Tag Archives:

Tag Archives:

You are here: Home » Posts tagged "Stables Bar"

Our Eat Drink Perth Do-It-Yourself Roving Lunch

Posted by  | Categories: Bars, European, Featured, Food and Wine Festivals, Modern Australian, Perth, Restaurants, Wine Bar

There are so many fantastic foodie events on around the City of Perth for the month of April as part of their Eat Drink Perth Festival. Many of the degustations and roving dinners start at over $150 per person and some are up over $200. For those that have money to burn on these events I can highly recommend heading to a few as they are well worth the expense. However I realise that this is not possible for everyone’s budget so I have tried to recreate the roving dinner experience using a collection of vouchers from the Eat Drink Perth Passport. The Eat Drink Perth Passport is a booklet containing a number of discount vouchers for use at venues located around the City.

My dear friend Tara and I managed to enjoy an extended four course lunch covering four different locations in the city for the grand total of $164.50 for two people including drinks. Yes, that is for two people! It works out to be close to half the price of the ticketed events. We called it our “DIY Roving Lunch” and I can highly recommend giving the concept a go before the Passport vouchers run out at the end of the month.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Our beautiful city; Perth

To set myself in the mood and to give me the freedom to enjoy a few drinks I decided to walk into the city from my house in Vic Park. It works out to be about a 90 minute stroll which ordinarily wouldn’t have been a problem however I foolishly didn’t check the forecast before heading out on foot. By the time I was halfway there I was sweltering. At this point I checked my phone to see that the day was well on its way to hitting a maximum of about 35 C.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

The Terrace Hotel

By the time I arrived at our first checkpoint The Terrace Hotel, my face was as red as a beetroot and in no way was I looking glamorous enough for a ladies lunch. The Terrace was nearly fully booked and I was lucky to get us a table.

"gluten free bread" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Complementary gluten free bread

Within minutes of being seated we were given some complimentary bread; normal baguette for Tara and gluten free toasted bread for myself. We both ordered a glass of Madame Coco sparkling wine from the Aude Valley in France ($11 each).

"Seared scallops" "cauliflower" "pressed pork" "capers" "watercress" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Seared scallops, cauliflower, pressed pork, capers and watercress ($23, GF)

Our voucher for The Terrace Hotel allowed us to buy one main meal off the à la carte menu and get the second one for free. We weren’t ready to launch into a main course immediately so we started with an entrée to share while we enjoyed our complimentary bread. The menu has a number of dishes marked gluten free however our waitress told us some of the other dishes can also be adapted.

"Seared scallops" "cauliflower" "pressed pork" "capers" "watercress" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Seared scallops, cauliflower, pressed pork, capers and watercress ($23, GF)

We started with the seared scallops on a disc of richly flavoured Linley Valley pressed pork and scattered with capers and watercress. I was informed that the watercress is hand-picked from the chef’s own garden! On reflection at the end of the day, this scallop dish ended up being the highlight for both of us. The blend of soft scallop, creamy cauliflower purée, salty pork and peppery watercress balanced beautifully and it was presented immaculately. Each scallop was fresh, plump and tender and required very little effort to chew.

"Barramundi" "saffron poached prawns" "charred corn" "baby octopus" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Cone Bay Barramundi, saffron poached prawns, charred corn and baby octopus salad ($40, adapted GF)

A number of the mains could be adapted to be gluten free however I wanted to choose the dish that required minimal alterations. Our waitress recommended the Cone Bay barramundi served with crispy skin and grilled to a buttery soft texture. Having first tried this top class barramundi at Eat Drink Perth’s launch party I knew I was in for  special treat. The flesh is quite unlike your standard barramundi, with a soft clean finish.

"Barramundi" "saffron poached prawns" "charred corn" "baby octopus" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Saffron poached prawns, charred corn and baby octopus salad served with barramundi ($40, adapted GF)

The side dish that accompanied my fish included a baby Exmouth octopus and fennel salad, a half-cob of charred corn and a saffron poached prawn. An interesting combination but it worked. Being the WA Signature Dish official blogger for the Gascoyne region I felt proud to do my duty and have ingredients in my dish that came from the North West of our State.

"Amelia Park beef" "porcini" "Amelia Park" "beef cheek" "porcini gnocchi" "spinach" "sautéed mushrooms" "roast garlic" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Amelia Park beef cheek, porcini gnocchi, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, roast garlic (normally $36, but was free with the voucher)

Tara ordered the Amelia Park beef cheek. A thick nub of meat that had been slow cooked for 12 hours to the point it literally disintegrated under her fork. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed my fish I cannot deny I was in envy of that luscious looking chunk of beef.

"Amelia Park beef" "porcini" "Amelia Park" "beef cheek" "porcini gnocchi" "spinach" "sautéed mushrooms" "roast garlic" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Amelia Park beef cheek, porcini gnocchi, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, roast garlic (normally $36, but was free with the voucher)

Her beef was served with some porcini gnocchi that were curiously deep-fried. Tara described them as a crispy skinned, porcini potato croquette and despite not being a traditional way to serve gnocchi she still enjoyed them. To add to more lovely earthy mushroominess, the gnocchi sat on a bed of sautéed oyster, Portebello and button mushrooms.

"Amelia Park beef" "porcini" "Amelia Park" "beef cheek" "porcini gnocchi" "spinach" "sautéed mushrooms" "roast garlic" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Amelia Park beef cheek, porcini gnocchi, spinach, sautéed mushrooms, roast garlic (normally $36, but was free with the voucher)

Despite a very attractive looking dessert menu at The Terrace, we paid our bill and moved onto our next venue; Cheeky Sparrow in Wolf Lane. Wolf Lane has come alive over the past twelve months with a number of great little eateries well worth checking out. I love the feel of being tucked away down a little laneway, it brings up memories of our time living in London where around every nook and cranny you find activity and life.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

"WA cheeseboard" "cheese" "western australian cheese" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

WA cheeseboard

Cheeky Sparrow’s Eat Drink Perth Passport voucher offers a WA cheeseboard paired with a bottle of either Xabregas Sauvignon Blanc or Shiraz for a total of $55. They have gluten free bread available too. The platter contained three Australian cheeses; Tarago River Shadows of Blue, Woodside Charleston Jersey Brie and Old Telegraph Road Mt Baw Baw Gouda.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Alongside the cheese was some Cabernet paste, an oozylicious hunk of raw honeycomb and a very generous mound of toasted gluten free bread. For those with fructose malabsorption, please avoid eating the amazing looking raw honey comb. We are not supposed to eat honey as it is high in fructose.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Our third stop was The Stables Bar for dessert. They offer a dessert tasting platter with the chef’s selection of three desserts for $18. This platter can be adapted to be gluten free.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

The first dessert was a deconstructed wagon wheel with a combination of marshmallow, rich dark chocolate ice cream and a sweet raspberry sorbet.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

The second component was an Eton mess with tumbles of fresh peaches and plums with meringue and apricot crisps.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

The third element was a fluffy light passionfruit and cardamom cream mousse served with passionfruit jelly and a cup of pistachio mango lassi. The lassi was a little overly sour for my liking but I realise that is how they are meant to taste. I only had a small sip anyway as I cannot tolerate mango due to fructose. It was served with a gluten free hazelnut and pistachio biscotti.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "Perth food blog" "Perth restaurants" "Perth gluten free" "Perth fructose friendly" "Perth food reviews" "restaurants perth" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "food photos" "gluten free" "fructose friendly" "gluten free cooking" "gluten free recipes" "fructose friendly recipes" "gluten free raw food" "fructose friendly raw food" "food event" "West Australia food festival" "launch event" "food festival" "wine festival" "Perth food festival" "eat drink Perth" "eat drink perth 2014" "top ten" "City of Perth" "Perth city" "Terrace Hotel" "The Terrace Hotel" "Terrace Perth" "Roving lunch" "roving diner" "Passport" "vouchers" "Cheeky Sparrow" "Jean Pierre Sancho" "Stables bar" "The Stables perth" "gluten free roving dinner"

Our final stop was for petit fours in the form of a macaron. Jean Pierre Sancho have a buy one get one free voucher in the Passport for their popcorn macaron flavour. With subtle hints of popcorn and a sweet macaron finish this was the perfect finale I needed before braving the sun for the long, slow walk home. By the time I hit the South Perth foreshore I gave up and was thankful that my loving husband empathised and came to pick me up to drive me the rest of the way home.

For our DIY Roving Lunch we used the following Eat Drink Perth Passport vouchers:
The Terrace Hotel: Buy one main meal and get one main meal free from the a la carte menu for lunch or dinner.
Cheeky Sparrow: WA Cheese platter and bottle of Xabregas wine for $55, gluten free bread on request.
The Stables Bar: Dessert tasting platter for $18, gluten free option available on request.
Jean Pierre Sancho: Buy one popcorn macaron get one free for $2.50.
 
Disclaimer: This roving lunch was funded for by the City of Perth as part of the Eat Drink Perth festival. The individual venues did not receive advance notice of my arrival. 
 
Eat Drink Perth is celebrating its 10th year and runs for the whole month of April 2014. For more information head to the Eat Drink Perth website.
 
 
The Terrace Hotel
237 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000 | (08) 9214 4444 | www.terracehotelperth.com.au
The Terrace Hotel on Urbanspoon 
 
Cheeky Sparrow
1/317 Murray St, Perth WA 6000 (entry off Wolf Lane) | 0405 550 286 | www.cheekysparrow.com.au

Cheeky Sparrow on Urbanspoon

 
The Stables Bar
888 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000 | (08) 6314 1300 | www.thestablesbar.com.au
The Stables Bar on Urbanspoon 
 
Jean Pierre Sancho
878 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000 | (08) 6181 1904 | www.jpsancho.com.au
 Jean Pierre Sancho on Urbanspoon

The Stables Bar, Perth CBD

Posted by  | Categories: Bars, European, Featured, Modern Australian, Perth, Restaurants, Wine Bar

Our main wholesaler we use at work wanted to do something interesting as a thank you to their valued clients and so they organised a night out to see Cirque de Soleil’s latest touring production Ovo. Our practice was lucky enough, or should I say valued enough, to receive four tickets. Having never been to see this internationally famous Show I was the first one to put up my hand to go. It seems that everyone who wanted to go  already had their own tickets and those who didn’t have a ticket weren’t that keen. Although we are now creeping into June, on the afternoon of the show the sun was shining defiantly outside like a Spring Day and so the Boy suggested we walk into the city and stop somewhere earlier for dinner.  I jumped at the opportunity to work on reducing my restaurant wish list which is currently longer than my arm.  Near the top of my list was The Stables Bar in the CBD a convenient ten minute walk from the circus’s marquee.

I am known by my close friends as a planning freak and I love to be prepared. Although it was a warm day, I anticipated a chilly night knowing that Cirque de Soleil’s marquee is on the Esplanade; a potentially windy spot. In addition to needed some warmth, we were looking at a 14 km round trip on foot and strutting that distance in my high heels would not be realistic. Proud of my organisational skills in addition to my handbag I packed an extra bag filled with a scarf, high heels, my extra camera lens and a wool jacket.   Sliding into my sneakers the Boy looked at me with an astonished look on his face and said: “You’re seriously not going to carry all that around all night?” I retorted “Of course!” and we headed out the front door and into the sunshine.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

I can almost imagine the horses clipping clopping down here.

By the time we arrived at the Stables Bar one hour later, I had definitely lost some of the bounce in my stride. I felt a bit lopsided from carrying the heavy bags but strangely satisfied that I had a good workout! Now I could eat a decent meal without the guilt of overindulgence. Bring it!

"cocktails" "drinks" "alcohol" "beer" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Time for a thirst quencher.

In order to make it to our 8 o’clock show we had an early dinner booking and when we arrived there was only one other couple dining.  Parched and hungry, we quickly ordered our drinks and scanned the menu. The wait staff were all super friendly and enthusiastic such that we were approached by each of the five of them asking for our drinks and food orders. It’s certainly better to be too attentive then to leave a customer waiting but some communication between the team wouldn’t hurt either.

"prawns" "Crispy school prawns" "chipotle mayonnaise" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Crispy school prawns, chipotle mayonnaise

The crispy school prawns were far too moreish and I could have easily crunched my way through a second bowl.  The Boy explained to me that they tasted very similar to the fried insects he ate in Thailand.  If that is the case, maybe I could be enticed on our next visit to try them? Hmmm, maybe. The chipotle mayonnaise balanced the saltiness of the prawns but I would have preferred a touch more spiciness.

"croquettes" "Zucchini pea mint croquette" "cardamom yoghurt" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Zucchini, pea mint croquettes, cardamom yoghurt

The zucchini croquettes were gluten free and having a one track mind on anything remotely Spanish with my impending trip next month I simply had to order them.  A thin shell of crispiness enveloped their soft interior to expose very subtle and gentle flavours.  I almost felt they could do which a dash more seasoning. The cardamom flavouring in the yoghurt was also very subtle. Nevertheless they were still a tasty treat as they were.

"anchovies" "egg" "Nicoise salad" "Rankin Cod" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Nicoise salad with flaked Rankin Cod

The Boy has recently been contemplating giving up eating meat based on ethical, environmental and health reasons.  As easy as this may be for some, it is a big step for someone whose previous diet, like many men in our country, was very meat focused. His half way step has been to become a pescatarian. When the waitress came to the table with our meals a steak and a Niçoise salad, she presumed the salad was for me and gave us a bit of a high brow look as we advised her that the orders were in fact the opposite way round. His Niçoise salad was made with flaked Rankin cod, steamed green beans, hard-boiled eggs and white anchovies. All the ingredients were brightly colours and fresh and although being a small serve for a main it was decently priced at $26.

"Blackwood Valley Beef" "organic" "minute steak" "roast tomatoes" "horse radish" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Blackwood Valley Beef organic minute steak, roast tomatoes, horse radish

Being someone that commonly suffered from iron deficiency anaemia, in part due to my gluten issues and worsened by my infrequent ingestion of red meat I decided to have the first steak I have had in a long while. The steak was sourced from Blackwood Valley who are well known in WA for their high quality organic beef. Although the minute steak isn’t the softest cut of beef it is certainly very flavoursome and was cooked rare exactly as requested.  The super sweet roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh horseradish added some bite and after a long walk this sat very well in my stomach.

"Chargrilled baby cos lettuce" "goats cheese" "white anchovies" "salad" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Chargrilled baby cos lettuce, goats cheese, white anchovies

The char-grilled baby cos lettuce was a little bland by comparison to my steak and although the dollops of tangy goat cheese and white anchovies helped improve it significantly I still felt like it also needed a little more seasoning. And that is coming from someone who rarely adds salt to her meals.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

I always dreamed I would own a horse someday…

We still had another hour before we had to depart and start walking down to the Esplanade for the show.  As is often the case when we are out for dinner, it was an arm twisting event getting the Boy to agree on dessert and my requests for dessert and cheese were met with a decisive “No!”  He knows from years of experience that I always have eyes bigger than my stomach and once I have a few drinks in me I tend to just keep ordering food until we nearly explode.

"Poached Peach Melba" "vanilla pannacotta" "dessert" "pannacotta" "peach" "Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Poached Peach Melba, vanilla pannacotta

The poached peach Melba and vanilla pannacotta came highly recommended by one of our wait staff.  She was right on the money with this one and once again for someone who didn’t want dessert the Boy helped me finish it matching me spoon for spoon.  It was served in a cute jam jar reminiscent of our recent Watermelon Foam dessert at the Greenhouse. A definite winner. Our dessert was obviously too good because we scoffed it down in record time leaving us with another 45 minutes to spare.  As we ordered a final round of drinks I was surprised that I successfully persuaded the Boy to share a cheese platter. Up until this point everything we had order was requested gluten free but I forgot to mention it to our server again when I ordered the cheese platter.

"Perth Restaurant Reviews" "food photos" "Perth food blog" "food blog" "Chompchomp" "Gluten free" "Fructose malabsorption" "Perth bars" "Perth restaurants" "Perth food reviews" "Perth pubs" "Stables bar" "the stables bar" "hay street" "Perth CBD" "pub dining" "small bars"

Cheese platter: Deuce De Bourgogne (front), Forme d’Ambert (centre), Capricorna (top)

It came out with a scrumptious looking assortment of crackers and breads which were obviously not gluten free. I called the waiter over who confirmed this to me and within minutes the platter returned without any crackers at all. Such a shame as each cheese was just the right temperature for serving making them fragrant and soft. The well thought out selection included Fourme d’Ambert; a mild blue cheese made from cow’s milk from France, Deuce De Bourgogne; a rich and creamy soft French cheese also made from cow’s milk and Capricorn; a hard goat cheese from the UK.  We were advised that the kitchen changes their cheese selections frequently which I quite like the idea of.

The Stables Bar is a stunning location in the heart of the city with a range a decently priced pub meals. It is another great addition to the increasing number of prime venues dotted around the city and definitely worth a visit for a few rounds of drinks or a meal.

The Stables Bar
888 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000 | (08) 6314 1300 | www.thestablesbar.com.au
Price:                     $$          
Food:                    3.5/5 (small menu with some interesting dishes)
Service:                2.5/5 (some teething problems with communication which should be easy to iron out)
Ambience:          3.5/5 (awesome fit out of some old stables originally built in the late 1800s)
Drinks:                  3.5/5 (lots of creative cocktails, will have to come back and try a few more)
Total:                     13/20

The Stables Bar on Urbanspoon