Sydney's Best Margaritas

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Be warned. This Mexican cantina is trouble at its worst and best. The killer jugs of margaritas are sensational and the fiery tequila shots are accompanied by twin shots of tomato juice. Owner Phil Bayly is a tequila expert and he's nearly always somewhere behind the bar, wearing a distinctively tilted hat. Give him a wave or a wink if you want an educational crash course in tequila appreciation. Granted, You might have a sore head the next day, but that's what you expect from a feverish tequila fiesta.

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The staff at the Different Drummer don't exactly wax wanky about their margies but, put it this way: the phrase margarita mix is a total swear word. The standard margarita is a not too sweet, not too sour blend, but don't be afraid to instruct the staff on how you like it - they will probably ask you what your personal preferences are anyway (bless them). If you're feeling adventurous, there's a blood orange margarita that puts a tangy spin on the original without bastardising it entirely. And, of course, the daily two-for-one happy hour means more margies for everyone. Total heaven.

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Try the burnt orange margarita for a little twist on the old classic. It sees lemon, lime, Cointreau and Herradura Silver shaken up with a caramelised orange and vanilla bean syrup.

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The margies at Mars pack a punch and they're always chilled and suitably tangy. The all-important salt rim is usually there, no questions asked, but we did have one experience where sugar was used instead of salt. When when we let the bar girl know, she seemed to think it was hilarious. She said she wanted to see if we'd actually notice. Of course we would! Aside from this odd moment, Mars is pretty much margie nirvana. The best time to visit is definitely Thursday evening, when all cocktails are $10 between 5pm and 7pm.

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Venture upstairs, lounge around on the open-air terrace and sip on some delectable margaritas. Some of the bar staff up here look like fresh 18-year-old teenies, but hey, they know how to shake up gorgeous drinks - and we respect that! Later on, muddle your way downstairs into the basement's Velvet Underground and ask the bartender to pour you up one final serious margie for the taxi ride home.

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The great thing about this place is that not many people know about it yet. From the pavement, Cantina just looks like a cute tapas restaurant with Spanish, Portuguese and Morrocan elements at work. But step inside and you'll discover that this venue also harbours a seriously well-stocked bar upstairs. There's 21 different types of tequilas and lots of margarita recipes with specialty twists. Start with the naughty absinthe margarita and then totter onto the open-air terrace. This petite outdoor area is coated from top to toe in blonde wood panelling. It looks a lot like a sauna interior (minus the heat and plus the black night sky above your head). Pure bliss. PS - there are $7 margies on Mondays.

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This place has taken out the gong for Best Drinks Selection at the 2006 Bar Awards, so of course there's a margarita on its legendary list. Order up the divine little blood orange margarita. It shakes tequila together with orange liqueurs, Campari, lime and blood orange juice and it's served on the rocks with rough sea salt.

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For a central CBD margie hit, Opera Bar delivers. The last time we visited this place, our bartender gave us a real performance. He squeezed lemon and lime with vigour, poured nips with dramatic precison and then shook it all up as though his arms were mechanical pistons locked in top gear. Finally, he stacked all three shakers up together, tilted them on an angle and poured all three drinks simaltaneously. Ooh! Showiness adds to the taste. Everybody knows that.