My how time flies! I can’t believe it’s almost 5 years since my last long lunch at Bistro Guillaume – where modern and classical French cuisines collide beautifully. The Crown Perth restaurant is by celebrated Parisian Chef, Guillaume Brahimi. In his early career, he worked under legendary Chef Joël Robuchon (who has amassed an amazing 28 Michelin stars).

Bistro Guillaume is still one of the most breathtaking dining rooms in Perth. Mainly black and white, with a fresh and bright splash of green. From the bar, to the statement foyer sofa; the striking shade of green is used throughout – even down to the green bottle of Tabasco sauce on each table.

We were seated by the window, which overlooks the inviting Crown Metropol lagoon pool. This excited me, as part of our ultimate lunch deal was receiving a free pool pass!

At the bustling bistro, there are spaces for groups and intimate gatherings. There’s also a large balcony, where you can dine alfresco, overlooking the pool. We started with some freshly baked bread and butter – the perfect way to start any French meal! Gluten free bread is also available.

We had one of my favourite non alcoholic drops, a lemon Efferve’, a drink fit for a summery lunchtime. And of course there’s always room for a glass of wine too.

For entrée we had a tasty country style terrine, served with pickles, dijon mustard and grilled sourdough. It’s a wonderful peasant style dish.

I loved the organic steak tartare. The raw beef given even more flavour from cornichons, capers, shallot and a spicy tomato sauce. This gluten free dish was served with pomme gaufrette (crisp potatoes).

I was SO pleased with my choice of pork belly for main. The sous vide pork was tender and served on a mound of creamy mustard brussel sprouts, cabbage, and pickled apple. As a side note, when I ordered the waiter let me know they’d be no crackle, because of the way it’s cooked. While I love crackle, that was fine with me. I was really pleased the waiter had mentioned it, to manage my expectations. What a delicious dish!

The kingfish with cauliflower purée, shitake mushrooms, spinach and balsamic beurre noisette was expertly cooked.

Though we ordered from the $55 set menu, we are still able to also order sides from the main menu. We picked a winner with the sautéed greens, smothered is a garlic cream, anchovies and smoked almonds.

As we were dining on the $55, 2 course menu, we could have stopped there, but we thought we’d indulge a little further. A simple lemon tart (from the regular menu) was a hit.

I traded up to the 3 course $75 ultimate lunch with a decadent chocolate delice. This silky smooth dessert is served with macadamia ice cream and salted caramel.

We very much enjoyed our lunch at Bistro Guillaume and its relaxed and sophisticated vibe.

I was invited by Crown to experience the $55 Ultimate Lunch. We paid for our drinks, sides and desserts. All words and opinions are my own.

The Ultimate Lunch and Dinner menu is available at Silks, Modo Mio, Nobu, Rockpool and Bistro Guillaume until 25 November, Pool passes must be used by December 6th.

See the Crown Perth Website for more on the Ultimate Lunch and Dinner offer.

We almost didn’t get the pleasure of eating in one of Perth’s finest dining rooms. The one hundred and twenty two year old Palace Hotel, which sits of the corner of St Georges Terrace and William Street, was set for demolition in 1972. Thankfully, after decades of serving as a bank, the grand old lady has been beautifully restored to its former glory and is now home to The Meat and Wine Co.

The high-end chain restaurant, hailing from South Africa, has a choice of two dining spots.

The bar area overlooking bustling William Street, is heaving with city workers on business lunches.

Chef and I are seated in the opulent “heritage dining room”, where the contemporary and traditional mingle beautifully, with its grand high ceiling, whisky bar and funky furniture.

The booths are covered with chunky knotted ropes that give a private, cosy feel to each table.

We’re handed menus with striking images of lions, leopards and rhinos – just a few subtle nods to the fact that we’re sitting in an African steakhouse. There’s no naff theming here.

As for the epic wine list, there’s not as many South African labels as I would have expected, with most of the wine list made up from local West Australian as well as South Australian drops. Rare, vintage and a very special selection of Penfolds wines are also on offer at a hefty price. I enjoy a fresh and fruity glass of Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc Semillon.

The service is attentive, though still green, a few weeks into the venue opening its doors. Many menu components are double checked with the kitchen, as well a drink forgotten, but quickly rectified.

The menu is not in-your-face African. It includes boerewors and a spicy African chilli sauce, other than that, it’s all red-meat and sides with a few chicken and fish dishes added for good measure. We devour the tasting plate ($54), brimming with mildly spiced Szechuan calamari, halloumi, succulent pork belly and a bruschetta overflowing with fresh tomato.

A colossal 500g cut of Wagyu rump ($49), lives up to its marbling score of 6+. The deliciously tender piece of meat is basted, grilled medium rare and full of flavour – melting in the mouth like butter. Served with crunchy chips and a choice of sauces – Chef liberally pours a nicely reduced red wine jus over the steak.

I choose skewered Portuguese chicken ($32) which rains meaty juices onto a bowl of crunchy chips below. The incredibly tender peri peri spiced chicken thigh easily slides off the skewer and is nicely charred.

As with all upmarket steakhouses, at The Meat & Wine Co, side dishes are a must. This can turn lunch into an expensive meal for two. We share a posh mac and cheese ($12). Rigatoni and charred cauliflower is covered in a creamy two cheese sauce (American Monterey Jack and parmesan) and finished with a little truffle and panko crumb.

Our onion rings ($7) are more like crisp onion slices, with not a circle in sight, but delicious all the same. I also order a token healthy side of sautéed greens ($13), so our lunch isn’t solely a meat, wine and carb fest.

Squeezing in dessert, we enjoy a perfect crème brûlée ($13), topped with a patisserie chocolate meringue biscuit and moreish, crisp dehydrated mandarin.

The pretty pavlova ($13) with caramelised pineapple, sweet berries, chantilly cream, passionfruit coulis and baked meringue is a swoon-worthy dessert.

The Meat and Wine Co has hit the ground running with a stunning fit-out, attentive service and the well-cooked proteins are packed with punch. If you are mad about meat, you won’t be disappointed.

At a glance

■ The Meat & Wine Co
108 St Georges Terrace
Perth
Phone 6163 8880
■ Opening times
Sunday to Thursday 12pm -10pm
Friday to Saturday 12pm – Late
■ Rating
food 4
service 3
ambience 4
value for money 3
■ style – Steakhouse
■ wine – an extensive list. Many WA,
Interstate and International wines.
■ Chef – Nicole Finlay
■ Owner – Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group
■ feel – Warm, classy heritage interior
■ wheelchair access – yes
■ cost
Entree – $9 – $54
Mains – $25 – $79
Dessert – $13 – $49
■ all in all – Meat & Wine Co delivers
exactly what it says on the tin,
mouth-watering meats and fine wines –
all done exceedingly well. One for the carnivores!

I’ve always heard great things about Moore and Moore Café in Fremantle, found in a heritage listed building on Henry Street. It’s in a beaut location, just around the corner from Bread in Common and a stone’s throw from the Fishing Boat Harbour, Esplanade Park, Round House and Cappuccino strip. Making it really accessible to pop by for a coffee whatever you’re doing in Freo.

Moore and Moore is very Freo – a little alternative, very artsy and boho chic. You’ll find the eclectic café in the Moores building, a beautifully rustic warehouse which is also home to a contemporary art gallery.

You can choose to sit out in the shady courtyard.

We chose to sit inside, in the cosy front dining space, which has mismatched furniture. It was a lot quieter in here, filled with uni students, from the neighbouring Notre Dame.

To our delight, they serve Karvan Coffee, which is excellent.

Everyone on our table (my parents and Little Chef) were pleased as punch with their food choices. The menu has a lot of options and locally scoured, organic produce. My Mum enjoyed New Zealand king salmon, with crispy skin, a poached egg, delicious dill creme fraiche and rocket with blistered cherry tomatoes on Turkish toast ($21).

My Dad loved the grilled gouda and parmesan potato cake, with runny poached egg, toasted broccoli and an organic sun dried tomato and cashew pesto ($19). He added bacon to the dish too.

I enjoyed an absolutely delicious grazing bowl. It was chock-full of so much flavour, there’s roast pumpkin, salsa, sesame avo and pickled veg, as well as some spicy pulled Harvey Beef! All that and gluten free too – I was stoked!

Little Chef chose a toasted croissant from the kids menu. Even this was beautifully presented with house made sauce.

For the kidlets, there’s not one but two areas in the back courtyard where they can play. There’s an Astroturfed kid’s corner for toddlers that’s full of toys and a blackboard.

As well as that, there’s a shady play area with sandpit and boat, as well as some brilliant climbing ladders that older kids will enjoy.

If you’re in Freo, Moore and Moore is an excellent spot to stop by for a coffee and bite to eat – even with kids in tow. The service is so friendly and I was really impressed by their brunch offering, it’s so good to see a café that is clearly very passionate about local produce and the food it sends out of the kitchen!

Find Moore & Moore at The Moores Building, 46 Henry Street, Fremantle.

More info on their website.

Cottesloe is almost deserted on this mid-week winter’s day, as we watch waves crash against the groyne and rain clouds blow in from across the churning ocean. Sure, it’s not a picture-postcard sunny day, though it’s equally stunning. We take cover at one of Marine Parade’s stalwarts – The Cottesloe Hotel.

Inside the dining room of Cott and Co Fish Bar, the seafood focused restaurant at “The Cott”, is a hive of activity. Distressed timber and strong blues give a casual, driftwood chic feel to the light-filled room. Here we can sit at the kitchen bench and watch the Chefs in action in the open kitchen or at a table with ocean views. We choose a front row view of the stormy ocean, at a table by the window.

Service is efficient, if not a little business-like. The wine list is substantial, with lots of popular drops, as well as a few interesting tipples to try from smaller vineyards. Not surprisingly, Sandalford wines appear on the list. The winery is run by the Prendiville Group, The Cottesloe Hotel’s owners. We pick a crisp Forrest Hill Gewürztraminer from Mount Barker to compliment the seafood dishes.

A crowd pleasing menu is small, and features the dishes you’d expect at an upmarket pub – fish and chips, steak, chili mussels and more.

The black boards are where the really exciting dishes are found. These individual boards change daily, depending on what fresh and local produce the Chefs have to hand. Expect to see such WA delicacies as Busselton whitebait and Exmouth tiger prawns, as well as Humpty Doo barramundi from the Northern Territory.

Plump oysters ($4 each) from the pristine waters of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula are served no-fuss, with a squeeze of lemon. I love natural oysters, and enjoy their fresh, salty flavours.

Smoky chargrilled chorizo ($14) with a Pedro Ximenez and orange reduction, almonds and a creamy hummus, is a delicious share plate.

The Shark Bay manna crab ($16) absolutely blows the chorizo dish out of the water. The luscious chunks of crab meat, with a hefty kick of Aleppo pepper, adorn a mound of creamy polenta. Perfect for smothering over the grilled bread. A cracking dish from the black boards. I could have easily gone back for more.

For Chef, beer battered Shark Bay Whiting ($28) with triple cooked chips and tartare sauce ticks all the right boxes. Crisp golden batter, check. Hand cut chips, check. Scrumptious flaky flesh, check. I’d like to see the smashed minty peas served hot, not chilled, but maybe that’s my British blood and a hankering for mushy peas, getting the better of me.

Another dish chosen from the fresh specials is the coral cod ($38). Poached to perfection, this silky cod is swimming in a fish broth along with asparagus, capers, basil oil and confit heirloom cherry tomatoes.

I’m always a sucker for a good side dish, and the chunky roasted chat potatoes are spot on.For dessert, there are just two choices on the menu. The different textures of dark chocolate biscuit, with hazelnut cream and a decadent white chocolate gelato tempts Chef.

Fans of a liquid lunch will be happy to know Cott and Co offer “liquid dessert” cocktails. I pick the Tiramisu Martini ($16), garnished with a sponge finger. The chocolaty, vodka concoction is a pleasant way to end a tasty lunch at one of WA’s most iconic ocean side pubs. Be sure to hit The Cottesloe Hotel this Spring, as there will be a fresh new look at the iconic Beach Club.

Cott and Co Fish Bar is more “swish and chips”, than your average Cottesloe fish and chip eatery. The Chefs at Cott and Co certainly know how to cook their seafood to second-perfect timing, allowing the quality local produce to shine. It’s a top spot for fresh seafood by the seaside.

At a glance

■ Cott & Co Fish Bar
104 Marine Parade
Cottesloe
Phone 9383 1100
■ Opening times
Mon – Sun 12pm to late
Breakfast Sat & Sun, 8am to 11am
■ Rating
food 4
service 4
ambience 4
value for money 4
■ style – Seafood
■ wine – great selection of
local and international labels
to please all wine lovers.
■ Chef – Marco Purussini
■ Owner – Prendiville Group
■ feel – casual coastal
■ wheelchair access – yes
■ cost –
Entrée – $3 to $14
Mains – $26 to $38
Dessert – $14
■ all in all – Catch a table at Cott and Co
to enjoy well-cooked local seafood,
with top notch wines and ocean views.