Spoiling the parents at Il Lido Italian Canteen, Cottesloe

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My father-in-law’s birthday falls between Christmas and New Year’s Day making it an occasion that is usually celebrated in a very relaxed style at their home. This year we were unable to attend the family gathering and proposed to take them out for lunch instead with just the four of us. Predictably for the time of year in Perth, the weather was absolutely glorious so I convinced everyone to head to the coast and meet at Il Lido Italian Canteen in Cottesloe.

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The beach in Cottesloe is something to be proud of and in my humble opinion has to be one of the prettiest beaches in our state. The sky was as blue as the clear waters below it and the white expanses of sand were splashed with bright colours of beach towels and bikini clad sunbakers. There are people around the world who pay to go on holiday to be able visit locations like this and here we have it on our back door step. You cannot help but love Perth.

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Il Lido is built in a 1935 heritage building and back in the 1940’s this site housed Lido Cabaret, which was the old-time equivalent to our modern day nightclub. Much of the interior has been kept intact with decorative high ceilings and windows facing out onto the beach. Il Lido has been on my ever growing wishlist of places to eat for some time having already been to both of their sister restaurants Duende and Gordon Street Garage a number of times.

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Most of the small plates were already gluten free or were easily adaptable so we started off with a number of them to share before moving onto something more substantial. I have always been a huge lover of oysters as many of you may have noticed. Despite having tried them prepared countless different ways, until recently my favourite style has be “au natural”. That was until I tried Lalla Rookh’s incredible freshly shucked oysters with cucumber chilli granita. The combination of fresh saltiness and sweet iciness ending in a gentle spicy kick was more than just intriguing.

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Oysters, cucumber lime sorbet ($3.60 each)

So when I saw something that sounded very similar on Il Lido’s menu I got quite excited. I should have however ordered them with no expectations because these oysters came with just a teeny dollop of melted sorbet not a shell full like I was expecting. Although the oysters were delightfully fresh, having such a small amount of sorbet made them lacklustre by comparison.

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Tuna carpaccio, olive, orange, candied chilli ($18)

It must have been the day for carpaccio because I found myself unable to decide between the tuna and the beef. My solution was to simply order one of each. The tuna carpaccio was a complete hit. The dish was literally as pretty as a picture; chewy pieces of candied chilli, torn fresh orange and olives were scattered on top of thinly sliced fish. Each piece of tuna dissolved on the tongue leaving a surprisingly complex array of flavours on the palate.

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Beef carpaccio, capers, truffle sottocenere, horseradish ($18)

The beef carpaccio was just as tender and was served with generous shavings of truffle sottocenere cheese along with lavish smears of horseradish cream. Each mouthful was as soft as silk and resulted in a brief period of silence across the table while we all gustated in pleasure.

I mean, who can say no to truffle cheese?

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Scallop, green bean, cacciatore, crème fraiche GF (crumbs omitted) $20

Our last starter of scallops had to be slightly adapted to be gluten free by omission of the “crumbs”. Plump scallops were hidden under piles of freshly tossed beans and greens.  Whilst not the biggest scallops in town, each mouthful was browned to a warm caramel colour yet remained juicy and soft.

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Lamb cutlets, fig, basil, goats feta, aged balsamic, pine nuts ($26)

My father-in-law ordered himself the lamb cutlets for his celebratory birthday meal. The two meaty lamb chops came with light salad of fresh figs, spinach, basil, goats cheese and pine nuts all tossed enthusiastically to coat each component in tangy, creamy cheesiness.

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Poached chicken, peach, prosciutto, goats cheese, almonds ($24)

My mother-in-law opted for a lighter meal, choosing the poached chicken salad with peaches, prosciutto, almonds and goats cheese. Her plate was piled high and ended up being a bigger serve than she had anticipated. I love how each of their salads came with a mix of seasonal fresh fruit and goats cheese, such a lovely combination to have on a hot summers day.

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Beetroot and goats cheese crespelle, rocket, pear, pesto, walnuts ($23)

The Boy ordered the beetroot and goats cheese crespelle. Crespelle are the Italian equivalent of crepes, can be served as a savoury or sweet dish and are usually made using small sized pancakes folded with a sauce filling. By the time I had taken shots of his parent’s meals he was starting to get impatient giving me not much more than a millisecond to capture its vibrant colours.

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Hickory smoked salmon, avocado, green bean, yoghurt, lemon ($25)

I was in the same boat as my MIL and craved a light and healthy salad. I always eat way too much over Christmas and by the time New Year’s approaches I’m actually ready for a break! I chose the hickory smoked salmon with avocado, green beans and a yoghurt dressing. My helping was also generous with all the ingredients tumbled together evenly. I hate salads where the key ingredients are just dumped on top of the greens; everything needs to be tossed through!

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Crisp potato skins, paprika salt, aioli ($10) & rocket, pear. parmesan salad ($12)

My husband’s family are usually big eaters especially the men. It’s those long Dutch legs that need that extra filling up! I didn’t anticipate our big servings and ordered a couple of sides; crisp potato skins with paprika salt, aioli and a rocket, pear and parmesan salad. The potato skins are worth returning back for. Slightly spicy, super crunchy with just a hint of soft potato flesh these little numbers didn’t last long.

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Pineapple upside down cake, extra virgin ice cream ($15)

There were a couple of dessert choices that were gluten free including the pineapple upside down cake and the flourless chocolate cake. Having four mouths to feed on the table allowed me to order one of each knowing anything I couldn’t eat would still get eaten.

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Pineapple upside down cake, extra virgin ice cream ($15)

The pineapple cake was very moist and accompanied some poached pineapple and extra virgin olive oil ice cream that is made in house. The extra virgin flavour in the ice cream was not too over powering to be unpleasant and gave a pleasant fruity end to the tongue.

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Flourless chocolate cake, honeycomb ice cream ($15)

The Boy gobbled up a substantial part of his cake before I could get a fork in edgewise which generally is a good sign coming from someone who claims to not like desserts. The tall disc of cake came in a puddle of chocolate sauce and honeycomb pieces with honeycomb ice cream. I had a couple of mouthfuls and thought it was a little dry for my liking.

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My MIL & FIL

As both the Boy and I tend to work long hours, it isn’t often that we get to spoil either of our parents and it was totally worth it to see the beaming faces at the end of it all. To help all the food excesses digest we took a relaxing stroll along the coastline together and longed for the day to never end.

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Il Lido was even better than we expected given our excellent experiences at Duende and variable meals at Gordon Street Garage. They have successfully emulated a casual beach side vibe yet serve stunning Italian “peasant” food that left the in-laws very impressed. I can guarantee we will be back.

Il Lido Italian Canteen
88 Marine Parade, Cottesloe, WA 6011 | (08) 9286 1111 | illido.com.au
 
Price:                     $$$ (Entrees $14-20, Mains $28-42)
Food:                    4.5/5 (focuses on simple Italian dishes with local, seasonal produce)
Service:                4/5 (helpful with allergy choices, accommodating with alterations, full of smiles)
Ambience:           3.5/5 (noisy but that is part of the atmosphere, indoor and outdoor options)
Drinks:                  4/5 (comprehensive wine list with many interesting Italian and Aussie options to suit all
                                  prices)
Total:                     16/20
Il Lido Italian Canteen on Urbanspoon

3 thoughts on “Spoiling the parents at Il Lido Italian Canteen, Cottesloe”

  1. I loved this post! The place looks amazing. Will have to see if I can drag the family out of Fremantle for some traditional Italian!

  2. Hehe! I have always sat there for a cuppa while listening to the waves crash! Might be time to eat pasta while doing the same thing. I heard the gnocchi hear is amazing! And definitely the desserts too! They look delicious in your pictures :)!

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