Reviews of Alley Cantina. (Restaurant) in Dunedin (Otago).

Name: Alley Cantina
Address: 140 George Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand, Dunedin, Otago
Telephone: +6434775101
Price range: €€
Rating: 4.0

Alley Cantina

407 Reviews

224 Comments

Restaurant

Mexican restaurant

140 George Street, Central Dunedin, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand

View all the reviews

Description Map Open Hours Reviews Contact Photos

Description

Information of Alley Cantina, Restaurant in Dunedin (Otago)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

Map

Open hours of Alley Cantina

Sunday

Closed

Monday

5–9pm

Tuesday

5–9pm

Wednesday

5–9pm

Thursday

5–9pm

Friday

5–10pm

Saturday

5–10pm

Popular times

Sunday

17
18
19
20

Monday

17
18
19
20

Tuesday

17
18
19
20

Wednesday

17
18
19
20

Thursday

17
18
19
20
21

Friday

17
18
19
20
21

Reviews of Alley Cantina

The service was really great and our meals came out so quickly. The cheesy jalapeño bites are so good and the chimichangas are huge! Also definitely recommend the melon margarita and of course, churros!

First, my rating would be 3.5 but I can't do that. I really liked the ambient, decoration and feel of the place. Having an early dinner there was no crowd but I imagine it may be popular place. The foood was ok and that is my biggest disappointment. Salad was overdressed and not spicy or hot and that's what I was expecting. Staff was friendly and served me promptly.

One of the best food and place we visited in Dunedin. Great selection of food, ambience. Must visit for truly authentic Mexican food and drinks. Good for group function and parties too. Try platter.

Tasty food with a suit d decor that sets you in the Settlements of Mexico. Moderate service speed with the current restrictions.

We expected too much. Food was plenty, but taste blunt (three different dishes). Above average, and good vibe all around. If you do booking ask to be placed further from the entrance, Uber eats pickups are pretty annoying. They do asked whether we happy with that table or not, but we had no idea why until the tenth pickup happened before we got served.

Best Mex in Dunedin. Give the nachos a try, end it with churros! It's a "good vibes" place, family friendly too. Remember a side of Cheesy Japapeno Bites, those are to die for.

Mixed Feelings about this place... For me the service wasn't the best. Very slow and our waitress wasn't attending to us unless bringing food. And was a bit of a wait for food and to clear tables between meals. Also in covid level 2 conditions there was too many people sitting close by to us. Also there was a very chilled draft where we were seated. However... 1. The food is very tasty and generous sizes. 2. I LOVE THE CHURROS! They're nice and soft crust just like a doughnut, the way I like em. 3. The place has Really cool decor. And yes I will be back for more CHURROS 😍😋

Food was delicious, highly recommend the sharing platter. Great array of options and flavours. Staff weren't as attentive as I would expect from a restaurant that had a handful of tables full.

Delish food, those cheesy jalapeños are to die for. They aren't cheap but get a first table booking and you have a fantastic meal at a very good price!

No music playing, thus no ambience. Everything overpriced apart from the delicious corn chips + quac. The restaurant is funky but the vibe isn’t there. Meow.

Good service, food ok. Would have liked more than a single tablespoon of salad, and the burrito was too huge

Best!! Had to go back, last time we were in Dunedin we made our minds up that it was a compulsory dinner stop for next time. In fact, we made Dunedin a night stop over on our trip, just to go there for dinner. Fantastic staff, amazing food!

Friendly staff, great prices, food was nicely presented, but average. The jalapeno cheese poppers were absolutely delicious. The flour tortillas were very tasty, and enjoyable as well. The bean salsa was average, and was very similar tasting to the vegetarian salad. Otherwise all good, thank you.

Amazing plant based range! Super tasty, and well worth the visit in Dunedin. Hip vibes too

Not a bad spot to enjoy a margarita or three!

I paid $29 for vegan fried tortilla, filled with rice, sauce and veggies (chimichurri). The taste was ok, but nothing special, definitely not what I would call Mexican, more like a takeaway quality. They only seem to know salty & spicy flavours. I was missing coriander, lime, anything really to add flavour and texture, beside the little chopped lettuce on the plate. Atmosphere is great and the place was buzzing about 2h after we arrived; Really cool decoration and paintings. We arrives at 5.30. Service was good, but we waited 45min for our mains, because they also get a lot takeaway orders. All in all it was good, but not great.

Very good experience. Food is very flavourful. Staff is very friendly and nice customer service. Value for money, the hot sauce is really hot and very tasty,. One of the best Mexican food I have had. If you in dunedin and you like Mexican food. This is the place to go.

Amazing restaurant. Lovely images and messages on the wall. Easy to walk pass and miss a gem of a meal! Highly recommend

Staff were very accommodating and the jalapeno poppers and beef nachos were delicious. Definitely recommend the strawberry margarita.

Good taste and pretty place. Generous quanity of food but poor customer service.

Great food, cool atmosphere and the margaritas are amazing!

First off, I'm from Texas and have had my share of good Mexican food. The alleyway entrance was a little weird to walk through, but the payoff was enormous. Great mains, but what really impressed me were the cantina chips and the churros. Seriously, get the churros. I don't understand how they can be so good at such a reasonable price. It puts all the other churros I've had in Texas to shame. Would recommend whole heartily.

Great honesty food and plenty if it - good margarita too

Great food and service. The michelada wasn't too good 😥

Disappointed this time. Wine was definitely down market

Would you like a burrito with your jalapenos sir? Only if there's room on the plate. Those tears are down to the high pollen count, eh! Don't be put off by being down an alley, this a great spot.

Staff were very accommodating and the jalapeno poppers and beef nachos were delicious. Definitely recommend the strawberry margarita.

I paid $29 for vegan fried tortilla, filled with rice, sauce and veggies (chimichurri). The taste was ok, but nothing special, definitely not what I would call Mexican, …

Boss food! The salad is off the chain and the cheese stuffed jalapenos are next level. I went with first table so can't remember if it was reasonably priced

Good food. Toilet smelled a little funny. enjoyable ambience

Boss food! The salad is off the chain and the cheese stuffed jalapenos are next level. I went with first table so can't remember if it was reasonably priced

The food here is delicious, spicy, and generous. It was a great find on our 1st nite in Dunedin

Great food and service. The michelada wasn't too good 😥

The BEST margaritas in Dunedin! There is an older lady who works there, she absolutely made our night. They were very busy but this lady had a smile on whenever I saw her. Her service alone made me love alley cantina and her drinks being incredibly delicious made the experience even better. Highly recommend this restaurant if you want an authentic experience and yummy margaritas

Satisfying food but not really Mexican in any traditional sense. Like an attempt at Mexican out of a book? The food had gotten more authentic about 16 months ago but maybe it's changed ownership since then. Margarita passable but very sour again officially right but missing that real margarita flavour balance. I know there's almost no Mexican population here in Dunedin so it would be hard to get people who cook it authentically in the kitchen. Overall very satisfying though.

Love this place, the Alley Platter is my favorite and is a little bit of everything and such a great way to get a taste for what you like on the menu. Its really authentic, the food and the general feel of place. Unlike the other Mexican restaurants that have a more commercialized feel to them.

We order stock standard nachos with hand made corn chips (made on site) and quesidilla. There is always more food than we can eat and we take some home to enjoy later. A little pricey, but the serving sizes are large enough for two, so we'll worth the money spent.

Would you like a burrito with your jalapenos sir? Only if there's room on the plate. Those tears are down to the high pollen count, eh! Don't be put off by being down an alley, this a great spot.

Excellent food :) Strongly recommended. We had the Alley Platter (for two), with extra corn plus tortilla chips on the side. Drinks are good value (500 ml jug of margarita for $25) and NOT watered down. My only complaint (hence 4 stars instead of 5) is some of our group's food arrived in the wrong order. One couple received dessert before mains, and we needed to remind the wait staff about one of our dishes, but it did arrive quickly when we did so. All in all, excellent food and value, and far ahead of other Mexican food available in Dunedin.

Food awesome, service a bit lacking. We waited 40min before going up to bar to ask for desert menu. With table only just being cleared on arrival of desert. Ended up being one hour twenty five minutes between arrival of mains and Arrival of desert. Only got served for drinks once the whole night.

Massive portions, friendly staff , great mexican food

Had dinner and drinks here with a group of friends. Great atmosphere, jugs of margarita and authentic mexican food. We had the Alley Platter which was delicious!

Best Mexican Restaurant. We were last here in March and then drove 1369km and caught the vehicular ferry this week just to come down for dinner 🚌🧒👩💨💨👍😀

Had the vegetable nachos. Hands down the best nachos I have ever eaten. Not very similar to "normal" nachos but absolutely delicious all the same. Another reason to move to dunedin!

Great mexican food for sharing with mates. They have vegan options and vegetarian too Love their tacos , I do highly recommend the jackfruit variant

The ambience is lovely, the food was pretty okay. Nothing I would brag about, though their centre pieces were quite creative and so was their wall art. Overall, liked the experience. The wait staff was pleasant as well.

Jalapeños bites were delicious 😋 churro and salted caramel sundae was great... margaritas went down a treat... he that shall not be named would have liked more salad with his very tasty chimichanga... tables were a little small... staff were very friendly and attentive will definitely go back oh and they have vegetarian and GF options.

Nice atmosphere and the food was pretty ok. Margaritas were incredibly powerful and sour - not necessarily a bad thing. Food sizes are very large even for the snacks. Ordered a quesadilla plate which was enormous and very spicy. Very tasty too though I did not get through it all! Staff were friendly and helpful. It's a bit pricey for what it is but I do recommend anyway.

Great food, great staff. Not 5 stars because where I was sitting was quite uncomfortable. But would happily go back in spite of that. Recommended.

Best Mexican food I have ver had

My favourite Mexican place in Dunedin! Love their food especially the Chilli Rellenos which is probably the one thing I always order. Love the vibe of this place and the staff is mostly very friendly. It's mostly full so a reservation is a must.

Disappointed this time. Wine was definitely down market

I liked the Chimichanga. Service was good too.

Great, lively venue, with a disco floor for the kids (and adults who think they're kids!). This used to be the old Fever club. It's now Alley Cantina - down the side of Farmer's - and well worth a visit. Try the nachos - they're home made and so much better than anything else on offer in any other Dunedin eatery. The margaritas are tasty and well-laden with alcohol. There are numerous affordable options for families or budget eaters, and food can be ordered spicier or milder depending on your requirements. Recommended.

Nice staff, large meal sizes, quite a long wait, but worth it in the end. Sadly, when we paid at the end a different person served us and was super dismissive and disinterested. Seemed like he didn't want to be there.

Wow, first time having Mexican food and this was the place to do it. The entrance looks very down market down an alley (hence its name) but once indoor the place is really nice. The staff served our group quickly and the food came out quickly and tasted great.

Awesome place for a family dinner or a group. Also intimate setting for couples. Fantastic mexican food, huge meals. Great service and real value for money. We went back again a week later.

Decent food, big portions. Went the on a quiet night and didn't receive great service.

Recommended by two people, this was a really pleasant dining experience. The food was delicious and we'll priced and the staff were excellent. Best Mexican in Dunedin, we will definitely be going back.

The authenticity was awesome! The atmosphere was awesome! The service was awesome! The food was awesome! Chimichangas were to die for, churros were on point! Overall a 5/5 Mexican, with good value for how much food you get!

Fantastic fun place with lots of varied seating options - some intimate, some suitable for families with young kids. Great food and a kids menu. Lovely staff

Great food and atmosphere, but very busy so slow.

Excellent food and service. Meals are a good size. We shared a beef nachos and it was plenty for the 2 of us.

Best Margaritas in Dunedin, hands down. Food was great and of course Mike the owner has been in the business a long time, knows what hes doing. Highly reccomend.

Great food,cool decor and nice staff

Food was ok but very chillie spicy and not fajitas as i know them. Guacamole was slso hot. Service was good. Nice staff. Party atmosphere

homemade tortilla chips recommended. Soft tacos a big meal. Busy with a mixed older and student crowd.

If you like a good Mexican meal then you'll want to come dine at Alley Cantina. The food is fantastic!

Great Mexican food in a great setting. Our party enjoyed the classic Marguaritas immensley. Very popular.

Awesome food with lovely fireplace

Went for drinks. Jug of margaritas quite small and weak. Cool place though. Nice atmosphere and aesthetic

Really not a bad place to dine, good service and great food selection, even for our fussy eaters.....

Tastey food and great food. Kids meals were big too, nobody left hungry. Would happily go again. Corn chips a particular highlight

Great atmosphere, food was great! Hit the mark!

Great atmosphere, beautiful food, excellent service. Was a ver busy night, but they made room for us close to the fire on a chilly night.

Absolutely wonderful menu. Everything here is delicious if you like a bit of spice. Reasonably priced drinks too!

A fantastic place to eat. Cosy and a really friendly team. The fajitas very delicious and well priced. Great all round

My go to place for Mexican. Cool atmosphere and great staff. Cheesy bites rock

Yeah pretty mean ay

Food is ok - they don't have corn tortillas which I thought is weird? And sour cream was runny like yoghurt?

Good food, nice atmosphere. Not 100% authentic Mexican nor any Spanish speaking staff.

The food was good but we were waiting for quite a while.

Great venue for company Christmas function. Handled ask the orders really well.

The food was great and good portion suzes. Very Friendly and efficient staff and great atmosphere.

Great place cozy, the staff are great it's always a pleasure dining here. And the food is just amazing.

Really nice atmosphere inside with all the candles. Food serving size was large and reasonably tasty.

Great place for dinner. Drinks menu really reasonably

Cool atmosphere, though the service was a bit slow. Food was decent.

Always amazing food. But one older lady there has terrible service.. get the older guy!

Amazing taste, fast, huge portions, cocktails, friendly staff and great service!! Brilliant will be back.

Awesome food - great atmosphere... good portion sizes too..

Tasty tasty meals served with a smile by great staff.

Not bad food, and the managers are lovely, though the service could do with an uplift, otherwise good food.

Ok, food. But had to wait a while for good to come out. And had to request high chair be wiped down as was dirty when brought over

nice and busy, quick service. I recommend the halapeno poppers!

Awesome atmosphere and setting in this hidden gem don't blink because you might miss it when walking past as it is hidden down the alley

Great meal, reasonably priced and good service, overall great value for your money!

Was amazing, I love Mexican food and this place was great with an amazing atmosphere, will be going again next time I'm in Dunedin

Trendy. Nice food. Good selection of Mexican food and portions were good sizes.

Great wee place to meet friends for a drink with a good atmosphere. Food just average

Fortunate catch of a nice mexican restaurant. Stylish dancefloor and tasteful atmosphere. Loved it!

Yummy mexican foods!

Good atmosphere. Good but not great. The toilets left a lot to be desired.

A very enjoyable nite.

Being from America where Mexican food is everywhere I am glad to have found a place that's authentic in Hispanic cuisine in New Zealand.

Great atmosphere, delicious food, friendly staff at a reasonable price. Will definitely be back!

Bit of a wait for our food. Was warned half an hour and food took an hour to come out.

Great environment and friendly staff but the food had a bit more to be desired.

Small restaurant/Bar..very cosy. Has a small dance floor. Great atmosphere😁

Excellent meal and time at Alley Cantina, highly recommend this location the service was great.

My favourite place to go when I want a Mexican restaurant so amazing

Very nice place, good spice food, excellent atmosphere and professional and friendly staff

Decent food and service, cool atmosphere. Best Mexican food in Dunedin

Cheaper than most places, great food, service can be a little average at times.

Lovely staff and food but service was rather slow

Most authentic Mexican food in Dunedin. Meals aren't cheap by Dunedin standards but with every penny.

Delicious food. Had the platter which great.

Great service. Great meal. Will definitely be back.

I don’t really like the food to be honest. It’s quite bland

Amazing food, and very reasonably priced. Will definitely be back for more

Best Mexican in Dunedin, excellent service and good food. Can make food vegan if requested

Quite a good environment, and was very happy with my meal and the service.

Great food, good value

Great drinks! Good, tasty food at reasonable prices

Pretty nice Mexican food with good cocktails

Delicious food at great prices. The drinks are okay.

Cool servers, delicious food, awesome atmosphere

Awesome atmosphere and great range of vegan options! 🌱

This place was amazing, the atmosphere was so good and the food was good too

Love the food, big portions and very tasty

Visited many times and it's always great food

This place looks a little 'tired'' on this inside but the food is tasty and the staff were accomodating

Lovely food ... big potions . Great margarita

Dated decor but the food was quite good as was the atmosphere.

Nice friendly staff. Big nice portions

Lovely staff and amazing food

What a hidden Gem! The people, The Mood, The Food. 10 out of 10 recommend!

Fantastic Mexican restaurant. Fine dining or casual maccas.

Food was great, staff were very good.

Amazing food, Chimichanga was made poorly, otherwise fantastic

Great food, awesome atmosphere, friendly staff

Best Mexican in NZ and glorious cocktails,

Great vibe and generous portions!

Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere

Great food. Plenty of it. Cool place.

Had fun, corn chips made fresh on site are delicious

Best nachos ever

Best in Town. Mike ( the owner) will look after you! No doubt!

Great nachos always a high standard

Okay for a novelty visit. Better suited to a younger crowd (students)

The Nachos, Magaritas & Jalapenos were awesome

Best Mexican food.Good service.

Lovely food friendly staff

Amazing food, great atmosphere

A bit pricey but worth it. Make sure you book a table.

Awesome staff and food.

Huge meals at a reasonable price

Good value for money. Huge portions.

Food was ok cater for the younger crowds.

Good food, lighting a bit dark. Byo

Good value, good quality and a nice atmosphere

Unexpected find massive meals great Margarita

Good service on a busy night but food was quite bland

Excellent eatery, you have to try the “margalagarita”

Ok price for great food

Excellent meal looking forward to the next one

Authentic place, cuisine and people. Would go 5/5 times.

Good food tight seating

Mmmmm my favorite restaurant to go to wen I come to Dunedin

Great Mexican food and great service

Amazing food

Good food, fast service

We had a great meal

Great Mexican Restaurent in Dunedin.

Great place with awesome food.

Awsome food great atmosphere

Great nachos and cocktails.

Great food & atmosphere

Great Mexican. Stuffed chilles a highlight.

Excellent vegan options.

Great food choices

Awesome meal came out

Fantastic cusine and atmosphere.

Lots of international food

ridiculously salty chips

Great food and service.

Fun and yummy food😊😊

Great food great service

Totally recommend this Mexican restaurant. such yummy fresh food that is so reasonably priced! great service, very friendly staff!

great spot good drinks

Kinda bland but good.

Best Mexican in Dunedin

Worth going back!

'new zealand' spicy, but tasty food.

Great margaritas

Great drinks

Tasty and fun

Great food

Nice and spicy

Good food.

It is what it is Mexican

Excellent food

Average food

Delicious food

I haven't had Mexican like this since I was in LA all el Coyote the most genuine Mexican I have ever had. The food was spot on the service great and bucketful's of atmosphere. Margareta? El Coyote is in a different league sorry.