Wild Fig Cafe, Scarborough/North Beach, 2 stars

Extra-ordinary location, ordinary cafe. 

This place reminds me of some of our first Perth experiences, the tables are far apart and when we arrive there is a big thing about about the fact that we have not booked resulting in us getting a table next to the kitchen while ocean side tables go unused for the hour+ we stayed.  Its hard to describe without resorting to profanity just how @#$@! this kind of behavior is.  The only thing that can be said is that it is almost certainty ignorance rather than malice.  It totally feels like they have the model wrong.  How about closer together tables, creating more of a buzz, cheaper prices, super fast sit down and eat service, smiling staff and first come first serviced. Revenues would probably double.

During the meal the spare chair at our table gets removed and replaced several times without so much as node. The waitress trips on my chair leg as she goes by twice, I move the chair and she still trips on it.  Really this is to much, just sloppy and inattentive to the job at hand and the customers

Joys

• The view
• Some imagination in the menu and very well presented food
• Pleasing architecture and decor, although a bit international

Woes

• Dirty table
• Inattentive service (Not really slow in the end, but 5 minutes to bring water is just to much)
• Poorly trained staff

Final Word

• A great location, kind of squandered.
• We won't go again, not for a while away, and we won't look forward to coming back particularly.
• You can't take visitors to Perth here because the service and attitude are just to embarrassing, a real shame. 

33 West Coast Dr
(08) 9246 9222

Sea Garden Restaurant, Prevelly,

A little attitude is never a bad way to wake up in the morning.  We were knocking on the door at 7:30.

Relaxing outside sipping a juice while wait for the sausage and egg, what a great way to start the day....


http://www.seagardens.com.au/home.html

Southern End Restaurant, Denmark (2 stars)

427 Mount Shadforth Road
Denmark
3 km west of Denmark

Face, Facilities and Function

The location is great sitting high up on the hill overlooking the valley and the sea below. The service was friendly and slow, or should I just be a bit more relaxed, this is a holiday...


Food

The beer is nice, really nice.

The Food really a disappointment. This is mostly fake posh food (FPF). They are trying to hard to be up market and have forgotten the basics.

The Stout beef pie was a bland stew with a little patch of pastry on the top. If you are going to call it a Pie it needs a certain amount of pastry, this one does not cut it. ($20)

The field mushrooms with the "drizzle of Cabernet jus" was swimming in something akin to balsamic vinegar. Really not good. ($23)

The seafood "Frenzi" was very ordinary and expensive for what it was ($42)

Final Word

The poor food is remembered more than the view for me here. If I go back I will order something simple, perhaps fish and chips, that has to be better.

ECQ Bar at Quay Grand Suites Sydney, Circular Quay

Quiet, relaxed, right on circular quay what could be better.  They do some great wine and well prepared, if unimaginative food.

We alway think about having a drink here at some point in the day.

http://www.mirvachotels.com/quay-grand-suites-sydney/ecq-bar-circular-quay

Forest Hill Winery, 4 stars, Cnr South Coast Hwy & Myers Road Denmark (4km west of Denmark) $110 for 2 inc wine

Great location, with views down the valley toward to ocean.

Nice ingredients and simple menu. My steak was over done a little which is difficult for me to understand or forgive for a place claiming to be up market. When asking for rare make sure you emphasis the rare. They could do with better vegetarian options I think.

Mostly others where very pleased with the food and wine.

Slow service and a strangely large number of flys in the room is a little off putting.

We will definitely return when next in Denmark.

Wharf Restaurant, Sydney

A fantastic place to start or end your theatre experience.  Sophisticated food at reasonable prices in a wonderful setting with views of the bridge.

Open 6pm +
http://www.wharfrestaurant.com.au/  (02) 9250 1761

Wise WInes

Fantastic view, some delicious wines, but only ok restaurant.  Mostly PPF - Pretend Posh Food.

Nice enough, but just misses the mark.


http://www.wisewine.com.au/

Bettyblue Bistro Rockingham 3 stars

Last time I was hear they disappointed me with ingredient substitution. The service was good and our meals where excellent. The staff are really working hard to provide the service and this is appreciated.

Fish and Chips
Paste,
Surf and turf

All great.

The ocean is still beautiful and the water warm for the post dinner work out.

Salt (was Oyster Bar ) - On the Beach (4 out of 5 stars)

Ok we only went for a coffee and toast, but it was great. Coffee was excellent (sadly rarely) and the toast and jam was tasty.

Newspapers on all the tables and nice relaxing service, great after a walk on the beach.

We will definitely be back at some point.

UPDATE- Turns out the menu is new as of around Jan 22, and not great. Coffee is still good.

UPDATE 2 - make sure to go to the restaurant part not the cafe - the menu is reasonable

UPDATE 3 - the view is just great and they have really worked on the service.

UPDATE 4 - change hands and name - still excellent

Bluewater Bar and Grill, Applecross, 4.5 stars

Bluewater Bar & Grill

Applecross

14-06-2007

Firstly, what a beautiful day and a beautiful setting. Difficult to have a bad experience with these views on such a warm and fresh day (after rain last night).

The food was all excellent. Yes a little expensive, but great and the portions are large. We had the Marron (app sized) and the grilled Barramundi. Was not sure about this choice after reading an other review. However the fish was excellent, fresh and really nicely cooked (i.e. just cooked not over done). The also had the broccoli and almonds and green veggies. All very nicely done. The only comment I might have was that the broth was a little salty. Also we had too much food, I might only order the one veggie dish next time and have some room for dessert.

Ambiance, well it’s all been said. This location is amazing and the place is really nicely done.

The service was excellent for us. Friendly, but not too familiar. We were not in any hurry and I could see that it could be slow if you are trying to get to your afternoon’s activities. They seemed responsive to our requests and so I might make it clear if I have a particular time line next time we go.

All up it came to $118 for 2 with starters and wine, which is excellent value and overall one of your better restaurant experiences in Perth so far (remembering that we are new here).

http://maps.google.com.au/

Bettyblue Bistro, Rockingham, 3 stars

Bettyblue Bistro

Rockingham

02-08-2007

Ok the ocean view is great and it is difficult to have a bad time with such a view on beautiful day. The place itself is a little bare and less pleasing to the eye than other places on this stripe.

The service was certainty ok.

The one thing I really don't like in a place is the undisclosed substitution of ingredients. It colours my whole impression for a place. In this case the mushrooms, blue cheese and spinach salad was missing blue cheese, substituted by a pale bland soft cheese. I happened to be really looking forward to the bight and tangy taste of a good blue cheese. I am sure it is difficult to stock all the ingredients and anticipate the volumes of order across the menu. I am quiet happy if such substitutions are disclosed prior to the order being committed to, not to do so, presumably on the basis that I will not notice, feels disrespectful. That being said the food was well cooked and the others I was with enjoyed their meals.