The Brisbane Hotel

LOCATION
Located in Highgate.

AWARDS
In 2006, The Brisbane was awarded Hotel of the Year at the national Bartender Awards.

CUISINE
The Brisbane Hotel is not only a great watering hole, it is also a Mecca for blow-your-mind cuisine. Pub grub has been taken to a new level with fresh modern fare made with love and passion by chefs who know their produce. Starters are the perfect size for sharing but substantial enough if you can’t bear to part with your selection. The salt and pepper squid with aioli and tomato and basil arancini are packed with flavour and freshness, matching effortlessly with a glass of Asahi beer (on tap). A range of pizzas with fresh, simple toppings are extremely popular, as is the must-try linguine with prawns, chilli and garlic. Tuesday night throughout summer is “Risotto and Red” night showcasing a weekly-changing risotto and a glass of Brisbane red or white. You won’t stop at one visit.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Always a sucker for a luxurious long lunch in comfortable surroundings, The Brisbane Hotel has to be one of my all-time favourite venues in Perth. Located on the corner of Beaufort and Brisbane Streets just five minutes from the city, the original structure (built in 1898) has since been vamped up to become one of Perth’s sexiest local pubs. An unrivalled terraced beer garden with date palms, flame trees and a tranquil water feature, provides the perfect spot for lazy lunches in the sun, while the interior boasts a handful of equally sublime areas for a few drinks, a bite to eat or a few games of pool. The service at The Brisbane is not what you’d expect for a local pub. Here they smile, they wink and they remember your favourite tipple.

When out-of-towners ask me where they should eat, I’ll always suggest The Brisbane for great food in a relaxed atmosphere. On the subject of food, I must admit I’m a sucker for the salt and pepper squid with lemon aioli followed by the linguini with prawns, chilli and garlic. I’m yet to try squid this tender and rocket this fresh anywhere else in Perth. Every now and then I will stray from my comfort zone and try something different on the menu, such as the hand-made gnocchi with porcini cream and sauteed mushrooms, or the man-sized grain-fed scotch fillet with fries and bearnaise sauce. And, if I haven’t already popped the top button of my jeans, I love nothing more than ending the meal with the Spanish doughnuts with vanilla angliase and chocolate sauce. Now will you please excuse me… I’ve got a table booked for 8pm and I’m not about to give it up.

Karen Bilsby