Long gone are the days of Perth’s winter hibernation, where the city streets were quiet and it was blissfully easy to score a premium table at your favourite foodie hotspot. These days, a winter in Perth means sipping on vino fireside in cosy wine bars, watching chefs fire up hearty steaks in open kitchens, and devouring curries that warm you from inside.
In fact, cutting through the winter offerings in Perth can feel like a slog. Enter Plateful Perth, a month-long food palooza of incredible dining events worth getting out of your comfies for. Yes, admittedly we’re suckers for a foodie festival, but Plateful Perth is really the gift that keeps on giving. From budget to boujie, there’s something for everyone. You can go all out with a city staycay and fine dining package, or simply chow down on some golden fried chicken and back it up with a skillet chocolate chip cookie (for a bargain $35 per person).
Plateful Perth runs throughout August, with a stacked line up of Premium Plates, Feasts, Sip Sessions, Bargain Bites and Gourmet Getaways. What’s good? Everything? Where will I be? Read on to find out.
Premium Plates
One-night stands are out, one-night foodie experiences are in, these are chef hosted meals and degustations curated by industry insiders that are worth getting excited about.
Oui, Paris! at fleur
Thursday 7 August
Image credit: fleur | Shot By Thom
Ah, fleur! This inner city Euro bistro will forever have my heart (and my pick for the best tableside crepes Suzette you’ll find this side of France). Live out your Emily In Paris dreams at a one-night only Parisian-inspired dinner. Degust rich, buttery escargot, tournedos rossini, citron sorbet and creme brulee. Optionally, and given fleur’s excellent taste in vino we highly recommend, opt in to wine pairings. Oui oui, indeed!
Oma-Sake at Papi Katsu
Thursday 21 August
Image credit: Papi Katsu | Shot By Thom
Eight courses, five sake cocktails, one night only. The uber cool Papi Katsu is stepping things up with their Oma-Sake, offering a chance to indulge in high quality Japanese bites and creative cocktails. Come hungry to this degustation for the culinary curious. We’re talking tuna tartare with radish and blood orange ponzu, crab curry with finger lime, brown butter tempura scallops, dry aged short rib in pepper butter, and oolong sorbet.
Sip Sessions
Cocktail masterclasses, spirit flights, curated bar hops, and even a crushed ice 101 for all who are cocktail chemistry curious.
Chips & Sips at Bobeche
Every Monday-Saturday throughout August
Image credit: Bobeche | Supplied
There’s nothing quite like the allure of a martini and chip paired flight to get me out of my cosies and into the city on a winter night, so if you see me repeat dining at Bobeche this August, no you didn’t. Sample a trio of creative martinis, all inspired by, and paired with, a classic chip flavour. Salt and vinegar, sour cream and chives, and honey soy chicken, all served in a neat two-sip format and next to house-made chips of the same flavour. Salty, sassy, seriously chic.
Drams By The Fireside at Fallow
Every Friday throughout August
Image credit: Fallow | Shot By Thom
Does anything whisper winter quite like a dram by the fire? Fallow is taking the blueprint and making it bigger, better and bolder, with Drams By The Fireside. Sip your way through a flight of five exceptional whiskies, including pours from Amrut, Kilchoman and Copper Fox, all under the spirit-ual guidance of Nate De Tienne. Pair it with some of Fallow’s epic flame-kissed bites, and you’ve got all the ingredients for an unforgettable night out. It’s a little intimate, a little sexy, and somehow also screams boys night out. Get around it.
Feast
Immersive foodie experiences, hands on masterclasses and family-style feasting.
Cinema Supper Club at Market Grounds
Wednesday 27 August
Image credit: Market Grounds | Shot By Thom
Ever found yourself watching Ratoutille and wondering just what that little mouse’s food tastes like. Wonder no more. Cinema Supper Club is an immersive movie watching experience, where dishes are paired to pivotal cinematic moments. Fortunately the cinephiles over at Market Grounds have higher brow movie taste than myself, and they’ve got Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again queued for your viewing pleasure. While the curated menu is pretty hush hush, expect to be titillated, both by the dishes and the film.
My Big Fat Greek Party at The Standard
Saturday 16 August
Image credit: The Standard | Shot By Thom
Opa! Looking for a plate smashingly good winter feast? Look no further. Few know how to feast like the Greek, so The Standard is getting the ouzo out and preparing to party like they’re in Piraeus. They had me at lamb-loaded fries ( I can attest to the fact that The Standard know their way around some slow-cooked lamb), but there’s also plenty of dolmathakia and spanikopita to line your stomach for ouzo cocktails and wine. It’s an ode to Greek street food in all the right ways.
Bargain Bites
Good food should be for all, and there’s plenty of meal deal steals whose flavours punch well above their price. Cossie livs who?
행복의 시간 The Hour of Happiness at Double Rainbow
Every Wednesday-Sunday throughout August
Image credit: Double Rainbow | Shot By Thom
Great Korean-ish food at even better prices—what’s not to love? This August, happy hour is at Double Rainbow, where from 5pm a crisp $5 note will get you a can of Cass, Korea’s number one selling beer, and a stick of tteokbokki. That’s Korean fried rice cakes for the uninitiated. A pretty perfect after work crunch and sip if you ask me.
Korean Chicken & Schooner at Brown Street Grill
Every Thursday throughout August
Image credit: Brown Street Grill | Supplied
There’s something about chicken over smoking charcoal that takes me back to hot and humid holidays downing street eats skewers in Indonesia, Thailand, or Singapore. That said, Brown Street Grill’s take is Korean, and served with black garlic aioli, house kimchi and pickled cucumber. Even better, wash it all down with some Bright Tank beer or wine, as you reminisce on holidays gone by.
Gourmet Getaways
Your chance to go all in with premium winter staycays in the heart of the city. Stylish overnight stays, premium dining experiences, these are the kind of stay and play experiences that will spoil all others for you.
Wine & Woodfire Retreat at InterContinental Perth
Every Wednesday-Sunday throughout August
Image credit: Ascua | Shot By Thom
If everything up to this point has covered budget and bougie, this one is the doozy. Experience the city in a whole new, very luxe, light this winter, with a stay at InterContinental Perth. The package starts at $799 per night, but there’s a whole lot of bang packed in for your buck. You’ll be greeted with a bottle of sparkling on arrival to toast to an incredible weekend ahead, before taking a front row seat at Ascua’s Tannins & Tomahawk Chef’s Table. We’re talking three courses, including a flame-grilled tomahawk, paired with Domaine Naturaliste wines. Sleep the night away under crisp sheets, and wake up to a gourmet breakfast in bed to make you feel like the staycay queen you are.
Big Night, Date Night at Alex Hotel
Every Wednesday-Sunday throughout August
Image credit: Alex Hotel | Shot By Thom
Dinner and show? The Alex Hotel is doing one better, going dinner and a show and a stunner of a staycay. The price starts at $555 a night, but your night will start with an intimate two-course tasting menu at Shadow Wine Bar, home of moody lighting and romantic nooks, before a bento-style dessert courtesy of Double Rainbow. The night doesn’t end there, as you’ll catch a show of your choice at The Rechabite, then top it off with a post show sip at Hello Rooftop Bar, where classic cocktails are the vibe. Swoon over city views from your balcony room (or swoon over your lover, we’re not judging), but try to get some shut eye so you can make the most of the continental breakfast. Ring ring, romance is calling.
You can check out the full Plateful Perth lineup here and start stacking your cal for August asap.
Main image credit: The Standard | Shot By Thom