LOCATIONIn Victoria Park, just five minutes from Perth city.
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIABuilt long ago during Western Australia’s gold rush era, the Broken Hill Hotel has seen many crowds come and go, but none have been so varied as the clientele it pulls today. After extensive renovations to include a spacious main bar, a well-defined restaurant and lounge area, and an ultra-modern beer garden, the hotel now boasts all the modern trimmings of a sexy venue while retaining its historical charm. Although food may be consumed in most areas of the hotel, the restaurant area is a sleek space to enjoy a meal with that special someone or out-of-town guests. With crisp white linen and polished silverware, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a fine dining restaurant without the pretentiousness.
Many a famed chef has graced the kitchen at Broken Hill Hotel and the current chef is no exception. Starting with a well-stocked grazing menu featuring the likes of grilled haloumi, prosciutto and melon, and yakitori chicken skewers, the list then moves on to entrees, mains and pizzas. The entrees includes a great spread of seafood like the chilli salt calamari and seared scallops with chorizo, while the mains offer a mix of seafood and prime cuts of meat. Steak lovers will adore the Black Angus scotch fillet with roast baby potatoes and green beans or the pork rib eye with a delicious sweet potato rosti, although it is the fish of the day that reigns as best seller here. Not to be forgotten are the delightful pizzas with gourmet toppings such as smoked mussels, prawns and red peppers or pumpkin, pine nut and fetta. It’s pretty obvious the food at Broken Hill Hotel is not your average “pub grub”, but then again, neither is the setting. As the hotel’s catchphrase says, it’s “a place for everyone”. I’ll drink to that!
Karen Bilsby, December 2008