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The restaurants below have been grouped in the following price categories:
$$$$ (over A$150)
$$$ (A$90 to A$150)
$$ (A$60 to A$90)
$ (A$60)
The prices quoted above are for an average three-course meal and for half a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent per person; they do not include tax or tip.

Gourmet

Balthazar
Long-considered one of Perth's best restaurants, beautiful Balthazar boasts a clubby atmosphere that's befitting the elegant art deco building it resides in. Frequented by Perth's financiers by day (the Stock Exchange is close by), evening sees affluent, dressed-up locals savouring the exquisitely executed cuisine. Notable wine list with great wines by the glass.

6 The Esplanade, Perth
Tel: (08) 9421 1206. 
Price: $$$$
Bistro Felix
This stylish well-regarded restaurant has really made a mark on the city in recent years with its chef raising the bar in Perth. The accomplished and creative cuisine is based on high quality Australian produce from Angus Bay beef to Bremer Bay abalone, and while the food is very elegant the service is informal, warm and welcoming.

118 Rockeby Road, Subiaco
Tel: (08) 9388 3077.
Website: www.bistrofelix.com.au
Price: $$$
Star Anise
Considered to be one of Perth's finest restaurants, Star Anise at Shenton Park is a contemporary fine dining spot that serves up some of the most delicious and most creative modern Australian cuisine in the city, with a strong Asian influence. The emphasis is firmly on top quality ingredients and on imaginative cooking with the utmost attention to detail. It has an intimate atmosphere and the wine list is excellent.

225 Onslow Road, Shenton Park
Tel: (08) 9381 9811.
Website: www.staraniserestaurant.com.au
Price: $$$

Business

Fraser's
Situated in Kings Park and offering panoramic views of the city and the Swan River, the elegant Fraser's is one of Perth's best restaurants - the kind of special occasion place booked for marriage proposals, wedding anniversaries and other celebrations. The superb cuisine is focused on fresh local produce with an emphasis on excellent Australian seafood, and there's an impressive Australian-driven wine list too. During the summer, book a table on the terrace.

Fraser Avenue, Kings Park
Tel: (08) 9481 7100.
Website: www.frasersrestaurant.com.au
Price: $$$$
Zafferano
Not only does Zafferano have the most exquisite views of the Swan river of any restaurant in the city, but this award-winning restaurant owned by Perth entrepreneur Albasio La Pegna (originally from the Amalfi Coast in Italy) is a local favorite, serving up some of the finest quality seafood in town. Book a table as close to the water as you can and ask the waiter for recommendations - opt for whatever has come off the boats that day.

173 Mounts Bay Road, Old Swan Brewery
Tel: (08) 9321 2588.
Website: www.zafferano.com.au
Price: $$$

Trendy

Little Chutney's
This chic Indian eatery is not only one of Perth's hippest dining spots, it also serves up some of the most delicious Indian food in the city. With its glam lampshades, textured wallpaper, and funky seats, the atmosphere is decidedly cool. However, the fiery Indian cuisine certainly heats things up - expect contemporary Indian fusion dishes to appear on the menu alongside classics. If you can't get in here, try their sister eatery, Chutney Mary's next door.

71-75 Rockeby Road, Subiaco
Tel: (08) 9381 7755.
Website: www.littlechutneys.com.au
Price: $$
Must Wine Bar
Drag yourself off the comfy ottomans in the bar (as hard as it is to leave those freshly shucked oysters, charcuterie plates, home-made chicken liver parfait, and dozens of brilliant Western Australian wines by the glass) and head into this Parisian-style bistro where the French provincial-influenced cuisine (with a twist!) is based on fresh seasonal products and local inspirations. Expect to see anything on the menu from twice baked Rock Lobster Soufflé served with a sorrel and vermouth beurre blanc to Five Spiced Duck Breast and Confit with a grape and radicchio salad. The room buzzes with the chatter of locals, making for a fun night out with friends.

519 Beaufort St, Highgate
Tel: (08) 9328 8255.
Website: www.must.com.au
Price: $$

Budget

Cicerello's Seafood Restaurant
Fish and chip shops and seafood restaurants are plentiful in the Perth area, and the oldest (and one of the best) is Cicerello's in Fremantle. Located among half a dozen seafood eateries on the boardwalk at Fisherman's Wharf, Fremantle's fishing harbor, this enormous family restaurant dishes up good fresh seafood including oysters, mussels, crabs and crayfish. Snag a waterside seat out front.

44 Mews Road, Fishermans Wharf, Fremantle
Tel: (08) 9335 1911.
Website: www.cicerellos.com.au
Price: $
Maya
Located on Fremantle's bustling main street, and set across two elegant contemporary rooms in a heritage-listed building, Maya is one of Perth's best Indian restaurants. The menu features a tight list of traditional Indian dishes. The mixed appetizer plates are a terrific way to try a bit of everything, but portions are tiny compared to the average Indian restaurant. Unfortunately, service is consistently bad, the only let-down.

75-77 Market Street, Fremantle
Tel: (08) 9335 2796.
Website: www.mayarestaurant.com.au
Price: $$
Rialtos
There is a long list of classic Italian dishes on the menu at this traditional Italian ristorante served up in an environment that is as warm and friendly as the hearty Italian cuisine on offer. The wine list consists of Australasian, French and Italian wines (many available by the glass).

424 Hay Street, Subiaco
Tel: (08) 9382 3292.
Website: www.rialitos.com.au
Price: $$

Personal Recommendations

Duendé
This may be Perth's best Spanish restaurant, but this is no typical tapas bar. While the menu features some traditional dishes, the standouts are the more contemporary tapas dishes that play with the classics, combining quality local and Spanish produce, with the elegant style and flavors of Mod Oz cuisine. There's an impressive wine list too.

662 Newcastle Street, Leederville
Tel: (08) 9228 0123.
Website: www.duendetapasbar.com.au
Price: $$
Friends Restaurant
Friends Restaurant offers up views of the Swan River and parkland and a theatrical setting that compliments the dramatic cuisine as much as the live acts on stage. The cuisine is modern Australian based on French technique so dishes are on the heavy side.

Hyatt Center, 20 Terrace Road, East Perth
Tel: (08) 9221 0885.
Website: www.friendsrestaurant.com.au
Price: $$$
Lamonts
A local institution, Kate Lamont's restaurant is considered to be one of the city's best. While foreign products are imported when there is nothing to compare locally (Parma Ham can't be beat obviously), the focus is on uncomplicated cuisine that is impeccably executed using the finest quality local produce, from Exmouth prawns to Swan Valley marron. The wine list features splendid Western Australian wines too. 

11 Brown Street, East Perth
Tel: (08) 9202 1566.
Website: www.lamonts.com.au
Price: $$$
The Loose Box
Located at Mundaring, some 25 minutes from Perth CBD, The Loose Box is a bit of a local institution, having served some of the best French cuisine in Perth for decades. Housed in a beautifully restored Federation cottage, the restaurant continues to offer its guests essential and unforgettable dining experiences.

6825 Great Eastern Highway, Mundaring
Tel: (08) 9295 1787.
Website: www.loosebox.com.au
Price: $$$$



Nightlife:

From Thursday to Saturday, there is no shortage of nightspots to visit in Perth - although occasionally it can seem as if there are more venues than punters. The most popular dance clubs are concentrated in Northbridge, Subiaco and Fremantle, friendlier epicenters for the over-30 crowd. Perth is home to a healthy indie rock scene and the 'craic' is good at several Irish pubs.

Some venues demand a smart standard of dress (which means no thongs (flip flops), vest-tops or shorts - the Aussie male uniform) and some have a cover charge. Pubs tend to be licensed from Monday to Thursday 1000-2400, Friday and Saturday 1000-0100 and Sunday 1200-2200. Bars and nightclubs keep later hours and are licensed for the entire time that they are open. Most clubs stay open until 0500 or later/earlier on Friday and Saturday. The minimum legal drinking age is 18 years.

Free entertainment weekly XPress (www.xpressmag.com.au) is the best resource when planning a night on the town, while Teknoscape (www.teknoscape.com.au) is a useful clubbing guide.

Bars: Lounge bars, where the emphasis is on sipping wine or cocktails from comfy sofas, abound in Perth. Hip venues include Base, corner of Lake and James Street and Must Winebar, 519 Beaufort Street, which has a chic atmosphere, a comprehensive wine list, great cocktails and smooth grooves. Luxe Bar, 446 Beaufort Street, Mt Lawley, is another cool, happening place. The polished wooden floorboards of the Varga Lounge, 169 James Street, Northbridge, continue to attract sophisticated drinkers, while The Moon & Sixpence British Pub, Murray Street, is a kitsch but popular hangout serving a wide range of Australian and international beers. The Duxton Bar, 1 St George's Terrace, offers civilised surroundings for a quiet cocktail. Sapphire Bar, 298 Hay Street, Subiaco, is a swinging place with hip DJs and a sophisticated clientele. A crawl of Fremantle pub bars, such as The Bog, 189 High Street, and Benny's, 10 South Terrace, is de rigueur when visiting this port town.

Clubs: In an effort to please everyone, Perth's nightlife consists of a number of entertainment complexes combining discos, bars and live music venues. The Globe, 393 Murray Street, unites a pumping techno area with a late-night bar featuring live bands. The Deen, 84 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge, boasts no less than six zones and four DJs, every night except Monday. When not featuring excellent local and international touring bands, Metropolis Fremantle, 58 South Terrace (www.metropolisfremantle.com.au), is a multi-level dance club. Rise, corner of Lake Street and James Street, Northbridge (www.rise.net.au), is serious about dancing, with a massive dancefloor and state-of-the-art sound system. But gay perennial Connections, 81 James Street, Northbridge (opened in 1972) still offers the best music and light shows in town and everyone, no matter what their orientation, seems to end up here.

Comedy: Perth has nurtured some of Australia's finest comedians. The famous Brass Monkey pub, 209 William Street, Northbridge (www.thebrassmonkey.com.au), is a Perth institution with handcrafted beers, food, music - and comedy on Wednesday nights. The Lounge Bar at the Hyde Park Hotel, corner of Bulwer Street and Fitzgerald Street, features comedy on Thursday nights. The Fremantle Hotel, corner of High Street and Cliff Street, is the venue for stand-up every Friday. Burswood Casino, Great Eastern Highway (www.burswood.com.au), hosts international touring acts.

Live Music: The Universal Bar, 221 William Street, Northbridge (www.universalbar.com.au), has live soul, funk or rock every night, as well as a suitably cool ambience. The Subiaco Hotel, 465 Hay Street (www.subiacohotel.com.au), hosts jazz on Wednesday and Saturday night; patrons can listen while enjoying bistro meals. The American-themed Mustang Bar, 46 Lake Street, Northbridge (www.mustangbar.com.au), offers country and western, rockabilly and big-band swing. There are frequent rock and pop gigs at Freo's Orient Hotel, 39 High Street, and Mojo's Bar, 237 Queen Victoria Street. Major rock groups and blockbuster shows are more likely to play at the Burswood Theater or at the Burswood Dome (www.burswood.com.au).

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