Gusto - Firing up Oxford St

The owners of Leederville’s newest eatery are hoping to extend the popular Oxford Street cafe strip beyond a block either side of the Oxford and Vincent streets intersection.

Located next to the Re Store at 229 Oxford Street, Matches Café is owned by Betty George and Louise Grace. Ms George said the pair selected the site because it had a “cottage’’ feel to it.

“We’re the only place in Leederville that has proper alfresco dining; we have an outdoor garden area here,” she says.

The site, which formerly housed offices, has been operating Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30am to 5.30pm for the past nine weeks.

Ms George says the opening hours will more than likely be extended as summer approaches. 

The venue C Restaurant now occupies (Level 33 St Martins Tower) has been a place to enjoy a meal while taking in the 360-degree views of Perth with afternoon sunshine, sunsets, and the night sky. But soaking in the morning sunlight has never been an option. C Restaurant managing director Phil Clements says that, since the restaurant opened in 1978, it has never been open for breakfast. Well, that was until this August.

“We’ve had a lot of inquiries from people about breakfasts,” he says.

“We’re going to offer fully plated breakfasts right down to coffee and muffins and everything in between.”

C Restaurant will open for breakfast from August 2 and will continue to serve brekkie from 7am to 10am Monday to Friday.

The Grand Palace – the popular Chinese restaurant that occupied the former Commercial Travellers Association building for more than two decades – appears to have found a new home.

The owners, Fai and Wenny Wang, had to vacate their tenancy last year to make way for an office tower development on the site and, at the time, said they would re-open at another city location.

Gusto has noticed quite a bit of work taking place opposite Balthazar Restaurant on The Esplanade. Renovation work is under way at the building that has been a day care centre, a nightclub, and an old tennis club.

Signage on the site says ‘Grand Palace opening soon’.

A similar fate was brought upon another Commercial Travellers Association restaurant tenant. Annalakshmi closed but also found a new site, and has opened not far from the new Grand Palace development at Barrack St Jetty.

The executive chef and partner of renowned Brisbane restaurant, Restaurant II, David Pugh, is headed for Perth. He will be the guest chef at Clairault’s Margaret River vineyard on August 14, where he will be cooking an eight-course degustation menu.

Mr Pugh owns Restaurant II with Michael Conrad and it has received some of Australia’s finest culinary accolades. Among its gongs are: the highest star rating (three stars) in the Australian Gourmet Traveller; Restaurant and Catering Australia Brisbane Restaurant of the Year Award; Restaurant & Catering Australia Best Modern Australian Award; and Australian Restaurant & Catering Best Fine Dining Award.

If a long night of good food set in a Margaret River winery sounds like something not to be missed, book through Clairault Wines. Bookings close on August 8. Mr Pugh’s food will be matched with wines from the Clairault Estate range.