el Publico

Our first visit to el Publico was an amazing experience from start to finish. We were greeted warmly by a lovely lady staff member and the owner, who both took the time to chat with us, explain the dishes, and recommend their favorites. The service was outstanding .. genuinely friendly and personal. Now, the food… absolutely incredible. Every bite was packed with flavor. The portions were huge, the ingredients fresh, and the taste felt truly authentic !! easily the best Mexican food we’ve ever had!! We especially loved the Mictlan Mole Taco and the share grilled meats platter. The owner even noticed how much we enjoyed the meal and gave us a free consomé, which was rich, hearty, and full of depth. That kind of attention to detail and care really stood out. They make you feel welcomed. We’ll definitely be back again soon!

Just amazing! Food was fresh, authentic and amazing value. We had the Feed Me Menu to taste everything. It was absolutely delicious. Tequila choices are amazing and recommend the Petron Silver. Spicy margaritas were next level. We'll be back!!

We came as a group of four on a Saturday early evening. We shared a couple of plates of food and a couple of margaritas. Service was really prompt and very friendly. Finished off the meal with a flight to Mexico for tasting fun night wouldn't say no to coming again.

Honestly, I was so excited to eat here. Great reviews, a concise menu is always a sign of great food, but it was so disappointing on so many levels. The Birria taco was soggy and pretty one dimensional, the beef was fine but nothing to write home about, the chicken taquitos were ok, pretty light on filling and seemingly covered with the queso fresco to compensate for the lack of flavour. The chicken and fish tacos were definitely a highlight, but having said that I’ve had far better at much less impressive venues or hyped spots, they were both just fine. The corn was good, but again, I can’t really reach for any flavours in my head that were memorable beyond the cheese. By far the most disappointing part of the meal were the “seasonal ceviche tostada’s”. I was expecting something along the lines of Besk’s tostada’s with a Mexican twist, instead we got two slabs of not crispy, but not soft tostada, topped with some guacamole, tuna and all buried in the garnish, it was such a miss for what should’ve been the highlight of the meal. I will say the service was great, absolutely faultless staff, but the product left much to be desired. $134 for two people, one beer each, for this level of food is really unjustifiable, however if the story was different, that’s a fair price for a really nice date night meal. Just a shame this wasn’t that.

Our first visit here and it won’t be our last! Was also the first time I’ve convinced my partner to try ceviche and he loved it so much he ended up ordering a second dish. Service was perfect. Friendly and professional. Drinks were amazing and well priced. Highly recommend the ceviche and the beef tacos. Desert was an amazing Chilli mousse which we will definitely need to come back to enjoy again. Atmosphere is fun but possibly just a little bit squeezy. Fitting all of the plates on the table can be tricky and having a conversation that’s not completely overheard can be a little challenging.

el Publico has long held a reputation as a mainstay in Perth’s dining scene, and after attending a recent private event there, I’m pleased to say it’s on my personal favourites list. With new ownership at the helm, there’s a renewed energy in both the service and the menu — and it shows. From the moment we arrived, the staff were warm, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. The bar remains a standout feature, boasting an impressive selection of cocktails that hero Mexican spirits. I was particularly impressed by the creative use of mezcal, which added a smoky complexity to a few standout drinks. The restaurant itself leans into a dark and moody aesthetic, with quirky artwork and comfortable seating. While I personally found the space a touch dim and noisy, that’s likely down to my own sensitivities — others may find the buzz adds to the lively atmosphere, especially on a busy night. We dined on a set menu and I can confidently say that every course delivered. The food struck a fine balance between authenticity and innovation, with bold flavours and thoughtful presentation throughout. The pacing of dishes was spot on, and there was more than enough to go around. A special mention must go to the staff, who were not only attentive but also happy to accommodate special dietary needs. One dish that stood out was the cured salmon served with vibrant fruit-based sauces — a perfect blend of fresh, salty, sweet and tangy. It was a true highlight, both in flavour and presentation. All in all, El Publico is clearly thriving under its new ownership. It feels like a reinvigorated version of the much-loved original, and I’m genuinely excited to return and explore more of the menu. If you haven’t visited in a while, now’s the time — do yourself a favour and book a table.

Food was delicious! The tostados and fish tacos were so good. Got the feed me menu and was very tasty. Would highly recommend and will be going back.

This place is great. A level above Mexican food elsewhere in Perth (which is fine but predictable) - it was refreshing and delicious! Highlights were Mogo mogo balls - complex flavours of meat wrapped in banana, never tasted anything like it - and Gorditas - pulled pork on crunchy corn croquettes. The rib eye tacos were great too. Lovely staff, attentive to several of our group’s allergies, and a great vibe. Whole menu is GF - we will be back to try the churros soon!

Lovely atmosphere, friendly servers, and nice music, but sadly very average food. We were here for some drinks which were nice and nibbles. The guac was very very salt. The $55 mixed grill was just meh. A disappointing mix of lightly flavoured meats (some spiced up with peanut or spicy sauce), bland rice and pickled onions. The sausage was a relative highlight.

Ay, Ay, Ay! Me encanta! el PÚBLICO, you had me at hola. The atmosphere has the griminess and liveliness of nigh time Mexico City, the service is charismatic and helpful and the food is authentic and totally scrumptious! It really makes all previous encounters with Mexican cuisine look like Old El Paso. Food recommendations: #61 Arroz - a beautiful Paella like rice dish, crowded with plump mussels and prawns #47 Mushrooms - sauteed to perfection #54 Salted beef and cheese tacos - mmmm..salty goodness. And especially order; #58 Street corn - Holy wow! I never new the humble sweetcorn could be so tasty! Thirsty? Try one of their house-made sodas. The ginger is some kind of zing-zang! There's even a buzzing bar at the entrance that stands pretty well on it's own. Hotfoot it to el PÚBLICO before the word gets out!

"Everything on the menu is gluten-free" is music to a gluten intolerant's stomach. What is the opposite of boring and bland Mexican food? El Publico. I came here for a celebratory meal with a group of friends and the food, service and drinks were all (dare I use the unspeakable hospitality word) perfect. We started off with everyone's best friend guacamole with black beans and housemade corn chips that are really big chunks of crisp taco. The octopus a la plancha was served on a board with serrano crispy potatoes and the most delicious green sauce that tasted like a coriander and lime salsa verde but creamy. I could have drunk it as a cocktail it was that good! Luckily I didn't have to order a condiment cocktail because the El Publico 100% agave tequila menu is impressive. I was in a margarita mood but with a twist, so I requested that the bartender add a cinnamon sugar rim to the glass and... TA DA! my cinnamon margarita came true (you should order one too). My friend ordered the Mezcal Fresh Apple drink which looks like a trendy green smoothie but tastes like an apple orchard in a hipster jar. Now this one is for my fellow intolerants in the house - every single thing at El Publico is gluten-free, so I was surprised to see a battered fish taco on the menu Also, I always want to order a Californian Baja taco at Mexican restaurants but alas never can because we know what batter is made from. So I was extra excited when the waitress said it was gluten-free batter! The taco was served with chipotle slaw and avocado, and for $8 - I'll be back to eat an entire Baja taco degustation just to catch up on all our lost years. My favourite part of the meal was dessert after I spied CHOCOLATE TACOS on the menu the minute we sat down. I'm all for sharing meals but it was such a rookie mistake ordering one of these gifts to humankind between SIX PEOPLE - when really we all wanted one each. Think: a pancake-sized chocolate taco base with chilli chocolate mousse, a scoop of chocolate ice cream, dulce de leche and pasilla praline goodness. It was a showstopper; I'm surprised there isn't chocolate smears all over this review because we devoured it with a chorus of 'oooh' and 'aaaaah' and 'I wish I didn't have friends so I wouldn't have to share chocolate tacos'. For all the 'new' and 'hot' businesses popping up, it's refreshing to not feel like a burden for having food allergies. El Publico is a bustling and bountiful eatery and bar that is the perfect blend of spectacular food, satisfying cocktails and service with a soul.

How to cure Mondayitis...double carbs! On Monday's only, the team at eL PUBLICO produce what can only be described as food heaven. Hands down my favourite burger and fries combo in Perth, a beef burger, brioche bun and chilli cheese fries (YUM). I highly recommend washing this down with one of eL PUBLICO's delicious Tommy's margaritas. eL PUBLICO never disappoints with their friendly staff, incredibly fresh food, well thought out wine and cocktail list and all at a pretty reasonable price, definitely worth a visit.

Having wanting to go to this restaurant since I arrived in Perth, I finally got the chance last night with my work colleagues. After a gruelling city scramble race in kings park where my team came second to last (boo), I was looking forward to food and drinks. Being a group of 30 people, we were given the upstairs area of the restaurant. The restaurant plays pumping salsa music, a bit too loud; so you basically have to yell at your colleagues, but hey great way to get your frustrations out (jokes). The restaurant is apparently known for their tequilas. So my table of people and I decided to start off with some fruity tequila based cocktails and tequila shots. The tequila apple is delicious tequila smoothly blended with fresh green apple. Alas we ordered 8 over the course of the night and my table only received two of them. I ordered the watermelon cocktail which is called the something suffixed by -xal and I was duped into believing that something tasting like a negroni and loaded with ice was my cocktail. Three cocktails and eight tequila shots later, when my watermelon cocktail arrived (this is 3 and a half hours later) I had to give it away to my colleague because I didn't want it anymore plus I had had three random cocktails and my colleague's margarita (which is delicious) by this time. The tequila is amazing. It comes with pink salt and tomato sangria or slices of orange. I'm not a tequila connoisseur and haven't done shots since I was 19, but this tequila was delicious. So smooth, didn't burn my stomach, and I could have eight of them without embarrassing myself. :) Now to the food. We had a 45 dollars per person set menu that included crackled pork ear, mushroom quesadilla, creamy corn, pulled pork taco, fajita with beef, pork and chicken as options, and a dessert board. Now for the verdict: 1. Crackled pulled pork ear - better than what you get out of a bag from an Asian supermarket but still weird tasting. Their non spicy salsa Verde and their fake spicy sauce did not mask the strange undertones. 2. Pulled pork taco - the most delicious succulent pork taco I've ever had. Definitely a winner and the best thing I had all night. After the tequila of course. 3. Mushroom quesadilla - bland. Tasteless pieces of mushroom in small soft taco. 4. Fried salty chickpeas - they tasted oily. My colleague on a diet refused to eat them after one bite. And aren't baked chickpeas a diet lover's dream? 5. Soft tacos with beef, chorizo and chicken - the chicken was tough and chewy and dry. I had to literally spit it out. The chorizo was amazing but waaaay too salty. The beef was again bland but better than the chicken. 6. Dessert board included a creme caramel with a lashing of chilli and some weird sauce at the bottom - pretty disappointing. Just tasted like bland creme caramel. We also got some coconut ice-cream on a popsicle which again was nothing special just bland coconut tasting stuff. Not even the nice cheap kind of coconut ice cream that you get on a sweltering day from the ice cream cheapo truck in Thailand. So verdict 1. el publico can't deal with large groups as my drinks never arrived. One of the tables kept getting their margaritas but we never got to see our second round of tequila apples. 2. Don't have their desserts. 3. Go for their pulled pork soft tacos and tequila cocktails, margaritas and for a smooth salsa vibe.

I enjoyed my food, but the service was excellent. The waitress we had was just wonderful - so helpful and informative, and she knew the menu very well. Top marks as so many staff don't understand the menus. I went with my friend for the Monday night burger specials. It was lovely, with some chips included however both were a bit lukewarm. The chips needed to be cooked a touch longer as they were house made and weren't very crispy but house made chips, great! The meat was nice but the bun was soggy inside where the sauce had long absorbed the sauce and so it was clear that either the sauce was really runny (didn't look it though) or the burgers didn't come out to us immediately. The burger was just meat, cooled melted cheese and sauce but tasted good - it did need something more though. The tequila range here is great and cocktails are delicious. The atmosphere was quite dark and it was hard to see our food but the sauces on the burger and chips were delicious and you get a free salsa verde which was also great! We were really adventurous and ordered fried crickets, and I'm glad we did. The house made chilli sauce was gorgeous and went well with it. If the kitchen could get the temperature and timing right it would be fab!

This is the best night out, especially for groups. From chilli popcorn down to the funky chilli-chocolate ice cream Go for the, chefs feed-me menu. Amazing and the dishes just keep coming. Only gripe.... The music can be a bit too loud

El Publico, the newest edition to Beaufort Street has come to help feed the Mexican frenzy that is Perth dining. The interior was much more slick than I was expecting, there`s nothing rustic about it. The cocktails are great, the Paloma (using grapefruit) and the classic margarita are thirst quenching bombs of deliciousness. The bar works as a serpearte entity so you could definitely just call in for some of the their specialty cocktails, sit at the bar and not order food. All the food that we tried was great apart from the salsa asada, that wasn't for me. The pork tongue bitter orange pickled onion tacos and the requeson radish habanero relish tacos were definitely my favourites. Will be going again soon for sure, so it`s lucky their menu is so extensive!

With this place and El Compa down the road it seems as though Perth is finally waking from her Mexican-food torpor. While El Compa is pure street food, El Publico boasts a high-end, snazzed-up take on that particular style of Mexican cuisine. There's more than enough room in my heart and stomach for both! From the moment the fried, burnt tortilla salt chickpeas (a legume that I am usually a bit iffy about) landed on the table and began to explode in my maw like hand grenades of flavour, I knew I was in for a treat. A succession of dishes arrived, tapas style, and with only one exception each was as good as the last. Chicken tacos with thinly sliced pickled onion and peanut salsa? Yes please! Another real highlight was the Mexican street corn. This was a particular fave of mine during my time living in the US, although I am particularly partial to the variety still on the cob. El Publico's delectable corn won me over to the cobless variant as well. The food was great -- just.... wow! Even the house-made habanero hotsauce was perfectly delicious. I did mention one exception and it wasn't that they weren't yummy, they just didn't fit in within the context of our meal. One was a sort of battered, deep-fried ball of shredded beef that came with a delicious chipotle crema. They were nice, but very heavy -- particularly so as there were only two of us eating meat at the table. The dish came with six and We only managed three between us. Fine for larger groups, definitely not something to order solo or as a pair. Similarly, the roasted pork torte contains pork that's so eye-poppingly scrummy I could eat it all day; however, as Mexican tortes do, it came in a large bread roll. Given that we'd ordered half the menu, my friends and I didn't want to fill up on bread. We solved this problem by eschewing the top of the bun. Similarly excellent were the variety of non-alcoholic beverages available. The Mexican lemonade and pink grapefruit soda were the perfect tangy accompaniments for the non-drinkers in our party (which included myself). I'd urge people, as difficult as it may be, to save room for dessert when visiting El Publico. The three of us enjoyed a delectable salted chilli chocolate truffle at the end of proceedings. The thing was incredible -- even if we did suffer Monty Python's Meaning of Life flashbacks (we were all rather gorged by this point). When El Publico first opened I wasn't excited. Their menu was full of "weird stuff" that I wouldn't touch with a bargepole -- somewhere along the line they seem to have toned down the super-edgy content and made things more accessible while retaining their flair for the creative and delicious. Highly recommended.

For many reasons, El Publico remains as one of my favourite places along Beaufort Street and clearly, I'm not the only one; there's always a lively vibe, which I find addictive and even when they're busy...the food is always worth waiting for! I recommend coming in on a Monday night for their $20 Taco Special, which consists of my two favourite things on the menu - a selection of 3 tacos and a jar of street corn, with a drink of your choice from the house list. The allowances for reservations are limited to a 6:30PM sitting or an 8:30PM sitting for parties of 6 or more - during this time, it can be hard to flag staff down to take orders, but they're super attentive once they get to you. Must-order dishes: Guacamole, Tomato Salsa, Tortilla Chips ($9.50) Potato Taco, Peppers, Chile de Arbol, Queso (1 for $6.50) Beef Tongue taco, Salsa de Hongo (1 for $7.00) Salmon Ceviche, Tomato, Avocado, Lime ($18.00) Street Corn Mayo Queso ($10.00) 10g of Crickets for ($14.00) - be adventurous and just go for it!

I am turning into a bit of a homebody in my old age (dirty thirty this year) and this thing has happened to me. I really dislike going places where I have to struggle for a parking spot. It's the stupidest thing but it really bugs the F out of me. With that being said, I don't hit up Mount Lawley much, which is a godamned shame because it's a serious food hub today! If you push past the forrest of hipster beards and top knots, you might just stumble across this little gem: El Publico. My girlfriend's shout, she was desperate to show me the Mexican light. She assured me we should opt for the "Feed Me" menu which is a $39p/person set meal you can choose rather than the standard menu (min 2 people) and IT.IS.AWESOME! Chili Popcorn: Buttery, Sweet with a bit of a kick. I was a big fan of this one. Guacamole: (I don't like Avocado, which means I don't love guac. It was guacy... Did come with the crunchiest corn chips I've ever had and a tomatoy salsa awesomeness. Chicharron: Puffy but not oily pork crackle. Street Corn: *Pro Tip* Squeeze the lime juice on! Street corn touches you in your special place (in the happy belly spot that is). Fried Chicken Taco: Actually the best fired chicken I have had in forever. De-Lish! Carbon De Mercado San Juan: Spanish for Pork Belly, Charcoal Chicken, Steak and Chorizo with some taco wraps, pickled onion, chopped onion, carrot and 3 sauces (major props to the aioli). Brussel Sprout Ensalada: Ok, I was dubious too, but legit, this salad is unexpectedly amazeballs. The sprouts are deep fried and have a sweetness to them, pair that with a little rocket & radish etc. I can guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised! Dessert Board: Chocolate Popsicle with a pecan crust and a sundae compiled with sweet corn ice cream (wow-yum), crumbled cookie, more of that chili popcorn and coconut. While I couldn't find the coconut element, it was delicious. The serving is deceivingly big. Both girlfriend and I were full AF on departure. All servers we encountered were super dooper but special props to Danny. Danny seated us immediately and had our table cleaned, intro'd us to the menu and put in our order including drinks even though we were meant to order for ourselves at the bar. He is worth every penny they pay and more! He's delightful! I had the margarita (it's the best I've ever had, do reals) and gf had an apple cocktail which she's had before and is fond of. While the menu is a tad bit intimidating for the not Spanish fluent amongst us, there is a wee "Spanish 101" translation on the menu itself but the servers are happy to explain anything you might be struggling with and will actually give you a run down of what you're about to consume as they pop it on your table, very informative! The place is buzzing. It's dark, it's moody, it's clean, the foods good and I like it. Two thumbs up.

Great atmosphere, great drinks and authentic Mexican food , the tacos were rlly nice and had very interesting entrees totally worth the money

Awesome spot for some quality Mexican served alongside top notch tequila and mezcal! Knowledgeable and attentive staff in tow at all times and you really get a sense of their passion for he service and products they provide. A true gem of the area, never a dull or bad experience!

I really love El Publico. It is quite bustling but not too noisy and you can still easily have a conversation. Fantastic array of cocktails that are tequila based and they also have oodles of different tequila available (if that's your thing). The beef Mogo Mogo are a must eat dish. It is spicy shredded beef wrapped in banana batter and deep fried and served with a spicy mayo style sauce. Sounds weird, tastes bloody spectacular! We also had the beef tacos which were great and the street corn. The chicken tostada was another winner! Definitely give it a try. It's Mexican, but not as you know it. I rate it as the best Mexican in Perth.

I've been trying to eat at this place for a while and the opportunity arose so I jumped at the chance. We walked in and and were greeted by a friendly staff member who gave us a booth, which I love. Our server was keen on getting us drinks and was disappointed when we informed him we weren't drinking that night, I was just as disappointed as I hear the tequila menu is quite varied. The server gave us the option of ordering our food as normal or stating a price and he would just bring out his choices to that value, we opted for the latter. We said $30 each and that was more than enough for me, three of us so a $90 bill and we were treated to a satisfactory sampling of the menu. We even had the gimmick of crickets, which were actually tasty. Street corn, mogu mogu balls, shrimp, potato tacos, salmon ceviche, all were different and more adventurous than you would find on your stock standard Mexican restaurant menu, but simple enough to cater to western palates. I really enjoyed the sharing aspect of these dishes and only wish that I was having tequila too!

Delicious authentic Mexican food with lots of flavours and variety. The staff are welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. The ambience is warm and friendly. Also some amazing selections on the bar menu. Perhaps book an Uber and try some of the Tequilas and cocktails.

If you are hungry enough to eat the crotch out of an Afghan camel riders underpants you may be able to eat the food - but only after a few tequila flights and sufficient inebriation to not notice how poor the "feed me" lineup is. Without going into as much detail as I have done in trip advisor, the food was; tasteless, texturally disconcerting, dry and boring... I would expect if I was kidnapped in Mexico or a prisoner in a Mexican jail the food would be tastier. The food is creative and not the usual main stream Mexican - this would be ok if it actually tasted ok!

I agree with Claire H, it makes previous Australian encounters with Mexican look like Old El Paso. This place is not afraid to use flavors that may offend, and if they do, then I guess you can leave. This place is happy with what it is and doesn't try to be what it isn't. Awesome service, attentive and inventive, we received excellent suggestions and good banter. Go with: Partners, close friends, small to medium groups. Don't Miss: Deserts. Try them, even if you feel super full. Get something you don't think you'll like, surprise yourself.

Popped in for a drink and dessert on a busy Sunday night. Staff were very friendly and the food came out promptly. The Peanut butter parfait was divine and my friend loved her Brownie. Can't wait to go back and try some mains and cocktails.

Set in the busy heart of Beaufort st is this oasis of all things Mexican hombre. The tequila selection is truly awesome, and it looks like the Whisky selection downstairs would be similar Seems to be a haunt for groups of ladies before a night out, at least when I was there. The food is a modern take on Mexican and great to share. WARNING!! When they say the hot sauce is hot, they mean it. Arriving late I missed the warning and applied a liberal dose to my street corn which left me squeaking like a truck reversing. You have been warned. My companions were vegan and the staff were very accommodating. I had street corn, which was good, beef balls which were fricking awesome and one each of the duck and beef tacos. The duck was a bit meh but the beef was smoky soft juicy goodness and I could have eaten a dozen of them if I wasn't stuffed from the beef balls. Highly recommended.

First, the service and atmosphere is still absolutely amazing - the service was very quick and friendly. I love that they rotate their cocktail menu! That being said, I hate to say that I was disappointed with the food on my most recent visit. We got: Street corn: still amazing and worth every delicious bite! Mixed grill platter: The food came out incredibly quick... so quick that you could tell it was probably just waiting under a heat lamp for the next table to order it. The meat was luke-warm. The taste was still decent but cold within minutes. :( One of the meat items was lamb belly and I would say it was 90% fat - I know that lamb is supposed to quite fatty but the actual meat was incredibly tiny and not enough to share between 2 people. Still love El Publico and will return again in hopes of a warm meal! :)

I can't believe it took me this long to try the fanciest Mexican this side of Northbridge! I really enjoyed the buzzing atmosphere, friendly service and creative, tasty food they had to offer when we visited on a rainy Sunday night (my husband also enjoyed the $5 beer special!). Street prawns were a delicious little snack, and the beef tongue, lamb and chicken tacos were all so moreish. The beef mogo mogo was our favourite of the night, and if banana and slow cooked beef brisket doesn't sound like a great idea, give these bad boys a go and be amazed. The house made hot sauce and salsa verde were also incredibly good. Yes, OK, I was a little bit sad that it was delicious regional cantina food without the low, low cantina prices, but that's alright, You get plenty of flavour bang for your buck, and a friendly, lively night out.

I'm reluctant to post this as I'm still making my mind up about this place...if I could I'd give it 3.5. I've been a few times and it's a bit hit and miss. The first time was fantastic, the second was poor and this last time was somewhere in the middle. The place has a great atmosphere and is always busy and the staff are good. For me, it's the food that is unpredictable here and sometime lacking the oomph of flavour that you expect/want from Mexican food. We had a mixed platter of meat, some was cooked well, others weren't rendered properly and was very fatty. I wound recommend due to its location and atmosphere, but I wouldn't expect the meal of your life.

Yummers!!!!!! Food glorious food - get in my belly! :) Had a great time at El Publico - it's the perfect place to catch up with friends and enjoy some tasty treats together... The service was great.... very helpful, they knew all the products.... were accommodating with drinks - swapping tequila for vodka etc... Between 4 of us...We had: 70. Fried chickpeas - served in a cute little glass jar - these little peas melt in your mouth! 76. Grilled leek - not my favourite and the only one I probably wouldn't have again, it was just a little tough to eat. 77. Pozole... usually they make it with Corn but on our visit it was cabbage... amazing dish - SO yummy!!! 81. 2 x Onion Cheese Tacos - there's so many elements to this dish.. the cheese, the onion chutney, and favours... fantastic PLUS a Roasted Carrot salad which I couldn't find on there online menu... I heard the margaritas are awesome but I don't drink tequila.. my husbnad order drinks swapping the tequila for vodka.... The red wine was great... especially the red el presidente... :) Definitely going again!!

My favourite Mexican restaurant in Perth! Slightly on the pricey side but well worth a treating yourself every so often. Ate on a Saturday night, which was chock-a-block, no matter, left a name down and grabbed a drink from 'Enriques'. I think our table was ready within 60 minutes. We received a message via phone that our table was ready and that they would hold it for 10 minutes which gave me time to finish my drink. Yay! Friendly service and a carefully thought out menu. We have the beef tongue taco (mmmmm), fish taco (nice but paled in comparison to the beef tongue), potato taco the chicken taco (approval), the street shrimp which were tiny little shrimps fried to a crisp and salted. Finger lickin' good. Would have looked some aoili to go with the shrimp but I guess that's not keeping with mexican flavors? Complimentary basket of tortilla chips with salsa and guacomole. I had too much salt on my chips and had to shake it off but otherwise gobbled the chips and dippings quickly. The ceviche was yummy (but sinewy. WHY?!). Cuttlefish tostado was a definite highlight of the meal, going down too easily. Great ambience and even better food. Love it!

We went here to celebrate a work achievement and accidentally ran into my boss as he was leaving. He recommended we order small things to share and stay away from the bigger mains. I'm so glad we took his advice, we had the quail and some tacos, salad and other bits and pieces. He also recommend the street corn and wow was it good! I had a really great time, the food was great, the drinks were great, the staff were attentive and very helpful at explaining the menu (even though there is already a glossary on the side of the menu). I think this place compliments instead of competes with La Cholita in Northbridge too, they both have contemporary Mexican fare but with nods to different regions. Also it was a Friday night and while it was super busy we didn't have to wait too long for a table.

Great food and great drinks! Not much lacking except for delivery! Seriously though, just go in a group of 5 or 6 and order EVERYTHING on the menu. The portions are generous, and the drinks are stiff (with a great beer selection as well). Just be careful, that tab will catch up on you quickly if you don't watch it!

Great food, really enjoyed the sweet corn and corn chips with guoc. The service was professional and engaging. I'm not usually a fan of tequila but tried a shot that the barman recommended. It was great. I've eaten there three times and will be back. One of the best places to eat in Perth.

Great staff, always busy and bustling, cold beers, killer tequilas, hot food, great fun! I am a regular, just go with the flow. If its too busy, go to the queens across the road or Must Wine Bar next door, but make sure you come back! Not 5 stars because you guys pulled the pin on the Peanut Butter Parfait postres. Bring them back! Viva la revolution! Viva Peanut Butter Parfait postres!

El Publico features a giant neon donkey above the bar. Or, a giant red ass if you feel so inclined. The place can be difficult to find because there is no signage except for a small, painted "el PÚBLICO" above the door. The menu can also be difficult to decipher, being in a weird mish-mash of Spanish and English. Perhaps they are trying to be authentic, but it came off as being rather pretentious. The food however makes up for everything. Their food is amazing - their pork belly in chocolate sauce is a highlight, as are their tequila-filled marshmellows. Some of their food is deceptively simple, like their roasted corn, but done deliciously. El Publico is a great addition to Beaufort Street.

Nov 20, 2013 NEGATIVE Bleh. Forgot my booking...with a party of 9. Bad start to my birthday. Very bad start. The food was not even remotely akin to Mexican. The tacos came in tiny wraps and were extremely soggy when they came out. Perhaps it was my fault for not seeing :"tongue" written on there, but they tasted horrible and it was extremely overpriced for the portion size. Salmon Ceviche was the only nice thing we had. It was cooked really well and tasted great. Someone in the group ordered some type of prawn (I don't eat seafood so don't really pay attention) and she refused to eat them because they were brown. They were a new alien prawn species. Overall it was a disappointing experience.

From outside it looks promising, but don't believe the hype. The service here is atrocious--the wait staff are arrogant, pushy, and deviating. If they try to push Margaritas on you straight up be aware they are the most expensive drink item. Not a nice feeling to find that out on your bill at the end of the evening. I have found more authentic places with far more value in Perth than el Publico. I recommend you try others out before this place to get your Mexican fix. I spent two years living in Mexico City for work and this place is a far cry from authentic. Best to pass on this pretentious and disappointing restaurant/bar.

I was a skeptic, but now I'm a believer! After our recent run of Mexican food in Perth, I didn't have high expectations of this place. Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised! The staff were friendly and helpful (even if a couple of people in our party had the worst allergies for Mexican food...). The food was high quality, novel and flavourful! The drinks selection wasn't quite on par with the food though. A few average Mexican beers, their Mojito wasn't bad, others on our table didn't rate the Margaritas too highly. All in all a refreshingly pleasant experience! Definitely be back again. I highly recommend their "well feed you" option.

This was my second visit to El Publico and it lived up to the first! The staff are friendly, fast and seem to be well versed in all things Mexican! The chef has created a menu where every dish seems to hit the mark. Fresh and simple ingredients put together in a way that leave you licking your lips as soon as the dish arrives at the table. This, together with the spices and flavours that are normally only familiar to a Mexican local - makes a simple looking dish jump off the plate and punch you in the face as soon as you have a mouthful - only for you to lose all will power and come back for more... bite after bite after bite! Look forward to seeing what new creations the chef comes up with in the future!

My wife and I went with two other couples and had a great time. This was the first Mexican food in Perth i have really liked. We sat down and while we had to jump up and down a bit to get some service at first, once the drinks and food were rolling, it was a great night. Personally i really enjoyed the food. I like the street feel and tapas style. Would definitely go again. Nice selection of tequila and Mexican beer ( yay no Corona). If you go, you should try their introduction to tequila tasting selection.

I love El Público. The service is great, friendly and casual. Fab cocktails, the Tommy's Margarita is my favourite but also a good beer, wine selection. I pretty much love everything on the menu but especially the Carnitas on a Sunday. Drop in on the weekend for brunch and have the Torta Ahogada or Chorizo Scrambled Eggs and Ojo Rojo breakfast cocktail. It'll put hairs on your chest!

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). 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. 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). 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) Ay Caramba !!!. Recommend drinking at home, or from a brown paper bag outside.

If you dine here you will feel like one of the family. The wait and bar staff are so friendly and very passionate about their menu. The barstaff can make the most exquisite cocktails and were more than happy to make me a unique cocktail based on a few questions about my cocktail favourites. The food is so tastey and good quality authentic Mexican street food. The menu is exciting and flavourful.

I organised a dinner for 13 at El Publico on Saturday night and I have to say I cannot fault it at all. They called prior to discuss the allergy requirements I had stipulated and we agreed on the Feed Me menu which they ensured was nut free. The food came out at just the right times, it was all delicious, apart from the mushroom quesadillas which I'm told weren't up to the same standard as the other dishes (I personally don't like them so didn't have any), but the street corn was amazing as were the pork belly tacos. Staff were tentative and helpful, explaining the menu and giving us recommendations on cocktails. This isn't my first time at El Publico and it certainly won't be my last :)

Unfortunately today we weren't even given a chance to taste the food and give a full review. For the UN-initiated you can't make a booking unless you have 6 people or more, then you are forced into a set menu which I thought was a little odd and restrictive, but we were still keen to try out. We were also told that we could not be informed of what the menu will be as the chef decides on the spot, so fingers crossed you like every ingredient in the world! (still sort of exciting i guess) When we asked to be seated under our booking we were asked how long until our other guests were going to arrive whilst looking at his time piece, and as we didn't know and asked why it mattered we were then told that we had to be out by 830 pm, we asked why we were not told this when the booking was made, he basically told us that we were indeed told and were lying (although in a indirect manner). So after that little drama we ordered drinks and asked what would be suitable for the the children to eat, then the second blow was about to be unleashed on us.... He informed us that the kids had to eat the $39 set menu EACH!!, we argued that this was ridiculous and they would only eat a small dish each not $39 worth that is designed for adult not a 5 year old, so if your two year old normally occupies their own seat they better be very, very hungry. The wait staff began the whole "you were told over the phone" thing again which now became very irritating as we would have never made the booking if we had to pay $80 for our kids to have a snack, considering they could could get a magnificent meal at Matilda bay restaurant in a fine dining setting for less money. After a brief argument we had no choice to leave as we were told to give the table up unless we paid the $80 for the kids. After being shown the door into the pouring rain all of us spotted Go go's and managed to get a table that accommodated us all. This poor interaction from the wait staff is up there with the worst experience we have had and we will never return unless someone nearly twists my arm off. What is very incredulous is that if you had a table of 6 then have to dip below that suddenly you have to leave the restaurant or pay for 6 adults as if they cant cook 5 meals at once, it is certainly a flawed system and geared towards the restaurants performance not the customer experience. Its amazing the difference between El publico and strenuously busy places like Nobu when it comes to customer service, when children are involved. We recently took the children to Nobu and Rusticos Tapas (which has a similar feel), they were cheaper to feed at Nobu and far cheaper at Rusticos ($11), now Rusticos is a closer relation to mexican (Spanish) yet they seem to accommodate children perfectly offering a $11 childs menu that includes a main, dessert and drink. It is a shame we had such a poor experience with el PUBLICO, as the place really was intriguing and the food looked the goods too, so be weary and make sure you get the T&C's from the staff before you lock it in. Unfortunately I cannot recommend this establishment unless your out for a night of drinking with your pals. Food ?/10 service 0.5/10 decor 8/10

Not great for groups, we sat outside and squished 6 people into a table. Other than that the food was great and the drinks delicious. Shared a few dishes with the group. I'd definitely recommend the street corn, it was by far my fave. Guacamole was on point. Their margaritas were superb as well.

Terrific friendly and attentive service. Two people; 1 cocktail, 1 beer, 2 glasses of wine and 4 plates = just over $100. Not too shabby for Perth.

Wow great vegetarian options! After a previously bad experience here, I absolutely loved it this time, I went all vegetarian and it had ooodles of favour! The potato tortillas were great and I always love the street corn. On a bad note my partner had the meat tray and it was bland, sucks to eat meat sometimes. but all in all a great experience and the service was amazing! Thanks el publico!

What a taste sensation this was! I absolutely loved the food and although the guys in our group were still hungry and had to order more savoury plates before we tried dessert, we all left feeling full. Lots of small items, sharing style. Great awareness of gluten intolerance needs as pretty much everything is gluten free. While the food was completely delicious, I can't leave out the main reason I am not giving a higher score. The noise! We couldn't hear each other on our own table, we basically had to shout and even then we couldn't always hear everything. It would be really great to see these guys install some sound absorbing panels or materials to assist with this. The atmosphere and vibe is awesome, don't get me wrong, but when you can't hear the waitress....there's only so many times you can ask her to repeat something! Anyway, check out the cocktails, try as much as you can from the menu and enjoy the sexy interior fit out. 3 and a half stars!

Great venue for date night! The cocktails are fabulous, especially if you like tequila. The Paloma -grapefruit and tequila cocktail - is a great deal for the price! The salmon cerviche was fresh and full of flavour. The mogo mogo balls were crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and especially tasty when paired with the sauce. They also allow dogs at the outdoor tables! What a great find.

After checking out the menu on their website and reading a few reviews, I was initially a little worried about our family outing, but it turned out to be a GREAT night!! The staff were incredibly friendly, attentive and enthusiastic. He said it best when he said it's a GROUP DINING experience. The menu was a little scary, but the waiter suggested setting an amount of how much we wanted to spend per head, and he took care of the rest bringing out plate after plate of interesting and delicious shared meals. We were all stuffed by the end and hardly spent anything. The other half of the meal, the drinks, were also great. A huge selection of tequila cocktails, as well as off the menu requests for those who weren't in a tequila-y mood. My unexpected favourite was the Pressed Apple Tequila, made with freshly pressed apples and tequila over ice. Will definitely be coming back with a group of friends. Group booking can be made for 6.30pm and 8.30 only.

We came for the slushies and the open air atmosphere. The Beaufort St Festival felt like it was being used to host El Publico's own little festival in the rear carpark, with tasty apple slushies and margaritas continually poured the whole night from a makeshift bar of crates and wood. On top of astro turf that most people used to lay down and chill on a lovely summery night. The DJ spinning the mexican tunes and food from the restaurant making its way out to the back. What's not to love?

Hola Perth. Brought to you by the team behind Greenhouse and Cantina 663, the latest Mexican to join Perth is El Publico, just across from the Queens Hotel in Highgate. I am a fan of the Flying Taco for casual Mexican style dining, this is a little more classy with a more extensive menu and more room to enjoy. This is modern Mexican food at its best. This is not the oily, cheesy food that most Perthites associate with Mexican. Broaden your horizons and give this place a go.

Really fun place...very loud and bustling but for a Saturday night it was perfect. Tequila with pressed apple went down a treat as did pretty much everything on the menu! Lamb belly tacos a must and the carrot salad