Sydney’s most enviable rooftop is getting a whole new personality this May. From 13 May 2026, Melba’s Rooftop above Cruise Bar & Restaurant at Circular Quay is trading its usual harbour-view drinks for something altogether more exciting: a full Mexican food and tequila takeover, just in time for Vivid Sydney.
Think sunset margaritas bleeding into late-night tacos. Tequila served the way it deserves to be. And Vivid’s light show playing out across the harbour below, like the universe knew you needed a backdrop. A Love Letter to Mexico runs through and beyond Vivid Sydney, and it’s shaping up to be one of the season’s best reasons to linger at Circular Quay after dark.
The Collab
This is a genuine collaboration between two of Sydney’s most exciting minds in food and drinks. Han Chen, Head Chef at Cruise and 2025 AHA Metro Chef of the Year, has built a menu that treats Mexican cuisine with the same rigour and respect he brings to everything that leaves his kitchen.
Alongside him, bartender Seine Cheung (ex-Spice Temple, Margaret) has crafted a Don Julio cocktail menu that goes well beyond the expected, drawing on the same culture and ingredients that shaped the spirit itself. The result is a menu, both food and drink, that takes Mexican cuisine seriously without taking itself too seriously.
The Food
Chef Han’s menu skips the shortcuts. Every dish earns its place from the first bite of lightly battered cactus to the final forkful of boozy tres leches.
- Crispy Cactus: Lightly battered cactus, lemon-lime salt, avocado crema, agave syrup
- Seafood Ceviche; Line-caught snapper, tiger prawns, lime, coriander, jalapeño, cucumber, Don Julio jelly
- Slow-Braised Pork Taco; 12-hour braised pork shoulder, ancho chilli, Mexican crema, pico de gallo verde
- Potato & Chorizo Quesadilla; Royal blue potato, chorizo, Oaxaca cheese, queso blanco
- Tres Leches Cake; Don Julio compressed pineapple, burnt citrus agave, and Don Julio cream.
“This menu is a love letter in the truest sense. Every dish is built on respect for Mexican technique and produce,” said Head Chef Han Chen.
The Cocktails
Seine Cheung didn’t come to make another margarita. Her Don Julio cocktail menu is for people who already love tequila, and people who are about to.
- Sunday Peel; Don Julio Blanco, mandarin oleo, agave, lime
- 3am (Tequila Espresso Martini); Don Julio Reposado, cold brew, coffee liqueur, dark muscovado, cinnamon
- Clocked Out; Don Julio Blanco, passionfruit, hibiscus, lime, aquafaba
- The Don (Spiced Old Fashioned); Don Julio Añejo, ancho chilli, agave, mole bitters
And for those who like their drinks with a little theatre: the Gold Trolley rolls through with a special edition 50ml Don Julio 1942 bottle and a caviar bump for $70. Every cocktail can also be upgraded to Don Julio 1942.
“I wanted to show what tequila is actually capable of,” says Seine. “Every drink pairs Don Julio with ingredients that come from the same culture that shaped it. Give tequila lovers something to get excited about and give everyone else a reason to reconsider.”
Melba’s Rooftop sits above it all, literally. Perched over Circular Quay with panoramic views of the harbour and the bridge, it’s already one of Sydney’s best spots to watch the world go by. During Vivid, it becomes something else entirely. The city lights up, the crowd gets lively, and with a Don Julio cocktail in hand and a slow-braised pork taco on the way, it’s hard to imagine a better seat in town.
