Balthazar…review by Matt Milner

6 The Esplanade
Perth 6000 WA
Phone: (08) 9421 1206
European and Modern Australian
Signature dish: Aged beef fillet


A favourite with the corporate-set and undoubtedly one of the most talked about fine-dining spots in Perth, I ventured to Balthazar with lofty expectations. I was not disappointed! It turned out to be one of the most memorable dining experiences I have had in a long time.

The restaurant is located at the bottom floor of the Lawson Apartments in the heart of the city. The building is a lovely example of art-deco, and this theme is continued inside the restaurant. Upon entering, you can decide to have a pre-dinner drink at the wine bar, however we skipped this and went straight to our table (very comfortable seating)

The menu is well-rounded and follows a distinctively European/Modern Australian theme.

For entrees, the 5 of us shared a tasting plate, which was memorable. It included prawns, pork sausage, and a tomato and eggplant tart -all of which were immaculately presented and tasted phenomenal.
Then came the biggest challenge of the evening: what wine to select. Balthazar has forged its reputation on it’s incredible wine list. It is extensive to say the least - and is regarded as one of the finest in Perth. After flicking through the list (it is about 50 pages long), we settled on a Sem Sav Blanc from WA, and a Pinot Noir from SA. (A word of warning: whilst the wine list is amazing, so are the prices. The cheapest bottles start at about $50 and go up to the $1000’s).

Choosing a main course was almost as challenging as the wine selection, however I settled on a simple grilled fillet of Barramundi with a balsamic sauce infused with tomato and bacon, and creamy mashed-potato. It was extremely tasty and satisfying. The fish was fresh, delicate, perfectly cooked, and flavoursome, and the sauce was perfectly balanced. The mash was delicious, had a great texture, and wasn’t too stodgy.

After a few more more glasses of wine and numerous gin&tonics, everyone felt dessert was an essential way to end the meal. I ordered the chocolate pudding infused with cherries - it was a good choice. It was rich, warm, and decadent. I almost ordered seconds, but thought about the dire consequences it would have for my already expanding waist-line (and my ever-shrinking wallet).

My dinner buddies shared my opinion on the standard of the food. A couple of them had the pork-belly, which they told me was flavoursome, generous, and overall an excellent dish.

The service is also of a high-standard. The staff are attentive and keen to share their extensive knowledge of the menu and wine-list, yet they are still unobtrusive and discrete.

After a few more (quite a few more) gin&tonics, we got the bill, which was not as scary as I had envisaged. If you take away the exorbitant cost of the wine, the food is very reasonably priced for a restaurant of this quality and calibre.

It felt strange leaving a restaurant without being able to criticise it in some way, shape, or form. But we all left feeling very satisfied and reveled in the fact that we had found a restaurant that had all the ingredients: atmosphere, location, great service, great wine, and outstanding food.

Entree: $15-$27
Mains: $23-$36
Dessert: $14