Bringing a taste of the Baja Peninsula to Bondi

Australia's most famous beach suburb, Bondi, has a new restaurant that aims to bring a taste of the Baja Peninsula Down Under.

Milpa Collective, who own and operate Mexican eateries across Sydney (Carbon, Taqiza and Sonora) will welcome a new Bondi venue, Calita, in mid-November.

The group’s fifth venue, Calita (‘tiny cove’ in Spanish), is a 26-seat marisqueria (seafood restaurant) that will sit behind renowned Bondi Beach venues Sean’s Panaroma, and Porch and Parlour.

Calita will work with local suppliers to showcase a rotating selection of fresh, locally and sustainably sourced seafood, based on the catch of the day.

Milpa Collective was created by owners and chefs, Liber Osorio and Pablo Galindo Vargas, in 2017. The Mexican and Chilean-born and raised duo aim to bring traditional and contemporary Mexican and Latin American cuisines to life across their venues.

Each venue is inspired by a different region of Mexico, showcasing their distinct cooking methods and flavours.

“Mexico has an incredibly rich and vibrant history, and we want to respect and celebrate our home country’s flavours and food through our venues, while using the most sustainable produce to support our local community”, says chef and co-owner, Pablo.

“Calita will allow us to showcase our incredible locally sourced seafood through Baja Peninsula inspired dishes, right on the beach in Bondi.”

Calita’s menu draws its inspiration from the Baja Peninsula, with a small menu focused on house-made tacos and botanas (snacks/ share plates). Menu highlights include the blue swimmer crab tostadas, smoked trout taco with green mango, salsa macha, coriander and peanut salad; and Vuelve a la Vida bloody maria shellfish cocktail.

Calita’s drinks will be primarily mezcal and tequila based, serving small batch and boutique brands imported from Mexico. A range of classic, jalapeno and Tommy’s margaritas will be central to the drinks menu, alongside a rotating selection of frozen margaritas made with premium Arette tequila and fresh, seasonal fruits.

“Mezcal and Tequila is at the heart of all of our venues," says Liber Osorio. "We have a great respect for the indigenous producers of Oaxaca and want to ensure we are representing the authentic taste and spirit of Mexico through our drinks.

“We are committed to representing fair trade, sustainable and organically sourced products throughout all of our venues, and our beverage offering is a big part of that”.

The wine menu will be curated by innovative drinks writer and co-founder of P&V Merchants, Mike Bennie.

Operating seven days a week for dinner, Calita will open on November 11. Lunch will be Friday-Sunday from 11am, with dinner daily from 5pm.

The venue will also offer takeaway on weekends, to enjoy on the beach or the ‘grassy knoll’ across the road. Bookings available via the Calita website.