. I also love this style of eating as you get to try a whole lot of different things, and the portion sizes and option to order more mean that your free to finish eating once you reach a state of elegant sufficiency, rather than being lumped with a hug

Pork Belly Taco – pork belly, charred pinapple salsa picante, chicharon…the pork belly was extra crispy and went really well with the soft tortilla taco shell.

The 45 dollar feed me option is rather average, not good value but not overly bad. Food was ok not good not bad, but two people a few drinks and 140 dollars, expect a bit more.

Banquet worked for us. I went here for a friends birthday. Great service - but then its not too hard when you do a banquet. The little fried prawns are yum but I can't say the same for the crickets. <br/>Good atmosphere, tasty food. Its not fine dining but it is fun sharing food.

The ambience was nice. Didn't like the food. Was very average for the price you pay. It's hard to believe it's in the top 100 in good food guide in Australia.<br/>Mamasita in Melbourne seems to be a lot better for mexican tapas.

Best service ever, best Mexican food ever, best gluten free options ever.. The music was too loud... I have to say that because it's the ONLY thing I can fault with this amazing place! I have never had Mexican food that comes close to this. Every dish was to die for. Our group came with the most complex set of dietary challenges but wanted the set menu. The waitress did not bat an eyelid and catered to everyone without even writing down a thing. The menu is almost completely gluten free. I've never bothered to write a restaurant review before, but this place really really impressed me. Hankering for another fix of el Publico Mexican right now.

Over rated. Well this noisy greasy slack service obnoxious little place does not even rate more than 4/10

What’s loud, crowded, fun and smack bang in the middle of the busy Beaufort St strip? Well it could be one of a few places, but the hip place I’m referring to is El Publico. This place is so hip in fact, it only takes bookings of two hours duration so you’ve got to eat up and move on, just when the party’s getting started. That’s if you take the early booking of course – with the 8.30 booking you get to stay and drink tequila and party on till the midnight hour. Our group of 8 decided to go with the easy option of the $45 “Feed Me Menu”, a tapas-style meal with a mix of meat and vegetarian choices. Some nights when you’re getting stuck into the wine and cocktails, you’d rather not have to make important decisions about what you’re going to eat. Just put the food in front of us and we’ll hope for the best. The starters of spiced chickpeas, and guacamole and salsa with corn chips disappeared in the blink of an eye. Dishes followed in quick succession. They don’t muck about at El Publico. Enamel dishes filled with Street Prawns complete with shells and heads appeared. Apparently you eat the whole thing. And much to our surprise, they were tasty little morsels once you got past the idea of eating prawn heads.

http://elpublico.com.au Pork Belly Taco – pork belly, charred pinapple salsa picante, chicharon Really delicious pork belly, the tropical flavors of the pineapple produce an interesting flavour. Nice soft taco though would prefer a little more seasoning for my liking. Street Corn – braised corn served with crema, fresh cheese, chili & lime The charred sweet corn is a bit rich and creamy but really tasty. Lamb Ribs – lamb ribs twice cooked served with sesame cucumber & lime Nice and tender but a bit chewy, though the ribs carry some lovely flavours. ICON DISH: Flavours of Mexico – fried crickets & chicharon & two village mezcals The crickets are deep fried and reasonably crunchy though they don’t taste like anything in particular, maybe a little like prawn shell but without the intensity of the prawn flavour. They had an alcoholic and non-alcoholic tequila type drink. As I don’t drink the non-alcoholic tomato juice was the go for me. It had a real kick of chilli on the aftertaste and contained an interesting concoction of ingredients which produced a very interesting drink. I liked it. El Publico – Pork Belly Taco El Publico – Street Corn Several of the items are from the menu so you can always pop in to El Publico and try them out for yourself.   Lalla Rookh http://www.lallarookh.com.au ICON DISH: Braised Lamb Shank – medieval style with sweet spices and prunes This dish must be pre-ordered as it takes some time to prepare. The result is ridiculously tender lamb falling off the bone. In fact, it’s a rather annoying dish to eat because the lamb keeps breaking away from the fork as you’re about to lift it off the plate. Yeah, it’s that tender. I really like when chefs try being creative and push the boundaries a bit rather than serving what the next restaurant is serving. On this occasion, they’ve paired lamb with juniper berries and citrus peel, along with cinnamon to give the lamb a completely different, and very subtle, flavour. It’s kind of fruity and quite differ

Worst Mexican I've had in quite some time. $45 for a fixed menu of overpriced, tasteless carbs.

Sensational. Can't fault it. Fantastic service, superb food, delicious cocktails, knowledgeable staff (Nick really knows his stuff) and a great all around experience. Will be back!

Magnifico!!. Tourists from Melbourne eating out with locals who recommended this place. Service was fantastic, very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the menu. This traditional Mexican food was new to us and we loved it, very tasty and fresh. Presentation was creative and functional also. Will definitely return here! :)

I LOVE this place. The service is just awesome and many of the staff members are clearly passionate about their food and tequila/mezcal. You can't help but be infected by their enthusiasm! The food is delicious and the cocktails are spot-on! Bravo!

Flavour, Flavour, Flavour! Quick and friendly service with delicious food! The street corn super tasty, beef modo modo yum, chicken taco, chorizo and potato taco were great! Especially good with the salsa verde.. Upper class Mexican right there!! You won't even bother with anything less

Came as a big group and had a set menu - certainly got me to try a broader range of food here and it was nice - the portions were great but the tables we sat at weren't ideal for the length of time we were there and lacked atmosphere. Nice but prefer other Mexican restaurants.

Way too loud. Expensive. Forgettable food. The decor could definitely use some work.<br/><br/>The food was way too expensive for what you get. I think we paid ~15 for 2 tacos? Crazy. Load up on Macca's before you go here. There wasn't a particular dish that stood out. Is this supposed to be Mexican fusion? The food had really confusing flavours, plus the serving sizes were tiny. Add to the fact that you can't really talk to other people coherently while you're here. We had to literally shout at our waiter to give our orders, which resulted in two wrong menu items. The atmosphere just makes you want to get out of the place as quick as possible and chill at home.