When a hatted chef, a wine guru and a front-of-house aficionado join forces to open a new restaurant, you know it's going to be something special.
Papalote in Newcastle West is the brainchild of Michael Portley and Steph Wells, owners of the hatted Humbug, and Eduardo Molina, co-owner of the hatted Flotilla. And this Mexican kitchen and agave-led bar on Parry Street is the real deal.
First impressions count, and your eye is immediately drawn to the large open kitchen and its many busy chefs. Earthy tones, curved booths, timber touches and warm lighting have transformed the once dark and industrial space.
Wells designed the space to be functional and inclusive as well as beautiful.
"I naturally gravitate towards warm tones and wooden finishes, and plants were always going to be a must," she said.
"Working with the pre-existing atrium was foundational to the whole design, as was opening up the kitchen - those elements come together to create a space that feels inviting and welcoming, without ever feeling intrusive. It's lively and energetic, but still comfortable."
The service at Papalote, led by Wells and Molina, is impeccable. Your glass is refilled and your plates cleared seamlessly, without you having to pause your conversation.
And then there's the food.
"There's no Tex-Mex or Californian-style cooking here," Portley said.
When Food & Wine visited we were treated to a range of dishes, starting with Sydney rock oysters from the Shoalhaven area, shucked to order and served natural with a jalapeno sangrita on the side.
Wild kingfish ceviche from Coffs Harbour was next, lightly cured in jalapeno, salt and coriander, dressed with sour orange juice, mezcal and leche de tigre (a dressing made from fish stock and citrus) and garnished with fresh sapo melon and a roasted tomato salsa.
A delicious blur of dishes followed. Beef Tartare a la Michoacan (grassfed rump with "drunken" salsa borracha, goats fetta, tomatillo and smoked crispy tortillas) and King Prawn Tostada (crispy fried corn tortilla topped with burnt onion guacamole, poached Yamba king prawns, pequin pepper chilli oil, cucumber and chives).
Taco Dorado de Berenjena (fried masa dough filled with smoked eggplant and potato and served with house crema and tomato salsa) and Taco Dorado de la Semana (lengua and salsa verde with Coyote hot sauce).
Cochinita Pibil, a classic Yucatan dish served with an onion salad. Papalote uses Borrowdale free-range pork marinated in recado rojo (achiote, sour orange and habanero), wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked for 10 hours over embers.
Carne Asada Carne, using a Black Onyx MB4+ grilled hanger steak, dry rubbed with morita peppers and salt, and cooked over charcoal. It's served with morita adobo - a hot and tangy sauce made from roast garlic, beef fat and smoked morita peppers - and served over thinly sliced and salted green tomatoes.
And dessert? Creme Flan and Ancho Caramel (made from ancho peppers and Cointreau chantilly); Tres Leche (a sponge cake soaked in three milks, with a raspberry compote filling and chantilly cream); and Churros with Whipped Chocolate.
"We opened Papalote to give Newcastle a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine. We wanted to showcase how rich and diverse Mexican cuisine is," Portley explained.
"It is a cuisine with ancient roots, colonial influences and a unique set of ingredients. In my opinion, Mexican food is just as important and complex as French or Chinese food.
"We wanted to make sure we could get our hands on authentic ingredients, and also showcase the best of what our region has to offer. We are happy to take some creative liberties, when it feels appropriate."
As for the drinks offering, Molina says the selection "reflects the places, people and traditions that inspire the food we serve".
"From the beginning, we wanted it to feel like a journey through the Spanish-speaking world, travelling from Baja California to Patagonia, crossing the Atlantic to Spain, and eventually returning home to Australia," he said.
"This list continues the approach we've developed at our other venues: thoughtful producers, expressive regions and wines that belong at the table. The focus is always on authenticity and drinkability.
"Alongside the wine, we've built a drinks program that celebrates the world of agave. Too often, tequila is seen through a narrow lens, but Mexico's agave spirits represent centuries of craftsmanship, regional identity and tradition. From tequila to mezcal and beyond, every producer brings a unique expression of landscape, culture and technique.
"And rather than chasing trends, we've created cocktails that are grounded in Mexican ingredients and flavours while drawing inspiration from across Latin America and the Iberian peninsula."
Bookings were hard to come by in the weeks and months after Papalote opened.
"It still surprises us - we've only seen a tiny downturn heading into winter," Wells said.
Coyote, Papalote's function space and cantina, opened in February and will host a record fair, reminiscent of The Edwards days, on August 1.
Collaborative events involving Papalote, Humbug and Flotilla are being planned for Dia de los Muertos in November.
"It was serendipitous how Papalote came about," Wells said.
"Mike and I always knew a Mexican restaurant was what was coming next for us. When we were ready to start looking at venues, Eduardo happened to be searching for a new venue too. He's always had this incredible collection of agave spirits, so we knew straight away it would be a perfect fit.
"Then, by coincidence, The Edwards site came up for lease.
"Papalote ended up bigger and more ambitious than we first imagined, but having the three of us involved in creating it meant it all came together in the best possible way. We're incredibly proud of what we've built."
