El Columpio

Up on Johnston Street’s first floor. Follow the Spanish chatter and the scent of sizzling suadero. El Columpio is Fitzroy’s heavy hitter for unapologetic, wildly authentic Mexican. Taco purists and agave hounds pack this lively dining room even on a Monday—a dead giveaway you need a booking. The play here? Proper double-corn tortillas loaded with impossibly rich campechana (beef and chorizo) or charred cheese nopal (cactus) that completely reinvents the vegetarian game. Massive, messy, flavor-bomb plates. Outstanding beans, sweet-heat mango habanero salsa, and pitchers of agua de horchata you’ll basically inhale. Wash it all down with icy cheladas or a celebratory mezcal pour. Loud, vibrant, absolutely essential.