Holy Guacamole Brings a Bold Slice of Latin America to Smith Street
There’s a new hum on Smith Street—part spice, part salsa track, part someone yelling “another round of Palomas!” From the street, Holy Guacamole is hard to miss: the neon red TACOS sign burns bright by the entrance, signalling the arrival of Melbourne’s newest Latin-American cantina and grocer in Collingwood.
Holy Guacamole Latin Cantina
Opened by cousins Laurent Linares and Leidy Avila, Holy Guacamole is a multi-hyphenate space that reflects the way Latin America really eats and shops: loud, communal, always with something sizzling. Equal parts bar, restaurant, and specialty store, it’s a vibrant, slightly chaotic venue that slides easily into Melbourne’s patchwork food scene—offering more than just tacos, but a whole cultural experience that feels long overdue in the city’s north.
The duo behind it aren’t just in it for the aesthetics. Leidy grew up in Bogotá helping out at her grandparents’ restaurant. Laurent left a career in medical biotechnology to pursue hospitality. Their shared nostalgia for home—and the lack of proper Latin groceries and cantinas in Melbourne—led to a year-and-a-half-long transformation of an old garage into this: a colourful, music-filled spot where you can eat, drink, and pick up a bag of dried chillies all in one visit.
The food is made fresh daily, mostly with ingredients handpicked from Footscray Market. Tacos come on hand-pressed tortillas; arepas are reimagined as loaded nachos; pozole simmers in the background. There are house salsas with actual heat, and a cocktail list that does more than tick boxes—Micheladas, Margaritas, and mezcal for days. From Tuesday to Sunday, the kitchen hums with pace, and during the generous 12–6pm happy hour, $5 tacos and $6 sangrias mean your after-work plans just found a new default setting.
Beyond the cantina, El Mercadito—a mini Latin grocer tucked inside the venue—is one of the most exciting additions for Latin food lovers in Melbourne. Stocking everything from Colombian coffee and plantain chips to Goya beans, hot sauces, and Mexican sodas, it offers not just a place to eat but a way to reconnect with familiar ingredients and dishes at home. For a growing Latin community in the city, it’s a welcome and needed space. For everyone else, it’s a chance to taste, explore, and maybe build a pantry with a bit more personality.
Designed by Mexican creative Jimena Morales, the space leans casual and confident. Bright tiled surfaces, bold signage, and a soundtrack that feels like a block party add to the warmth. There’s no dress code, no need to book weeks in advance—just come hungry and curious.
Holy Guacamole feels right at home on Smith Street. It brings something Melbourne has long lacked: a true Latin cantina where food, drink, and culture collide—without fanfare, but with plenty of flavour.
There’s a new hum on Smith Street—part spice, part salsa track, part someone yelling “another round of Palomas!” From the street, Holy Guacamole is hard to miss: the neon red TACOS sign burns bright by the entrance, signalling the arrival of Melbourne’s newest Latin-American cantina and grocer in Collingwood.
