Review Contrabando - Sydney

A bit late to post, but the best tacos I’ve ever had! The bulgogi beef taco and fish taco are AMAZING. Haven’t found a fish taco that is comparable. Looking forward to the day that they reopen

Tacos and nachos were good but considering the price, im putting this place at a higher standard. They also provided some “fusion” meals such as a cheeseburger springroll. I didnt find the fusion dishes that great. Obviously atmosphere is great as you would expect. Staff was a tad unfriendly but humans have good days and bad days. Recommend for just tacos and nachos.

Arguably the best way to spend Taco Tuesday in the CBD. They've got a selection of tacos for everyone's taste and they're only $3 on Tuesday! They're a good size, and the flavour combos all work incredibly well. I'd highly suggest the bulgogi beef of you're stuck on what to choose. I'd suggest getting there as soon as you can (we got there at 12 on the dot) because it fills up super fast. The staff were fantastic and our orders came out in good time considering how busy they were.

Popped in for the express lunch and it was so great. Perfect amount of food and LOADED with flavour. You can tell everything has been thought out and prepared fresh, no store bought tacos here thank F. The margarita line up is next level and I cannot wait to get in for dinner.

Are you hungry and want a bunch of flavours to tackle your mouth harder than those dudes playing NRL tackle each other?! Contrabando is a place I highly recommend!! Taking well known Mexican dishes and flavours and adding a very nice modern twist this place has so many options for you to indulge in. I highly recommend getting the corn (as seen in the third picture) - with a mild spice, delicious cheese, I have never eaten a corn based dish that was so delicious. Service was very quick (though we did arrive right as they opened at 5pm) and they seemed a little over staffed at the time. The staff were really friendly and welcoming and happy to give suggestions! They have a margarita of the month, we had blueberry, which we found very nice and complimenting the rich Mexican flavours. The atmosphere was pumping (I can imagine when it is full of more people) with a mix of pop and indie songs playing! Only thing I would say is the fonts used in the menu - especially the subtitles (as in the photo) can be a bit hard to read. And it can be a little expensive, but the food is quality.

I bought the tacos from Groupon, the tacos are great, I love it!!! The staffs are nice, pretty and helpful, but I think they need more staffs to make it optimal on the busy days. The one let down are the delay between the tacos to the next tacos, I hope I can get it served faster, but in the flipside you always get fresh hot taco from the kitchen. My favourite are the beef and fish one, but I can say the other tacos also great. Finish it with beverages they serve here and it will be perfect. Got them four stars for their booking schedule on Groupon and lack of staffs, other aspects are five stars.

Best tasting Tacos in town! Came here for taco Tuesday. Tacos were perfectly priced at $3 each. We each had one of each taco. The service was decent. Staff were busy rushing about but still friendly and smiling. My new favourite taco-Tuesday spot.

We went there on our last day in Sydney, right before leaving for the airport. We arrived, had a table booked. We got seated fairly quickly. However, from being seated to actually ordering, it took absolute ages, and the place was empty at our arrival! We decided to do the All You Can Eat Tacos. This was a huge mistake. All of them tasted either disgusting or just edible enough. Pork Tacos consisted out of gummy skin, prawn was undercooked, chicken was chewy, etc. The rules of this are also a tad bit ridiculous. You can only order two flavors at a time. Here’s the thing, if you come with a big group, and you have a bunch of people that have different eating habits - you’re lost. Second one, you have to eat your taco or pay the full price. Which meant, we had to force down those things to a point of almost throwing up. If they don’t taste good, why force us? We did pay a full price anyway. Ordering in between also took a long time. The staff was just walking around like chickens without a head. One order was also taken but not documented, so we sat there for at least 20 minutes waiting for nothing. The tables are a bit close together, staff was walking around the tables like crazy, kept bumping our stroller where our baby was sleeping, until she woke up. Place was freezing cold, doors wide open by around 20°C and windy weather. When we left, we were told that there’s a special daily taco, which isn’t on the official menu but included. Thanks for nothing I guess? All in all, it wasn’t worth it and we left disappointed and with tummy aches. What a way to end a beautiful vacation.

Highly recommend the fish tacos here! The fish was so crispy and was served perfectly with various sauces. Super affordable feast if you come on Tuesdays for $3 tacos or get the all you can eat tacos deal.

Great service. Food came quick. Would recommend getting fish and bulgogi tacos.

really very good food - not authentic mexican - more latin-californian but still really kick ass - so so good<br/><br/>fun staff - really friendly even when super busy<br/><br/>Real good value especially on tuesdays. <br/><br/>I saw on wednesday's they have all their  cocktails for $15, def going back for this!!! <br/><br/>highly recommend<br/><br/>great playlists!!!!

I visited this place on a Tuesday when they have the tacos for $3 special. This was a really great deal for some really great tacos. The crispy fish was definitely my favourite. The Korean fried chicken was alright as I found the chicken a little bit dry. The pumpkin one was very nice and creamy and the bulgogi beef rib was full of flavour. Happy to come back!

Absolutely buzzing for a Tuesday night with their $3 Taco Tuesday promo. The tacos are really fresh and flavour packet. My favourite was the beef bulgogi.<br/>The churros were honestly a bit overpriced and not on the same level as the tacos taste wise

We ordered chicken tacos but were convinced that it was tuna when it arrived ?? Didn’t dispute cause it was good anyways. The squid was superstar dish.

We couldn’t do the all you can eat tacos because we wanted to go in for dinner and drinks on the Friday night, but the reviews and pics were good so we went anyways! We were a hungry group of 6 and could not make up our minds so we went with the Mexicola set menu. I would definitely recommend ordering the truck stop guac, chargrilled corn and fish tacos! Cheeseburger spring rolls was a fun try however not a must try. The churros was definitely unique, never had churros like this but it tasted amazing with the caramel sauce. Definitely would come back to try other dishes.

Took up the all you can eat tacos Groupon deal for $23 pp and was so pleasantly with the variety of tacos on the menu!! The Groupon didn’t have any time limit which was great. My favourite flavours were the fish tacos, the beef one and the bulgogi pork! The spicy pulled chicken had a weird texture and there were other tacos that were actually mor spicy. Great atmosphere and the restaurant got busy slowly. Would visit again but only on taco Tuesdays!!

Delicious tacos, for $3 on Tuesday, it is an absolutely steal! The tacos come out as quickly as you can eat them. They are saucy (Also juicy!) and packed with flavours. You can’t go wrong with any of the tacos. The margaritas are also $14.

Food and service was great and fast. I went in a big group and couldn’t get enough of the fish tacos so I highly recommend it. The cocktails they had were amazing as well.

Yummy, fresh tacos - we loved best the fish, bulgogi and chicken ones. Really good value. <br/>Service was really good too. Not over the top but never had to wait for anything. Thanks to all the top notch staff. Highly recommended

What is not to love about two dollar ‘Taco Tuesday’? This place is fun, cool and always buzzing on a Tuesday when tacos are two dollars. I must say I have only been on a Tuesday and it’s the perfect after work spot for the beginning of the week which doesn’t break the budget. #contrabando

On a long awaited return to Sydney my partner and I came here before the Opera and absolutely loved this funky place. We partook in the all you can eat tacos and were over the moon. Our preference to the tacos on offer were the crispy fish, bolgogi beef and the 12 hr lamb. The flavours were well balanced with sweet, sour, spicy, salty crispy and crunchy and will be 100% returning. They also offered a special on margheritas and my partner and I had a piña colada and passionfruit Margherita and we loved them!

Taco Tuesday here is the best time in the week to go! $3 tacos and $14 margaritas, awesome place for drinks and dinner mid week 👏🏻👏🏻 Been back a number of times now, love it!

I dined here with a friend for Taco Tuesday. Contrabando offer $3 tacos from a select menu every Tuesday. There are plenty of flavours to satisfy everyone's tastebuds. I had the bulgogi beef short rib, braised lamb, crispy fish and the pumpkin taco. My favourite was definitely the beef and the fish was a close second. Most of the tacos have a bit of spice so if you're a wimp with spices, proceed with caution. Also if you're not a fan of coriander, make sure to ask for your tacos without it because pretty much all of them have it on there. The tacos are small but are jampacked with filling. I ended up eating 5 tacos so $15 for dinner is pretty damn good. Would recommend you pay these guys a visit but don't forget to book!

This is a good choice for going to the Opera House or hanging out at Circular Quay and on a Wednesday night was surprisingly pumping. The wait staff seem mostly Latina, and kind of the same height and look, and there were many of them, who appeared at the table when we weren’t ready and disappeared when we were! But it was busy.

Heard a lot about the place. The menu is a but confusing and the staff was not very helpful in explaining the various ALA carte options. Therefore we went ahead with set menu maxicola. It was 4 types of different foods. It was a bit too much for 1 person. All in all had we had some help in ordering the experience would have been better.

Amazing food, amazing service. Highly recommend the Fish, lamb and beef tacos, it is aaaamazing! Cheeseburger spring rolls were a crazy twist.

New location comes new exciting vibes! Mexican food, plenty of alcoholic options and good times to be had. Perfect for the next get together with friends or after work drinks and dinner!

Had a dinner with Groupon All-You-Can-Eat voucher. Normally I’m not a all you can eat person but this time really surprised me. They have good service and the tacos were delicious. Must try the beef and fish ones. They sell $6-7 on the menu so you just need 3 or 4 tacos to make your money worthy. Highly recommend it.

The food is delicious and the tacos aren’t too expensive either. We loved the fish and chicken tacos. The gin cocktail was really good! The staff is friendly and service is quick! Will definitely visit again!

My first visit of many to Contrabando! The atmosphere, ambience and staff were AMAZING!!!! <br/><br/>We ordered everything on the taco menu and to my surprise, my favourite taco was the crispy fish! It was very well balanced, with sweet and sour. I had 5!!!! <br/><br/>The beef, lamb, pork and chicken were decent but was extremely sweet for me. I could not eat more than one of each. The pumpkin taco was okay to try but I would not eat it again. The mushroom was my least favourite, I could only eat a small bite (very watery). <br/><br/>Despite this, the delicious fish taco and the polite, friendly and attentive staff will definitely pull me back to the restaurant soon!! <br/>

Place was very welcoming and had a nice atmosphere for causal conversations. We had the all you can eat taco meal, which was great. However some of the tacos was too sweet for my liking but I highly recommend the crispy taco on flour for everyone as it was light and fantastic.

Went to this place with a lot of expectations. However, it was a let down. Tried the croquetas, crisp pumpkin taco( decent) and hot plate mushroom taco (watery). At this point, I did not want to order anything else. We had a wobbly table which didn't really help with the taco fest going on the table. I am not sure if I will try this place again, maybe if they come up with a different menu.

Awesome Cheeseburger Spring Rolls and tacos off the charts good! Great venue with fun atmosphere. Def coming back asap to try other great looking things on the menu

Amazing food! Love this place! Will def come back! The cheeseburger spring rolls were so good, like an actual cheeseburger- weird i know! But everything was so tasty. The staff so friendly! One of my new fave places. Def recommend!

[invite] Bianca: Back in 2007/2008 Mexican food was going through a major resurgence in Sydney. I was a bright-eyed 20 year old with a newly acquired full-time job and disposable income to play with. And that was how my obsession with Glebe, Mexican stalwarts, Flying Fajita Sisters and Baja Cantina began. They were in a constant rotation before my major health kick. And then sidelined for burgers and pancakes but Mexican cuisine has always held a special place in my heart. Especially when The Essential Ingredient has those Corn Tortillas on sale #imnotworthy.

Got a groupon to try their all you can eat tacos. The place had great ambience, it’s definitely a place you’d come with a group and just catch up over some tacos. The staff were super attentive and friendly which made the experience much more pleasant. When I say “taco” I would like to call out that I’m using this very loosely. It’s not your typical Mexican taco - they’ve taken the concept of taco and have twisted it with Asian style. The tacos were definitely different, I tried the fried fish taco and the mushroom plate taco. The fish taco was pretty nice. Had a good hit of chipotle mayo and great texture from the onions and cabbage. Overall, a solid taco. I wasn’t too much of a fan of the mushroom one, pretty bland and was abit runny from mushroom juice. My partner had the pulled chicken taco and the beef cheeks taco. He said both were abit too stuffed and the beef one was also pretty runny. It was edible but not delicious. <br/><br/>Overall, I would have scored the food a 3 but with service and ambience in mind it definitely pushed it up to a 4. If you get the groupon you can also get 25% off any drinks which is a bonus!

great new fit out in new location - great food, service and vibe<br/><br/>easily best tacos in sydney - no question about it - cool artwork and always play the best music

Everything you want in a taco and more! The tacos are presented beautifully and bursting with flavour every time. Easily the best tacos I’ve had in Sydney. Can’t say no to Taco Tuesday!

Came here for Taco Tuesday and I have to say it did not disappoint! Contrabando definitely ticks the boxes for atmosphere, service, and food.<br/><br/>Everything came out promptly and the service was on point. I literally tried every type of taco on the menu and the crispy pork belly taco was the best in my opinion closely followed by beef and fish. That being said, the chargrilled corn caught me completely off guard with how good it was, definitely worth a try if you're in. A great experience worth coming back to on future Taco Tuesdays.

Really cool funky fit out, amazing vibe great food.  Came here for a birthday celebration and feel in love with the 12 hour slow cooked rib and ocean trout ceviche.

After building demolition and subsequent temporary closure, Contrabando has reopened on Macquarie Street, around corner from the original site. As executive chef and owner Peter Varvaressos explains, the menu is not about authentic Mexican food, but rather a homage to the street food he discovered when travelling in Southern California. The multiculturalism in that part of the world is truly reflected in the culinary domain where street vendors would mix Mexican cuisine with complimentary flavours and cooking techniques from their motherland.

The waitress who accomendated us was super nice. And the service from other team members were friendly too.<br/>We had four tacos each person, and the taco was on special half price deal. Tacos were generally good taste, although the lamb taco was off. The whol decoration of the entire dining area is relaxing and simple, with the open window, the noise can get out so that we didnt have to talk so loud to hear each other.<br/>Overall a good place to catch up with friends after work.

Re-opened in The city lies a funky, vibey and awesome restaurant. The menu offers a wonderful selection of delicious dishes and perfect for sharing. Each dish was full of flavour and a massive portion. Service was friendly and very helpful. If you are looking for a fun night out and scrumptious food I HIGHLY recommend Contrabando 😋

The much loved Contrabando of formerly Bent St has now reopened on Macquarie St where Aesops Greek Restaurant used to be. A first look at the fitout is looking good on the front end while renovations still to come for the back end aka toilets. To celebrate their new lease of life they're making their famous $3 Taco Tuesday a daily special for this week and next. I've picked the standard Crispy Fish and new comers of Crisp Pork Belly and Crisp Pumpkin. For only $3 I think it's a bargain for the flavour and size and makes for an quick and tasty lunch option. Service is friendly and swift on the floor just like the team over at The Wolf Bar. There's plenty of seating which will surely fill up quickly for lunches once word gets out that these guys are back in business. Chef Peter Varvaressos now has a new happy place in his brand new open kitchen. Next stop will probably be their popular Express Set Menu Lunch which is usually just $20 or hitting their tempting food truck menu of loaded fries, crispy chicken skins, cheeseburger chimichangas, ocean trout ceviche and duck nachos.

This was the most amazing Mexican style food experience ever. It blows Mexico nz out of the water. We ordered way to much thinking portions would be small but were surprised! We had the chicken quesadila, the bomb. Guacamole, macaroni bites, fish tacos and beef cheek tacos, all were Devine and so much flavor. Service was great, found us a table at a busy time, no trouble. Waitresses were friendly and observant and the food was so quick!

Taco Tuesday ($3  each) is my obsession! This restaurant is very popular with the corporates. At lunch there are only 2 sittings so make sure to make a booking online. My faves are the Beef cheek taco which is soft and delicate with a wonderful flavour and the fish taco that is crunchy and fresh. There is plenty of staff but very busy so don’t try to be too needy when you come here.

Excellent service only to be matched by exceptional food. Fresh and friendly. Got my first $50 from Liven as this is a partner resto. I would definitely go back!

<br/>This place is pretty cool, they serve a wide variety of tacos and they are well made and bursting with flavour! Cool vibes, good music and awesome cocktails to go with your tacotails. They are pretty good with vouchers, check online or groupon and you can score yourself an Unlimited Taco voucher. We were able to find vouchers online that allowed us to come in to have unlimited tacos and when we hear unlimited or all you can eat are dreams come true. <br/><br/>Located in the CBD underground you will find Contrabando, not an overly nice interior however it does the job. The fish taco’s were by far our favourite which was heavily unusual for us as we always prefer red meat. We got to try the pulled pork, the chipotle chicken and the vegetarian taco. They all had their own unique flavours and it was a lot of fun trying the different types. Great prices and good quality.

A few times this place has had coupon offers through sites such as Scoupon & Cudo. We have bought them a few times for unlimited tacos with friends.<br/><br/>It’s a dark underground place, which sort of suits the Mexican food. The tacos are good and when you get a voucher it’s definitely money’s worth.<br/><br/>Due to the use of coupons it gets pretty busy, so it’s a little difficult to get a hold of staff.<br/><br/>Our favourite was the fish tacos!

Just attempted to have dinner here and the experience was awful from start to finished. To start at the beginning, the hostess comes up with a little iPad or whatever to see if we booked a table. I told her no and she rudely says, "well you're gonna HAVE to wait then" and motions with her hand to the 2 small groups waiting. Okay...rude but I don't care at this point, it's fine. (There were plenty open tables, the girl just looked hopeless and like it was her first day) <br/><br/>We get seated, have a chat and the waitress comes and takes our order. Seems like things are getting better. Our corn comes after about 15 minute wait and we realize we don't even have any water on the table. After many attempts to get someone's attention for water for the table, my partners goes to the bar and asks to take a glass jug. The 'waitresses' at the bar literally just standing there having a conversation with each other, barely even acknowledged him and were like "yeah, sure" <br/><br/>Our food arrived and honestly it was just awful. The sweet potato fries tasted like they've been dipped in sugar. The chicken taco was the most dry and tasteless taco I've ever had. And I wish I could rate the food more but the rest of our food never came. <br/><br/>When I asked the waitress to see if we had more food coming, she said she would go check and brought back the bill. She asked us which items we received and came to the conclusion that yes we were in fact missing half our food. (We ordered 8 tacos and received 4). <br/><br/>I ask her whether they had started on the food yet and she snaps back at me saying "I don't know, this is why I brought the bill so I can ask you what food you haven't received yet?" At this point I'm entirely annoyed and tell her to just cancel the order considering we had been sitting there for an hour already. <br/><br/>She comes back and said "no problem! I deleted the items for you. Ok?" Not only did no one apologize for forgetting our order, she made it seem like she was doing us a favor by taking off items of food we didn't receive. Unbelievable. <br/><br/>I can confidently say that we would never come back and whoever is running the establishment should really get more competent staff. <br/><br/><br/>

Great tasting and cheap tacos on Tuesday. All tacos were $3. The place was so crowded with young people but had a fun and vibrant atmosphere. Favourites were fish and calamari tacos.

I'm not sure why people have said the tacos here are amazing because in my opinion, they are far from it! I had the mushroom, chicken and pulled pork tacos and I can easily say I didn't love any of them. The mushroom was by far the worst, I couldn't even finish it. The flavours didn't go well together and it was far too hot for my liking. It also looked absolutely revolting. My 2 friends also tasted it and agreed. The chicken, that I thought wasn't spicy, actually was. I really wish they'd cater for people who can't eat spicy food for health reasons. The pulled pork was okay but even that was average. I guess it was good that they were only $3, not that I believe they were worth that. <br/>I'm glad we decided to order the Truck Stop Guac because it was about the only thing that saved my experience here. Loved the corn chips! And the guac and salsa were amazing. I could eat this meal 100 times over. I also had a lot of issues making a booking here. Times were available online but then I'd get an email saying they were not available after I booked. Very confusing! Beyond average and while there are other things that look good on the menu, I'm not sure I'd return.

'ALL YOU CAN EAT TACOS!' YES PLS! The fish & prawn tacos is definitely the show stopper; something you'll come back to. <br/>We loved the underground/ dim setting, and service was very attentive. <br/>

An underground gem! Extremely difficult to find – we found ourselves walking around the vicinity for nearly 20 minutes before resorting to help from passers by. Finally able to locate the narrow corridor entrance, we headed down the stairway toward a bustling, lively restaurant and friendly welcome.<br/><br/>I had a Groupon ‘all-you-can-eat tacos’ voucher which, for $20 was incredible value. Tacos arrived, four at a time in two pairs of two flavours, which you had to finish before ordering the next set – with six flavours to choose from in total. While all the offerings were tasty, my personal favourites were the crispy fish (great textures and easy to eat) and al pastor (that porky goodness!). None of the tacos came close to the best I’ve ever had, but were nonetheless very tasty and definitely worth the money.<br/>I will surely be back!

We got a Groupon voucher for all you can eat tacos. There is a good variety of tacos. Most of them are spicy but you can order them without jalapeños or chilli. My favourite was the Korean fried chicken and the fish tacos. The restaurant is located underground with lovely ambience. The service is ok. One waitress was really helpful and lovely while the others were not.

The best tacos in Sydney! These guys started the taco Tuesday revolution and they are still number one. Excellent food, great drinks and service.

Booked a table for 10 using Groupon's deal for all you can eat tacos and we sure had our money's worth. Tried all the flavours and the fish and beef were the best by far. The mushroom was very odd. In the end got seconds and thirds of the fish. Definitely would come back here again!

Tacos here are very tasty. There was Tuesday special last year, 3 dollars per taco. My friends normally can eat 3-4 and feel really full.<br/><br/>The service has been very hilarious. Because my friends love the Tuesday special so much, she asked  a waitress how to book 4 Tuesday lunches in a row. The answers was "on the way out, just shout 'see you next Tue*day'!".<br/><br/>My friend was so shocked so she told the waiter at our lunch table. The guy said ok and on our way out, he saw us on the stairs and shouted out "see you next ***day"~~~

I went here to lunch on my Birthday this week. The food was fantastic. We got the $20 4 course menu with a complimentry drink. I had the beer and my colleagues had cider. Each dish was delicious with the Mac n Cheese croquettes being my favourite. <br/>The serving sizes are a little in the small size with this special, so if you want something light then this perfect. <br/>We ordered an extra dish as we were still a little peckish, The Truck Stop Guac which was amazing. The staff were pleasant if a little rushed. Being a cbd lunch destination it had the feel of get them in get them out. I would definitely come back here again. I hear Taco Tuesdays is really popular.

My family and I loved the food, although my kids are not so big on sauces (their loss). The service was excellent, the atmosphere and decor were all very cool.

Worst Customer Experience ever faced in my life. If they weren't able to handle the influx of customer calls for a Groupon Deal, then they shouldn't have advertised the deal on the first place. Instead, they think that they have the right to show their frustration on the Customer when they call them to book the reservation. Anyone who would want to redeem any deals with this place, please do not do so. It isn't worth the frustration, these guys put into. Instead, I would suggest you to claim for a refund and happily spend the money on other good restaurants. Hope this review helps customers not to fall a prey for these peoples poor and unacceptable customer service.

Great experience; Good taco's and fresh latin street food, great service and a really inviting ambience. Entrance is a little hidden but you go underground in to another little world.<br/><br/>The place has a great vibe, it feels premium urban with street style murals, concrete floors and industrial style but also well placed spotlighting and quality furnishings to make it a little more refined. The mix of brightly lit tables, tables with candlelight and high top tables means it has a really versatile layout which is suited for groups, a casual after work drink or even a date. Had a nice buzz and was full of foodies, dinner dates and small groups who had come after work.<br/><br/>The tacos are large, fresh, well balanced and rustically presented. I tried them all and they were all delicious and well thought out with a modern twist. My favourites were the beef cheek, it was very tender and I liked the crunch from the fried shallots. Also the popcorn prawns with lime and coriander worked well as did the mushroom taco which had a sweetness to the mushrooms. Cocktail and drinks list is good and the service was perfect. Attentive and friendly but not overbearing. They always topped up water quickly and were ready to take the next order. Also probably the best looking group of waitresses I've seen in a restaurant and mostly latin which adds to the vibe so not complaining at all.<br/><br/>For dessert I had the flan which was rich, velvety and delicious. The sweetness of the flan was balanced by the bitter caramel and shaved coconut.<br/><br/>Great overall experience. Love the vibe of the place, the food was fresh, hearty, creative and delicious and excellent service. Will be back to try more, highly recommended.<br/>EDIT: Came back in Jan 2017 and the service was horrible. The waitress seemed over her job, lazy and was not attentive. Very inconsistent.

When we read "all you can eat" on a menu we consciously prepare ourselves to eat more than we can bear or at least get our money's worth. Late Friday night, a few friends and I arrived at a quaint and rather stuffy underground restaurant in Sydney’s CBD, Contrabando. Known primarily for their skit, Taco Tuesday's, Contrabando focuses on bringing to the city, the Latin's traditional tacos with a subtle modern twist.   The crispy fish with the chipotle mayo was by far my favourite, the fish was so moist and soft, swimming in a chipotle mayo sauce with lime for extra kick which really gave it a boost. Tied in for second place was the braised beef cheeks and the prawn, both drizzled in their own sauces it was a mouthful of delight each time I took a bite. The only minor thing I didn't like was the restaurant itself, it was so dark, congested and pretty stuffy. I know it's underground but they should really invest in some sort of ventilation down there. I mean if you are eating to your hearts content and may possible come down with meat sweats you're going to definitely want some sort of air movement!

We came here on a Friday night without booking and were lucky enough to get a table for two. A nice little place tucked away in the basement of what we thought was a dingy Chinese place - it wasn't. Service was ok, nothing remarkable but wasn't bad. The place was quite lively and packed. Ambiance-wise it's more suited to a post-work gathering rather than a date. Food was good, nothing too special, but the suckling pig nachos was pretty good. The coco cocktail was amazing (young coconut, Lindt ball, and Frangelico) but the portion was perhaps too small to justify the price.

Used the groupon voucher for 4 with a group of high school mates. Went following a long Thursday at university and the all you can eat tacos for $19pp was definitely worth it! I ended up eating 12 tacos in total and I was fully stuffed. Trust me, after you eat the first 6, the tacos after are a struggle. Service was good but the basement style atmosphere did not really suit me for photographing food.<br/><br/>There were 7 choices from the buffet menu, but I would say 2 things: <br/>1. Order the crispy fish and korean fried chicken tacos<br/>2. Do not order the vegetarian one since that will make you full with quinoa and is generally not as tasty<br/><br/>Good luck eating if you find this worthy groupon voucher! :)

Amazing tacos here!! So much variety but my faves are the fish and the popcorn prawn tacos!! The beef cheeks and kimchi chicken deserve a special mention too!! They also do taco Tuesday's with half price tacos

My friends and I went there using a Groupon offer for all you can tacos night. The tacos were really good. Some fell through like the beef one, but the crispy fish taco was a stand out.

These guys really, really know how to make a taco. Interesting fillings made up of spicy, bold flavours that are truly authentic but modern at the same time. Winning at tacos. Fillings include smoked chilli wagyu beef cheeks (our Meateaters pick), open fire rotisserie pig, Korean popcorn chicken and crispy fish. There's even a great Vegetarian taco (pictured). Roast mushrooms, eggplant, chimichurri and crispy quinoa. Firstly, apologies for the amount of quinoa in our feed at the moment, we don't know what happened. Secondly, Vegetarians, check this out. It's a solid Vego option made up of mushroom that's not too stodgy or slimy. It's got loads of sauce and has just the right amount of kick. All of the tacos we had were spot on. <br/><br/><br/>The restaurant itself is very cool but approachable. The staff are lovely and were happy to help with suggestions. The cocktails were strong (a must). This place is definitely worth checking out. Make sure to invite us! Pretty please.

I had bought a group buying voucher for "a beer and all you can eat taco's for two" meal. I originally booked well in advance for 22 April 2016, with the voucher expiring on 25 April 2016. However, when it was one day away from my booking, my dining companion was taken ill. I rang Contrabando to change the booking and to my delight, they extended the voucher beyond the expiry date. The taco's on offer were comprehensive - fish, chicken, vegetarian, pork and beef. Once you placed your order with the very attentive (but not pushy or annoyingly lurking) staff, the taco of your choice came out quickly on wooden boards. The food was fresh and tasty and not too spicy or burning. The room was well lit and the music at a level where you could hear it and still have a comfortable conversation. My only suggestion for this venue is the signage on Bent Street to signify that the restaurant was down a flight of stairs. The problem is, there isn't any signage at all. An indented doorway,  with two glass doors painted black , and the word "Contrabando" is the only indication that the restaurant is there. I would definitely recommend this venue for a dinner with friends or even a date.

First things first, terrible service here. Rude waitresses when you ask simple questions and we endured at least 5 eye rolls throughout our dining session. I came with a large group, spending over $600, there is no excuse for bad service. <br/><br/>Taco's were lovely, however it would have been nice to have been told that they all come out in groups. What you ordered doesn't come to you specifically which can become a little bit difficult in a big group.

This place is easy to walk past without noticing if you don't know it's there. But well worth a visit for taco Tuesday! The fish taco is especially good!

Really friendly and efficient service here. I had Chargrilled Corn, Wagyu Beef Cheek Taco, Cheeseburger Taco, Suckling Pig Quesadilla, and Churros Balls. All tasted delicious and would definitely be back for their 'Taco Tuesdays'.

Came here on a groupon voucher and the entrance to this place was very unwelcoming!!! it looked like we were walking into some underground night club! but when we got down there the atmosphere was really nice, the food came out promptly but the waitress didn't really understood much (The main girl serving us) the cheeseburger is a must try!! Overall beside the entrance, the food is really nice and worth it for an all you can eat!

Food was ok. went too heavy on the mayo on almost all the tacos. we came in with a groupon deal thinking with the variety that we would at least have one that we like. unfortunately, i have had better tacos elswhere and because of the size, you can't really eat that many anyway. rather go to El Loco. <br/>Also, the service was really bad. the waitress that first served us(before we complained) was incredibly rude, she was abrupt and would give us attitude, would cut us off and shut us down when we had a questions and because it was our first time we weren't really familiar with the rules, it is her job to clarify with a professional and friendly attitude. never had an employee roll their eyes at me ever. <br/>Spoke to the manager, who seemed to just want to make it go away, brushed it aside, and then were served by another waitress, who was quite lovely and even smiled while serving us. overall, they made us( the customers) feel inferior (maybe because it was a groupon deal), unwanted, and initially neglected. the second half of our experience was better because we were full and were served by a nicer waitress. the purpose of this deal was to find a hidden mexican gem as I am from America and grew up eating great Mexican food. Unfortunately, that was not the case and we are definitely not going back there again. I think people tend to forget that customers come in for a great experience or at least an okay one. no one wants to be treated badly and that is what happened here.

If you're in Sydney on a Tuesday you've got to make it a taco Tuesday! Contrabando is deceivingly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of CBD in an underground basement of sorts. It's slightly hard to find but its worth the effort. The service is brilliant and we managed to find a table for 5 without a reservation. The manager catered to our request on a busy Tuesday. We ordered all the tacos - beef, pork, fish, prawns, mushroom and cheeseburger (beef). The beef tacos were unseemingly the best. The mushroom tacos were doused with a zesty mint sauce so be sure to check your taste palette before ordering. The fish tacos are akin to the barramundi fish and chips style and I found it a little oily. Prawns and cheeseburger were good too. However, the tacos didn't leave us craving for more. A line of praise for the cocktails though. I ordered a "Coco", which was delightfully brought to my table in a coconut with frangellico inside! The martini was great and complemented the food well! This place is definitely worth a visit on taco Tuesdays and they have great deals on Fridays as well!

Contrabando is a hidden mexican place with good ambience and food.<br/>I tried the korean chicken taco, the shrimp popcorn taco and truck stop guac. <br/>The food was good, the tacos, big and juicy and the guac nice and chunk with this awesome corn salsa.<br/>Only complain, I wish the shrimp taco had lesser mayo as it kind of drowned all the flavour.

Great gourmet tacos, and cheap voucher deals, service between orders is slow ive noticed after repeat visits, so order several options in one go to balance it out, but with the all you can eat tacos i heard that whatever isnt eaten they charge you for?.. :(<br/><br/>Again quality stylish gourmet tacos from pulled beef, to pork, chicken, prawn and fish with all different themed flavours!

Came with a Groupon two months ago and was pleasantly surprised so I came back again tonight. The tacos here are delicious and are only $3 on Tuesdays. I definitely recommend the tacos from this place! My favourite tacos are: the wagyu beef cheeks taco, the prawn taco, and the crispy fish taco. <br/><br/>Matter of taste but I didn't enjoy the roast mushroom taco. It had "crisp quinoa" and it felt like I was eating sand - but that's just my opinion.

Went for a dinner date on Friday night, when the venue was half empty. We were not met at the entrance and stood around for a good five minutes before someone came to show us to a table, seemingly reluctantly. We ordered a mojito, three tacos and the beef ribs. Our water glasses were filled once then never again. The tacos were pretty good, we ordered popcorn prawn, fish tacos and suckling pig. However, the waitress got the wrong order and we had beef instead of the pig, which was okay, we didn't mind too much. Then came the 20 minute wait, before another waitress tried to serve us steak instead of ribs. We had to tell them twice it wasn't our order, after the waitress sent her manager to make very very certain it wasn't our order. Cue frantic hand gestures. 45 minutes later, we asked for the check and left hungry without ever getting our ribs. Not impressed.

went to  dinner last  had a groupon  voucher all u can eat tacos   very nice  the waitress  are  friendly nice place  its a good setup u  have to finish ur tacos before u can order other  yum

The new Contrabando is amazing. great fit-out - fun staff and still serving killer tacos - easily still the best Tacos in Town! Hands down. Takes me back to my days in California. These guys got it right.<br/>Cool space and friendly staff. Think its best go early to beat the madness!<br/><br/>Korean Chicken Taco and Suckling Pig my two faves - but can smash me a few fish tacos any day lol. Plus they do a $3 Taco Tuesday deal which is insane

$3 slider Monday's. $3 taco Tuesday's. A hidden underground Mexican restaurant with Great Wall art and delicious food. A fabulous CBD lunch spot, must visit.

As my friend worked nearby, we decided to check this place out for lunch as they had daily deals. On Fridays it's 4 tacos for $20 and this turned out to be a great deal as the four we chose were all delicious and they were filling! <br/>U<br/>Initially it was quiet but around 12.30pm the restaurant started to fill up quickly with large groups. My friend tried their chargrilled corn to nibble on while we waited for our tacos but they came out pretty quickly and they brought one each at a time on wooden paddle boards. I tried their prawn, wagyu beef cheeks, popcorn chicken and the rotisserie pig all flavoursome and tasty. None of them were dry as they were generous with the sauces hence made eating a bit difficult without sauce dripping everywhere but it was good.<br/><br/>Make sure you book for Friday lunch as it did get really busy.

When you have a team lunch to celebrate a team members promotion and they mention a lunch spot that is a great place for a quick lunch with a good deal I had to google it.  I hadn't seen alot of reviews on nor heard much about Contrabando, so I was excited about going. Turns out it's where the Noble House used to be - look for the upside down sign out the front.  It's unassuming and full of mystery as you head downstairs into a moody lit room, with local artwork hanging on the walls.  It's obviously had a make over (or make under as it's more grungy and graffettied than Noble House was)  Cheeky and playful.

Had an all-you-can eat taco voucher and had all tacos except veggie.<br/><br/>I must say I enjoyed the seafood tacos better (fish, calamari, prawn. The batter on the fish was delicious as well as the sauce.<br/><br/>The meat tacos (beef, chicken) were still nice but not as tasty as the seafood tacos.<br/><br/>Great service.

Best Mexican in Sydney. Surprised i hadn't heard about it sooner. Was referred here by a friend but undoubtedly the most delicious Mexican Ive tried to date. Stand outs, chargrilled corn, beef quesadilla, pig taco- has a nice kick, sweet potato fries.  The Churros- out of this world! Will definitely be a repeat customer. Lost a point as the service was a little slow with meals taking a while to come out- but they were worth the wait.

extremely poor service. they had wrong reservation time written down to what we had confirmed with them twice over the phone. they still had their lunch specials and prices written on menu and blackboard at dinner time leading to further confusion and disappointment. responded rudely when we asked about banquet options. our whole table felt generally ignored and literally had to yell or stand and wave arms around to get service. bathrooms were gross. will not go here again.

After some crazy weather in Sydney, we finally decided to brave it and head to Contrabando (be it approximately 30 steps from the front door of our building). The entrance is extremely unassuming, so much so that we were convinced it was a basement Chinese restaurant for the past few months. It wasn’t until I saw large groups of business men hoarding into the basement that I knew I had to look it up. We entered Contrabando at lunchtime on a Friday, assuming that its mysterious exterior wasn’t luring in huge crowds on a weekday. We were definitely mistaken. We were initially told that the restaurant was completely booked out, apparently a regular occurrence on Tuesdays and Fridays, so definitely make sure you book! However, she managed to make a small table for us just as a group left, so definite extra points for the waitstaff! The restaurant itself is unexpectedly really nice and classically decorated, with low lighting (being in a basement) and modern wall painting adding a touch of colour to the space.

Now that I think about it I have to admit the chargrilled hangar steak was nothing short of amazing. I absolutely love quality beef served medium rare, what made most amazing for me was the choice of chimmichurri which is definitely one of my all time favourite condiments for steak.

Contrabando is an underground den that's kind of hidden away but venture down their enticing and mysterious stairway and you'll discover a hidden world here. The whole place has been completely transformed - and we mean completely - the decor, the food, the atmosphere - the lot! It's another world - but one worth going to. The place is Southern Californian inspired and this flows through in the colours, decor, the decorations and furnishings and of course the tangy and tasty food they offer. The menu said: With your permission I would love to take you on the journey I took through Southern California over the Summer and experience some of the tastes I loved. With these words we were both enchanted and enthralled - and eager to see what lay ahead. The food odyssey started with ocean trout ceviche that arrived dotted with jalapeno and coriander and beside a pale smear described as a citrus and soy bath. Wow - the simplicity of the dish understated the flavours - it all worked so well.  It arrived on black slate accentuating the vibrant colours - we simply rolled up the trout with the jalapeno then dabbed it in the sauce - it was so tasty!

True to its name, the restaurant is hidden, mysterious and definitely something you would not happen upon if you were wandering around in the city. The entrance to the restaurant is graffiti-clad, with an upside down sign that reads “Noble House Chinese Cuisine”, with a staircase that leads to the underground restaurant. To start off the night, we all got a cocktail including the likes of: Mojito – Mount Gay rum, muddled lime, mint, soda Caipirinha- Cachaca, muddled lime, lime, ice Contrabando Colada- spiced rum, baileys, coconut crème, pineapple We had to wait around 15-20 minutes for our cocktails which was disappointing. I ordered the Capirinha and I found it quite unpleas

We purchased the "all you can eat tacos" voucher for two. The service was very slow (10-15 minutes before they would bring out 2 tacos). Limited by ordering only 2 tacos at a time. The manager was unfriendly. <br/>The food was bland, by any standard. The flavors did not represent Mexican/Latin food. <br/>I think anyone who goes to this place will regret it. <br/>Avoid at all costs.

Terrible service, expensive wine, nice food. The service here borders on non-existant! Clearly the owner hires based on whether the applicant is female with brown hair rather than staff with experience. Dined there for dinner, not once did someone come to our table without being waved down. When they did come to our table- they were unable to take orders as they were not "wait staff". Incredibly strange given its a restaurant. <br/><br/>Some staff with any concept of customer service would really lift the place. <br/><br/>Wine list is over priced and they ran out of three different wines after serving one glass of each. <br/><br/>Food was nice. Not amazing, but would be worth returning for if the service was half decent and the wine fridge actually stocked. <br/><br/>Also, it's underground with absolutely no air conditioning so be prepared to sweat.. A lot.

I had heard great things from colleagues about their $20 lunches and thought the deal was a sure bet. It's quite dark and moody atmosphere down in a basement on the edge of the CBD, which did well to hide the huge bellies we were sporting by the end of the meal.  We were warned you could only order two kinds of tacos at once, and had to finish before ordering more. This led to some sneaky tortilla hiding by myself towards the end. There were plenty of gluten free options available too, however the wait staff were a bit lost with my requests at first.

I first came across Contrabando when I was invited to a work lunch for Taco Tuesday, which featured $3 tacos all day every Tuesday. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend, but I did check out the menu and was keen to go at the next available opportunity. A couple of weeks later, after a little confusion finding it, my boyfriend and I eventually arrived at the upside down Noble House sign and made our way down the dimly lit stairs. I wanted to try just about everything on the menu, but had to settle for the sensible option of only ordering enough for two people. We began with the crab tostadas – the shredded crab was sweet and creamy, with a hint of chilli, and was perfect with the crisp tostadas.

I enjoy the simple things in life - food, family, friends... and all you can eat tacos. After being alerted by a supposedly urgent message about tacos, a food date was arranged for 4 at only $69 in total! The package includes all you can eat tacos along with a soft drink or alcoholic beverage such as cider or ale. Mojito ($10) I asked to use my $5 drink credit to subsidise for my mojito instead of a cider because I'm not a big fan and they were more than happy to do so. Zesty and zingy! Braised Wagyu Brisket Habanero mustard mayo, avocado puree, piquillo and corn salsa. Delicious melt in your mouth pieces of brisket and creamy avocado puree can't do you wrong! Suckling Pig Chilli jam, pineapple relish, salsa roja and 'petty cash' salsa. A nice subtle hint of chilli with some fresh salsa is the way to go! Popcorn Prawn Green tabasco aioli, carrot & coriander slaw, smashed avocado, chilli. I was afraid that the prawns would be in small chunks overtaken by batter but I was relieved to see a whole prawn in the golden case, which was crispy while keeping the prawn juicy.  Crispy Fried Chicken Queso fresco, sweet 'slaw, coriander, Korean hot sauce. Cuban Beans Ratatouille, tomato, queso fresco. I've grown an appreciation for vegetarian options as I dine with larger crowds. You should see the horror on my face when I accidentally invite a vegetarian to KBBQ and they're too polite to mention anything. The cuban beans and ratatouille were just as tasty as the meatier options. Crispy Fish Tamatillo, avocado, chipotle mayo, pico de gallo. The fish was indeed crispy and thankfully, without the fishy smell. The package was through Scoopon but if you

First one they tried was the wagyu beef. The meat was deliciously tender and the pomegranite seeds offered a refreshing, light crunch to the marinated beef.

It would be unfair (and near impossible) to select my favourite dish of the evening; as our dinner at Contrabando was so phenomenal. Its so much more than the well-executed small share dishes packed full of flavour and freshness, followed up by smoky and tender charred meats. You have not yet even taken into account the urban, gritty street view, inconspicuous dim entrance stairway, and the wait staff who greet you in their oh-so-seductive silken accents with a little dark smile; it’s all of these elements that give the restaurant such a sense of extreme mystery and flair.

Overall we liked the decor at Contrabando and thought it was a more elegant version of Barrafina, whilst still being a little rough around the edges!

Food is big and bold and more substantial than all but the biggest bits upstairs, with some real winners: a bright kingfish ceviche and a simple dish of tomatoes let the produce sing, though our table suffered menu envy at our neighbours’ miniature chorizo hot dogs. A prawns and quinoa salad is refreshing and sweet, and is the perfect way for anyone who thinks “ancient grains” are bit … you know … to get over any such complexes.

...Chicharrones (Pork Scratchings with Chilli Salt). The crackling is chopped up fairly thickly, so we zero in on the thinner pieces first and we’re rewarded with the distinctive taste and texture of crunchy piggy goodness on our first bite. But the scratchings are definitely quite rich after a few more bites and we find it hard to finish off the serving. We also can’t really taste the chilli salt that it’s supposed to come with....

There are two of them. One is friendly and welcoming while the other is reserved, dark and mysterious.

Nice food and delicious tacos but nothing special. $10 cocktails on Wednesday. Didn't like the desserts at all. The churros were soggy inside.

What went wrong?. This place used to be awesome, but now...<br/><br/>tacos are good but avoid the mains, lamb looked like it had been microwaved, fries were a joke. wine glasses came with lipstick already applied and/or unidentifiable floaties. <br/><br/>wait staff who think they are Australia's next top model... <br/><br/>so bad, even for Sydney

Taco Tuesday !!!. Had a few different $3 tacos this Tuesday.....all great.<br/> Fantastic deal . Special mention to the fish n prawn tacos