The corner of Alfred and Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley is currently a buzzing hive of activity. Following on from the opening of Foresters Restaurant & Bar and its rooftop bar addition Altitude comes Baja – an eatery from Daniel Quinn, the mind behind Milk Box Coffee & Tuckshop and American chef Julio Aguilera. Inspired by Cali-Mex cuisine, Baja looks to showcase a healthier side of Mexican fare, with traditional flavours realised using seasonal Queensland produce (think Moreton Bay bug tacos). Diners can expect Baja to plate up an array of dishes inspired by the culinary scene of its geographical namesake, which includes party capital Tijuana, Valle de Guadalupe’s lush wine regions and the coastal hub of Endenada – the ancestral home of the fish taco. We’re talking burrata with a smoked-cashew salsa macha, twice-cooked octopus tentacles coated in a squid-ink and burnt-jalapeno soy sauce, and the signature Baja fish taco with beer-battered kingfish and chipotle slaw served on a la Tortilleria tortilla. Over at the bar, Baja’s drinks list has been designed to complement the fare, with flavour profiles running the gamut of sweet, bitter, sour and spicy. A small collection of seasonal cocktails are available alongside a curated selection of wines, with an all-Australian list (save a sparkling and a rose) featuring natural drops that are perfectly suited to cur through fats and spices. Beer lovers can quaff Dos Equis off tap or Baja’s own specially brewed lager and pale ale, while the folks at Soapbox Beer are brewing up a special cerveza for Baja guests. Baja’s aesthetic design and fit-out (conjured by Studio Lagom and Woodsters) is minimal but warm, with pops of green and terracotta scattered across the bar, large group tables and banquette seating on the fringe.