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Balthazar

Believe the whispers – this money-crowd favourite is back. Sparse menu descriptions hint little at the pleasures that await, but the lemon, pepper and Tabasco “caviar” spooned onto plump oysters suggests power-lunching of a higher order. Pork belly gets similarly reinvented, a cube of tender pig coated in chilli caramel and paired with wakame salad and a single char-grilled prawn. Mains follow a similar thread. Braised, pressed into a mould and cut into squares, beef cheeks take on uncharacteristic elegance, while the accompanying miso-filled fried wonton reveals a playful touch. Whether you finish with a chocolate fondant or something more adventurous – liquorice and black garlic ice-cream, say – desserts are worth rescheduling meetings for. Wine remains integral to the Balthazar experience, while service under Patrick Ryan is slick and fluid. Perth, the clubhouse is open. Again.