Think Mexican Cantina, and what might come to mind is a dusty room with shady figures huddled around glass bottles with XXX written on them. If you've a particularly vivid imagination, there might be a gunfight or two that'll break out between gunslinging rogues, overlooked by a cow's skull of some sort. 

While Deadfall Cantina might not provide you any of those things, what it does provide is an elevated drinking experience with an inherently Mexican-themed flair. Fear not! This isn't a review on just another Mexican cuisine chain that serve soggy Doritos or $5-happy-hour Coronas.

A cocktail bar with lovely cocktails, an extensive selection of Mexican spirits and absolutely smashing Mexican-Singaporean fusion cuisine, it's one Cantina that you'll see me sauntering up by at high noon.

Deadfall Cantina is a revamp of the old Deadfall bar, now with an agave spirits-centric flair. While Deadfall Cantina now pays homage to all things Mexico, don't expect kitschy paintings of Frida Kahlo, sombreros or mariachi bands. Taking over are loud colors smeared across crackly, unfinished concrete walls that thrust guests into the middle of an Oaxacan lane in the midst of the Day of the Dead celebration.

Some drinks even feature authentic Mexican ingredients – pasilla chili infusion, mole fat wash, coriander salt rim, and prickly pear mash. Such flavors are even produced close to home in the team’s 1,000 square foot cocktail lab located just a five-minute drive down the road.

Appreciative of all things Mezcal, and increasingly interested about what a "chicken rice burrito" is, I found myself within Deadfall Cantina one evening, so here's the what's what from a fellow road-weary traveler!

Now, on to first blood of the night! I got the Buttered Paloma, a twist on the classic Paloma made with Tequila, beurre noisette, clarified grapefruit, lime and citrus salt.

The Buttered Paloma

I got to say, although I didn't quite expect much simply based on looks, this cocktail really is a harmonious blend of sweet, tart, and savory flavors. The tequila provides a robust base with its earthy, agave notes, while the beurre noisette plays its part with a foreign but rich presence. I'd also like to think it contributes to the mouthfeel of the cocktail too. I get more of the grapefruit toward the end, contributes a bright tang that is compounded and wrapped up by a welcome tartness of lime juice.

While I'm not quite a fan of salt rims, i must admit the the citrus salt rim enhances the overall citrusy experience while adding a short burst of savoriness that cuts through the rest of the cocktail.

While I was sipping away at my nice cool drink, my partner had gotten herself a fancy little number called the Oaxacan Wine.

The Oaxacan Wine

Despite its name, it actually isn't a wine of any sort. The cocktail was based with Mezcal and Tequila, with Cocchi Americano, Chamomile and Honey. It was also garnished with a peach powder.

I loved the smokiness of the Mezcal that was assisted by the smooth, slightly alkaline presence of tequila. The honey provided an earthiness that wrapped everything up nicely with the Cocchi Americano. If I had anything to nitpick, I'd say that the chamomile notes were fairly muted and could've been stronger, but it was still a very good mix!

Oddly enough, the peach powder didn't just add a touch of visual appeal, but also enhanced the fruity notes of the drink in a nearly tangy sort of way.

For the second barrage of drinks, my partner moved on to the Horchata-Rita, made with Mezcal, white rice, milk, cinnamon and vanilla.

The Horchata-Rita

It was quite a nice dessert-like drink. The white rice added a level of creaminess to the base Mezcal without overtaking the classic agave smokiness. On the nose, it was a wonderful cinnamon-vanilla punch that reminded me of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls.  It also comes in a non-alcoholic version, for all of you less inclined toward the world of smoky agaves.

While she was sipping on that, I already had my eye set on one particular cocktail. A big-time Buffalo Trace fan, I had high hopes for the Banana Maple Whisky Sour.

The Banana Maple Whisky Sour

Made with bourbon, caramelised banana, maple, black pepper and egg white, it was everything that I had hoped for. It was a wonderful take on a whisky sour with the sweet maple flavor that lay underneath a stronger presence of banana and oaky sweet bourbon. Think banana pie washed down with a nice dram! Excellent stuff, and the groovy rice-paper banana picture also garnered a couple of chuckles from our table.

Admittedly, the black pepper notes were a little hard to pick up on, but that's neither here nor there.

Of course, Deadfall Cantina isn't just all about wonderful drinks. The food was also something to die for. The portions are sizeable too! The two of us shared the Carne Asada Tampiquena, and it was surprisingly filling.

Loaded with rice, steak, beans, guacamole and chimichurri, everything was bright, fresh and absolutely delectable. Hats off to the chef! They also have good steak principles, with the maximum done-ness being medium rare. 

Each aspect of the dish did not compete with the other, and all we got were waves of flavor introducing a succulent, perfectly cooked steak. For SGD$28, we both agreed it was a steal, and definitely something we would come back for.

The other dish that caught my eye (as earlier mentioned) was the Hainanese Chicken Rice Burrito. There's not much to unpack here, and the dish is exactly as it sounds, albeit with the addition of a cheese blend and some pickles.

The Chicken Rice Burrito. I did take a picture of it in my hands, but decided I had properly decimated it beyond all photographic justice.

I loved this. It was sweet, juicy chicken with all the fixings of a chicken rice, compounded by a surprising presence of cheese and pickles that oddly enough made the chilli pop and the rice ever more flavorful. The chilli was even a classic chicken rice chilli, so bravo! The beansprouts also provided a different mouthfeel on top of the pickles, and for a man that loves both, this was a straight train to flavortown.

However, I must concede this dish might be a tad divisive. Chicken rice diehards like a friend of mine had a bite, and while he admitted it was delicious, he decided he would stick with a good old plate of old fashioned chicken rice.

Either way, it really is quite a nice, refreshing take on chicken rice (and portable too!). You really must give this a go, even if only once.

I also took home some soft tacos, and those really were quite nice too. Coming out warm and not at all overly-soggy, the beef rendang and spicy shrimp were generously topped with fresh tomatoes, chives and small dollops of cream.

Bite sized sleeves of spicy, tangy, sweet and tender, the tacos come highly recommended.

Admittedly, one of the best bar bites I've had in terms of Mexican cuisine. The shrimp was fresh, taut and perfectly-cooked, while the beef was tender beyond measure. 

The flavors and spice absolutely pepped me up after the drinks, and if you're worried about being too full, the portions are ideal for light snacking, without filling you up. Not to say they are small, however! It's a whole lot of flavor, in a small taco package.

All in all, I must say I very much prefer the new Deadfall Cantina over its predecessor. From good food that'll fill up anyone's stomach (cowboy or not), and cocktails that'll leave you hankering for more. The service was also excellent! (Special shoutout to Natalie and Sami)

Rise above settling for soggy tacos or dried-out burritos my friends, and come to the cosiest little place you'll ever find yourself in after a long day. And let's not forget their impressive backbar of agave spirits! Even if you just want a glass or two to wash the trail dust off your gullets and keep your singing voice in check, this is where you'll wanna go.

Deadfall Cantina

16 N Canal Rd, #01-01

Singapore 048828

Open Mondays to Saturdays

Photos courtesy of Oh Kelly.

Lok Bing Hong A budding journalist that loves experiencing new things and telling people's stories. I have 30 seconds of coherence a day. I do not decide when they come. They are not consecutive.