The 10 Best Restaurants in Perth's CBD

1907 Restaurant and Cocktail Bar is a world class restaurant that has been awarded 1 star by The West Australian ‘Good Food Guide’ 2013 & 2014, and a prestigious Chef’s Hat by the Australian ‘Good Food Guide’ 2012, 2013, 2014 . The restaurant is housed within a 100 year old rag trade factory, dating back to the CBD’s past as the hub of Perth’s former fashion district. This is part of an underlying drive to revive and evolve Perth’s inner city: preserving its old charms and influences of old world Hollywood glamour, while also incorporating a cutting edge and contemporary design scheme. The resulting 1907 Restaurant is a decadent and sumptuous dining experience for discerning CBD consumers. The current spring/summer menu approach is ‘light and crisp entrees with a progression from hearty to rich main courses and intriguing twists on the sweets designed by our pastry chef’. The menu also sources speciality produce from 1907’s own personal farm at Toodyay, demonstrating a long-term commitment to bringing fresh and quality ingredients from ‘Farm to Fork’. There are two menus to select from: the 10-course Menu Prestige, featuring such dishes as fish carpaccio with wild rice, finger lime and curried aioli; duck egg with cauliflower, radish, pine nut and pancetta; lamb with silver beet, sweet potato and mushroom; and elderflower with rhubarb, champagne, and blood orange; or alternately, the seven-course Menu Petit featuring most of the items from the previous menu.

Price: Fine Dining

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 12am; Saturday: 6pm – 12am

Watch out for: The 10-course Menu Prestige

Many Perth locals are familiar with The Aviary, a hotspot for white collar workers on weekday nights and Friday after-work functions. The majority head straight to the rooftop Nest bar for a knock-off pint and cocktail, but on the way up, smart diners will stop at The Bird Cage Restaurant and Lounge Bar for the best modern Australian and South East Asian fusion fare in town. Start off with light bites, like chili salted silken tofu with tamarind caramel or omelette rice paper rolls and nam jim, before progressing to larger sharing plates, like braised black bean beef cheek with chili mint jam and Asian slaw, or vegetable rendang with coconut, sweet potato, chilli and cashews. The reigning champion of this menu is the roast pork belly with sticky and crunchy skin (as it should be!), accompanied by a fresh green paw paw and coconut salad. The Bird Cage also offers its own punch bar overseen by resident cocktail specialist Mathew Field, who has created a range of oriental punches centered on Eastern flavors and ingredients, such as the Asian Pear Punch (Absolut Pear vodka, Gekkeikan Sake, ginger wine, kaffir lime, pear & lemonade) and the Mikuru Jima Punch (Pampero Especial, Malibu, Orgeat, passionfruit, mango, pineapple cinnamon & star anise).

Price: Mid-range

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 11am – 12am; Friday to Saturday: 11am – 2am

Watch out for: The crispy pork belly with green salad

C Restaurant is Perth’s one and only revolving restaurant, situated on the 33rd floor of St Martin’s Tower. If you’re not prone to dizziness, there are stunning continuous views to relish from the summit: from your table you can see the Perth metropolitan area, the Swan River, Kings Park, the Darling Ranges, and even a distant Rottnest Island. The refined cuisine is mostly modern Australian, with some degree of international fusion and local sourcing. The menu takes diners on a memorable culinary journey, from rich starters like the Pitch Black Angus beef tartare sprinkled with cocoa dust, to sumptuous main dishes like the maple and soy marinated Tasmanian salmon served with pickled fennel salad, crab, and chive potatoes. For those who crave a more comforting flavor, C Restaurant is also famous for their homemade potato gnocchi with Napolitana sauce, spinach and gorgonzola cream, semi dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. This extremely ambient, serene venue is ideal for a romantic dinner for two.

Price: Mid-range

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday: 11.45am – 1am

Watch out for: The 360-degree revolving view

Located inside the Mercure Hotel Perth on Irwin Street and among the Perth law courts, Beccaria has a sophisticated and intelligent edge, aptly derived from the restaurant’s namesake – innovative Italian criminologist Cesare Beccaria. The venue is spacious and lofty, industrially styled with plush deep purple couches and sandy timber decor amongst a palette of clean grey tones. Beccaria expertly utilizes locally caught seafood and flourishing Western Australian produce in their dishes, as seen in their smoked eggplant mousse served with crispy ciabatta and herb oil; their seared Shark Bay scallops; and their grilled Kimberley Gold Band snapper fillet, charred asparagus, fennel and root vegetable salad with tomato and lemon ragout. The piece de resistance is the signature melting chocolate dome dessert, where warm chocolate ganache is poured over a chocolate dome to reveal peanut and chocolate fudge.

Price: Mid-range

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 7am – 6pm

Watch out for: The signature chocolate dome dessert

For over ten years, Balthazar has been impressing Perth diners with its clubby Art Deco setting and succulent European menu. Balthazar allows guests to either enjoy tapas at the bar or a hearty meal in the dining area, catering to both big and small appetites. Their entrées section is where technique and imagination truly come alive – consider the tender pork fillet with tail-meat croquette, curls of crackling and dabs of rich egg-yolk purée; or the wild goat with beetroot, riesling and walnuts. For those who prefer poultry, the duck breast with celeriac puree and apple and raisin spring rolls is another truly memorable highlight. Desserts are equally inspired – notably, the textbook molten chocolate fondant, served with cherry ice cream and rich peanut brittle. Wine connoisseurs will be especially taken with the impressive wine list here, which extends to many ‘continued…’ pages and is adventurously arranged by region, rather than by grape.

Price: Fine Dining

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 12pm – late; Saturday: 6pm – late

Watch out for: The chocolate fondant with cherry ice cream

Named after Hong Kong’s popular newspaper, The Apple Daily Bar and Eating House is an East-meets-West collaboration that caters to casual and fine diners alike. Apple Daily’s interior style falls somewhere between moody and modern, its walls plastered over with printed newspaper which has itself been written over with Mandarin script. Jointly designed by Print Hall’s Executive Chef Shane Watson and Apple Daily’s Head Chef Andrew Moores, the South East Asian street style menu is crafted with sharing in mind, featuring small bites like crispy soft shell crab, and saltwater duck with spring onion, flower bun and hoisin. There are also more substantial mains, such as a green curry of Shark Bay prawns, sweet potato and snow pears; Korean style BBQ pork shoulder; grilled Linley Valley pork spare ribs with tamarind, lime and chili; and steamed fish fillets with black beans, fermented chili, ginger and shallots. Those who try the chili dishes can quench their thirst with the house list of exclusive WA craft beer and wines.

Price: Mid-range

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 11.30am – 12am; Saturday: 4pm – 12am

Watch out for: The green Shark Bay prawn and sweet potato curry

Sustainability meets style at Matt Stone’s Greenhouse restaurant. This venture’s ethos is rooted in harnessing ‘the growing understanding of the human footprint to offer alternative solutions that tread a fine balance between functionality, sustainability and beauty’. In concrete terms, this means that functional eco-friendliness comes first, with style following: ‘all the features of the Greenhouse are carefully considered first for their practicality, recyclability, life cycle and embodied energy and then for their aesthetics and cost’. With ingredients traveling as short a distance as from the kitchen garden upstairs, diners can tuck into the freshest fare imaginable. Begin with an exciting starter, like the beef cheek mogo mogo with banana batter, or the royal blue tots & chipotle sour cream; then move swiftly into the realm of off-piste burgers such as the Chilli Philli (beef patty, homemade sweet chili, cream cheese and roast peppers) and the K-BBQ (150g beef patty, Korean BBQ mayo, kimchee and sesame). For those avoiding red meat, try the white cut chicken with Chinese cabbage, sesame, sweet soy & szechuan, or the warm Cretian roast eggplant with buttermilk & pomegranate.

Price: Mid-range

Watch out for: The K-BBQ burger and the sustainable values of the restaurant

CBD diners and visiting tourists expect a fine degree of modish city style in Perth’s eateries, and The Terrace Hotel is one such charming addition to the Western Australian food scene. Patrons here can choose between a casual meal at the bar, or fine food in the breezy al fresco area or formally set dining room. The à la carte menu pairs rustic heritage charm with sophisticated style: think grilled halloumi, french beans, chicory & sundried tomato salad served with pita croutons, wild thyme & honey dressing; or for something meatier, Spring lamb cutlets with warm pepperonata, black garlic, bocconcini, and rosemary mint jus. (There are also gluten free options for many dishes.) Save room for their tantalizing desserts, like the lime and apple semifreddo with honey whiskey sauce.

Price: Mid-range

Watch out for: The chicken liver parfait with plum jelly and brioche

Since its establishment in 2012, The Trustee Bar and Bistro has made a name as one of Perth City’s slickest venues. Amidst the sleek polished concrete and timber floorboards, consultant chef Ian Curley helms a menu of seasonal fare with a nose-to-tail focus, paired alongside a staggering selection of 500 wines. Stars of this menu include the half shell scallops served with a tapenade gel and chorizo, and the wagyu flank served with roasted pumpkin, asparagus, walnut and goat’s curd. For a breath of fresh air, diners can slip away from their art deco surroundings to sample the delights of the luscious Trustee garden bar, a jungle-style oasis set just beneath the walkways of the bustling city.

Price: Mid-range

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 11.30am – 12am; Saturday: 4pm – 12am

Watch out for: The oasis-like Garden Bar
Alex MacKay