Mamasita

Be warned - your first impression of Mamasita might be one of a snaking queue up a flight of stairs. But once you're seated and sinking your teeth into a lime- and cheese-sprinkled char-grilled corncob, you'll probably find yourself humming Stairway to Heaven. This pretty upstairs restaurant, with its backlit terrariums and sleek wooden seating, has a mid-century vibe that lends a cool background to the fist-thumpingly good food. Tostaditas arrive on a wooden paddle, piled with succulent slow-cooked pork and snappy pickled jalapenos. Tacos are filled with tender marinated prawns and chipotle-almond salsa, while chicken Maryland, slathered in dark, aromatic mole and served with warm tortillas, slides straight off the bone. Cool, spicy choc-chipotle ice-cream arrives speared with nutty shards of sesame praline. Mamasita can get deafening at full throttle, especially at the bar end. Staff manage the demand like magic.