It’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen a fresh-faced tapas bar of this calibre hit Perth, and we’re well and truly ready for it. Coming to us from Chef Graham Arthur—the original chef behind Duende (one of Perth’s longest running tapas bars) not to mention restaurants like Balthazar, Gordon St Garage and Arthur & Co—Picada is the hot new tapas joint now open in Hibernian Place.
Step inside and you’ll be greeted by colourful Mediterranean-style interiors and breezy floor-to-ceiling windows designed to stay open throughout summer. It's got a casual, welcoming vibe that'll instantly put you in holiday mode, with clear Spanish influences throughout and uninterrupted views over the lush greens of Hibernian Place. It's also worth noting, there's plenty of room for dancing once that third sangria hits.
The Picada name comes from the iconic Spanish staple of the same name—a dense flavour-packed paste loaded with fried bread, nuts, garlic, olive oil and an abundance of spices (kinda like a Catalan-Style pesto)—which is known for filling any gaps in flavour, and the menu on offer here has well and truly stayed true to this.
Expect plenty of authentic, fresh Spanish dishes that’ll transport you straight to Barcelona, from aperitivos like Southwest Spanish green olives, salt cod fritters and crispy three-cheese croquettes through to iconic tapas that you’ll wish you had all to yourself—we’re talking pan-fried goats cheese with mojo verde and honeycomb, fried calamari with lemon and burnt onion aioli, mussels escabeche with patatas fritas and veal and pork albondigas with spinach and nut picada. Hungry yet?
If you're chasing something a little more filling, you can always round out your meal with bigger dishes like the beef short ribs with cauliflower and salsa picante, a tender black Onyx flank steak that will melt in your mouth or the saffron gnocchi with broccoli, manchego and pine nuts.
No Spanish meal is complete without some cheeky drinks and thankfully you’ll have plenty to work through here. Whether you’re chasing a European vino or something closer to home, or prefer to sip on a Spanish-inspired cocktail or two, there's plenty of choices. If you get stuck, you can always rely on the sangria.
Picada is now open from 11.30am ‘til late Wednesdays to Fridays, and from 4pm ‘til late on Saturdays, so find a hot date or cruise in with your crew for an epic tapas feast this weekend.
Then plan a trip to this new pop-up at Cottesloe Beach.