You’d be hard-pressed to find a more unerring celebration of Western Australia than Hearth Restaurant. Almost all the food and wine is local, with bare marble tables and refined décor framing front-row views of Elizabeth Quay. The focus here might be open-flame cooking, but generous flavours and a deftness of touch put paid to any thoughts of caveman cooking. Two fat tentacles of Abrolhos Islands octopus arrive tender and deeply charred, while dry-aged Wagin duck with smoked duck ham and grilled lettuce gets a tangy kick from rosella jam. Dellendale Creamery camembert ice-cream settles the eternal dessert-or-cheese conundrum, with little jubes of tart strawberry jelly, grilled strawberries and toasted sandalwood nuts. On a sunny day, a long lunch here is a very fine thing indeed. Charming Hearth Lounge, meanwhile, works a treat for an apéritif, nightcap or – on another occasion – standalone dining.
This review was made independently for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. The guide’s reviewers visit unannounced and pay their way. To learn more about the process, click here.
Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide 2023
Our guide gives a yearly snapshot of the best restaurants to eat at right now. The best-rated restaurants, as judged by the reviewers’ first-hand experience, form our national Top 82.
