Mamasita has a new chef and fresh room

Nine years ago Mamasita landed and simultaneously became one of Melbourne's most exciting and irritating restaurants for its mod-Mexican menu and the epic queue on the Collins Street staircase you had to endure to get at it. Now, the restaurant has had a refresh.

The new head chef is Martin Zozaya, an Argentinian who was previously at Richmond's El Atino but has worked in Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Madrid. His menu sticks to the formula of putting a slightly modern spin on classic Mexican dishes.

His tostadas come topped with a seafood-heavy mix of pickled mussels and prawns or braised beef cheek. There appears to be significant cutlery-required action too in dishes like burrata with Mexico's dark, many-spice sauce, mole, or heftier mains like beef short rib, which gets its Mexican flavour from condiments starring native chillies.

Owner Nick Peters has refreshed rather than reinvented the check-floored slightly deco-style room, adding essential sound insulation and tidying the floors. The large tequila, mezcal and cocktail offering remains. Consider a visit before queues return.

Level 1, 11 Collins Street, Melbourne, 03 9650 3821, mamasita.com.au