Australian Hotel Ballina
ProHighlights
- Mexican cantina inside a River Street corner pub, with an open-air courtyard and an indoor bar
- Whole cantina hire for up to 120 standing or 108 seated, with room for a band or DJ
- Build-your-own taco feasts from $49 per person, plus canapé and platter menus
About Australian Hotel Ballina
The Australian Hotel Ballina is a classic corner pub on River Street, the town's main road. Alongside cold beer, live music and pub meals, it runs a Mexican cantina serving tacos, street food and margaritas, and that cantina is where its events take place. The setting mixes an indoor bar with a large open-air courtyard hung with twinkling festoon lights and warmed by a fireplace. Umbrellas and timber tables fill the courtyard, and the indoor bar doubles as the wet-weather backup. There are three ways to book. La Casa is a private space inside the cantina bar for up to 60 guests standing, La Terraza is the outdoor courtyard area for up to 60, and the full cantina can be hired exclusively for up to 120 cocktail-style or 108 seated. Smaller groups of 20 or more can have an area sectioned off. Food is Mexican throughout. Hosts can order canapés and sliders by the piece or the platter, or choose a build-your-own taco feast with slow-cooked fillings, rice, salsas and sides, with churros or tres leches cake to finish. Drinks can run on a four-hour beverage package, a cocktail package of margaritas and espresso martinis, or a bar tab. Full venue bookings have space for a band or DJ. Every booking comes with a personal event manager to help settle the menu and drinks. Send an enquiry with the date, guest numbers and style of event to get started.
Inclusions & amenities
Venue type
Budget
Food & drinks
Features
Facilities
Pricing
Canapés are priced from $4 to $9 a piece, or $115 to $240 a platter, and dessert is $10 per person extra. Drinks packages are listed separately below.
Food
The set menus centre on build-your-own tacos with confit pork, slow-roasted chicken, chorizo or chipotle black beans, served with rice, salsas, cheese and pickled onion. Several dishes are vegetarian or gluten-free, and churros or coconut tres leches cake can be added for dessert.
Beverages
The cocktail package includes an arrival margarita, then espresso martinis and spicy pineapple or classic margaritas, at $25 per person for one hour or $50 for two. Bar tabs can be set up instead.
Availability
Frequently asked questions
How many guests can the Australian Hotel Ballina host?
Exclusive use of the cantina takes up to 120 guests cocktail-style or 108 seated, using either the outdoor courtyard or the indoor bar. La Casa, the private indoor space, and La Terraza, the outdoor area, each suit up to 60 guests.
What food packages are available?
The Comida Mexicana package is $49 per person, with entrées and build-your-own tacos served with rice, salsas and sides. The Compartida Mexicana package is $59 per person and adds tuna tostadas and chips with guacamole. Canapés run from $4 to $9 each, or $115 to $240 a platter, and desserts can be added for $10 per person.
What drinks options are there?
A four-hour beverage package with sparkling, white, rosé and red wine plus beers is $54 per person. The cocktail package, built around margaritas and espresso martinis, is $25 per person for one hour or $50 for two. Bar tabs are also available.
Can we have a band or DJ?
Yes. Full venue bookings have room for a band or a DJ, so guests can dance in the courtyard or the indoor bar.
What if it rains on the day?
The indoor bar works as the wet-weather backup for courtyard events, and La Casa sits inside the bar area, so an indoor option is always on hand.
Where we are
Suitable occasions
Bec Bartlett
6 months ago
Had a fab lunch today. Spicy wings and delicious crispy potatoes. Service was Stella. Awesome lady behind the bar. Highly recommend. Would come back to try more.
John & Lyn Gray
6 months ago
Good pub and very nice beer. Bar service is crap once Nanette goes. Young staff on phones or chatting among themselves and customers ignored. It's a shame they're stuffing up a good pub.
Michelle Anderson
7 months ago
This is the first time I have been very dissapointed with my meal. Visited Saturday , ordered Caesar salad . Discoloured lettuce leaves, no egg, no bacon, this is not a Caesar salad. $25 for this is not good enough. My…
Shelby Collins
2 months ago
My partner and I had just arrived at this venue after our anniversary dinner at Cherry Street Sports, and the security guard named Tony, closed the doors and insisted my partner was on a “ban list”, and proceeded to clos…
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