Set during the Mexican Revolution, the film features a lone soldier of fortune with a love for TNT who becomes involved with a rebellious group who tries to rob a bank in a town called Mesa Verde. When a bar and restaurant of the same name opened in 2013, the fit-out was loosely based on this bank and the saloon-era. While there might be a belief that the restaurants and bars within the iconic Curtin House (which houses Cookie and The Toff) are pricey, Mesa Verde respond with $10 margaritas, and potent ones at that. Their drinks menu is cocktail-heavy, with options varying in price for those with limited spend to those with cash to burn. Mesa Verde also means ‘green table’ in Spanish: the few sprinkled pieces of furniture around the place are a subtle nod to not only this, but their attitude towards sustainability. Their rooftop garden (although so pretty and peaceful is not accessible to the public) features an array of herbs and garnishes, and, hidden away, is their worm farm. They make their own explosive hot sauce, called Hazard Sauce, and 95 per cent of the menu options are gluten free because their tortillas, which they source from Kensington, are corn-based and ingredients change seasonally. You only need to glance at the bar to understand the bar manager’s obsession with tequila and mezcal: there’s an estimated 120 to 130 different types of tequila and nearly 40 different types of mezcal and these numbers are growing all the time. Two years after its opening, the décor in Mesa Verde has evolved to reflect how it would look and feel after the outlaws had taken over, with oil lanterns and metal plates similar to what you’d find around a campfire. The progression of the narrative within this cocktail bar, which overlooks Swanston Street six floors up, is nothing short of intriguing and undeniably fun.
EDITOR’S PICK
I can’t go past a good ceviche; it’s exceptionally fresh, light and clean. Mesa Verde’s swordfish ceviche with tomatillo, lime and jalapeño dressing, radish, apple might be the best in Melbourne.
