Pink Taco Is The Tequila Cocktail Bar Popup Bringing Barbiecore Mexican To The Perth CBD

“It's about still letting the tequila do the heavy lifting flavour-wise, and looking damn fine while you drink it.” 

It’s not only an apt description of Pink Taco’s signature margarita, but also of the venue itself, where tequila-based cocktails and ‘grammable moments are front and centre. 

Bringing a bold new take on modern Mexican, the pop up bar is an electric pink paraiso of ostentatious decor and tequila-based cocktails. This is Mexicana glamour, a taqueria by way of the pastel pink lined street of Palm Springs and the glowing neon strips of Miami, a venue that invites you to sip on margaritas til the early hours. 

Image credit: Pink Taco | Shot by Thom

Pink Taco is the latest chapter of the Stories precinct, and the pretty-in-pink partner venue to upstairs Ugly Baby. It's the slightly more audacious, slightly more raucous venue you land at as the evening progresses. 

“We drew inspiration for Pink Taco from bustling taquerias, tequila-fuelled fiestas and those electric moments when the music’s up, the drinks are flowing, and everyone’s vibing,” says group brand manager Katie Rebekah Osborne. “It’s a love letter to the bold and vibrant energy of Mexican street food culture.” 

But back to that signature margarita. Bartenders, fitted out in hot pink tees, stand at the ready to pour shaken cocktails. The Pinkies marg is a flirty little rose-hued moment, tequila-based, of course, with triple sec, lime, pomegranate and a black salt rim. It’s a starting point for an  evening of mezcal cocktails, with the venue offering up a respectable drinks list of margaritas, palomas and a tequila-based mule, beyond which there’s a couple of bitter aperitifs and a short but sweet list of Australian wines and beer.

Image credit: Pink Taco | Shot by Thom

Behind the bar, hidden among the glittering disco balls and fuchsia pinatas that line the shelves, two slushie machines churn frozen Patron margaritas, which you can opt to have turned into a Coronarita with the addition of an upturned bottle of the Mexican beer. And while cocktails are very much the focus, there’s a Patron shot flight offering sips of straight tequila, with the lineup including a silver, reposado and anejo, alongside a poco rosa, the house’s take on a verdita chaser. 

‘It's a verdita, which is ‘little green’ in Spanish, which is usually kind of your tequila chaser,” explains group hospitality manager Siobhan Needham. “So fitting back in with our Pink Taco theme, we’ve got the poca rosa, or ‘little pink’ as we like to call it.”

Image credit: Pink Taco | Shot by Thom

Come for the drinks, the snap, and then stay for the food. Snackable plates, like corn chips with salsa bandera and guacamole, fresh snapper ceviche tostadas and chorizo and chicken quesadillas with sweet charred capsicum, invite sharing. 

From here, delve into the tacos menu. Individually priced, you can order one or two, or a dozen for the table. Here, there’s a nod to tradition but with creative contemporary twists. The al pastor pork taco, for example, is topped with tequila roasted pineapple, while a fried chicken taco is accompanied by chipotle mayo and pickled red onions. Not to be missed is the short rib birria taco, with its own cup of umami consomme for dipping. 

Image credit: Pink Taco | Shot by Thom

The concept for Pink Taco is one that’s been in the works for the Stories team for a while now. The idea was roadtested for Ugly Baby, before the team ultimately pursued the Middle Eastern-Mediterranean theme for the upstairs venue, allowing the Mexicana notion to percolate for a little longer. It’s been worth the wait, with the team ditching an initial plan for a traditional taqueria for this electric pink haven. While the introduction of a tequila-forward modern Mexicana eatery was all about introducing even more diversity into the precinct, the two venues continue to share one kitchen, overseen by head chef Mike Antonievich, encouraging a symbiosis between the experiences offered by each.

As far as the precinct goes, Stories does weave an undeniable narrative. Sitting pretty on prime real estate between the CBD and Northbridge, bridging the gap between the city’s corporate and party sides, Stories plays into both sides through venues with distinctive personalities.  It’s a little business in the front, party in the back. 

On the corporate side, you’ll find prestige restaurants KARLA and alba, dishing up sophisticated takes on Asian fusion and Italian respectively, but as you move through the precinct towards the Northbridge-facing side, you’ll find tongue-in-cheek late-night venues like Ugly Baby, hidden speakeasy Fat Controller, and now Pink Taco. It’s a deliberate choice made to play on the two aspects of city life.

Image credit: Supplied | Shot by Thom

“We’ve always spoken about Stories being a ‘choose-your-own-adventure
kind of venue.” says Katie.

The multivenue precinct does offer a little something for everyone. From Pink Taco, hit up Rooftop for kick ons until the early hours.

THE DETAILS

What: Pink Taco
Where: Stories Precinct, 420 Wellington Street, Perth
When: Open Thursday to Saturday, until late.
For more information and to book, click here. 

Main image credit: Pink Taco | Shot by Thom