Melbourne Mexican favourite La Tortilleria opens southside offshoot Chilpa in Highett

Cult Mexican restaurant La Tortilleria has taken over what was Hot Lips Hacienda in bayside Highett, bringing its bold street food to Melbourne's south for the first time.

Chilpa by La Tortilleria, which opened on March 10, has been named after a word for young one in the Nahuatl language, indigenous to central Mexico.

Decked out in muted blues and pinks, Chilpa is less colourful than the original restaurant and tortilla manufacturing facility in a Kensington back street. It's also bigger – 75 seats mean more space for the big family groups co-founder Gerardo Lopez expects will be his biggest customers.

For now, the menu scans much the same as Kensington's: quesadillas, tostadas and tacos filled with al pastor (marinated roasted pork),fish or Fable plant-based protein, plus snacky ceviche and tostadas. But there are subtle tweaks. A charcoal grill is a way to add flavour that doesn't involve spice, making the menu more child-friendly.

Dishes unique to Highett will come, and there are whispers of a Taco Tuesday night and perhaps even breakfast. A shop at the back of the restaurant sells the company's corn tortillas, salsas and vacuum-packed meals.

The drinks list offers a wide selection of mezcals and other agave spirits, plus the water, rice and spice drink horchata, refreshing fruit-based agua fresca and Mexican beers that can be turned into michelada, a lime and chilli-spiked beer cocktail.

Open Wed-Thu 5pm-9pm, Fri-Sat noon-10pm, Sun noon-9pm

2 Railway Parade, Highett, 03 8358 0400, latortilleria.com.au/chilpa