Yes! We have found a restaurant with waitstaff that can keep up with the humour and wit of my Mum! The restaurant manager mentions “Jesse will be with you shortly” and the first thing Jesse hears is something to do with the song “Jesse’s girl” care of Mum, followed up with my lack of singing ability when trying to explain what she is talking about. In the first few moments we know we have the right place.
Mum is in her element when we add terrific guidance on the geographical and varietal diversity of the wine list, some natural oysters from Smoky Bay in South Australia (that are perfect), and a fun family catch up along with Catherine and my Aunty Sher. As usual we are deep in conversation for the entire meal, but occasionally that conversation is broken by a comprehensive enjoyment of the food and wine.
Roasted beetroot
Shadow Wine Bar has now “been around”, especially for a restaurant and bar in the Perth market that can be as trendy, as it is fickle, and often unapologetically challenging to remain relevant. I had been here for a drink, but never for dinner, but it did remain on my list. Maybe such a delay in dining here meant I had lesser expectations? Those expectations don’t matter, because even if they were loftier, they would have been exceeded tonight.
Meatball
On top of those perfect oysters, across the table we tried the cheese puff, and the meatball, plus the roasted beetroot with barley. They were all good to great. The beetroot was soft and sweet from the roasting, but the barley added strong texture, and the yoghurt was just right to add some creaminess.
Spaghettini with crab
For mains, Sher and I both chose the spaghettini with crab, capers, lemon, and a light dose of chilli. The surprise was homemade spaghettini which is difficult to achieve with the right firmness, but this pasta was excellent without being absolutely perfect. The sauce made good use of all the ingredients in balanced proportions, though you can never have too much crab.
Gnocchi with tomato and eggplant
Catherine loved her gnocchi with a tomato and eggplant sauce. I tried it and thought it to be the equal of my pasta. Mum’s agnolotti lived up to her expectations too.
For dessert we shared the tiramisu and the pear tarte tatin. The latter was the better dessert by far. While the tiramisu was nice enough, it was more cake-y than usual, and missed the high notes. The pear tarte tatin was strongly executed, with crisp pastry.
Pear tarte tatin
Shadow Wine Bar impressed on all levels. While it is equally adept for a casual wine catch up, the dining version is now my favoured scenario. And Mum will definitely be back for some more oysters!
Idyllic sums up the scene at Canteen Pizza. Across the road from my favourite beach in the world, this addition to the Cottesloe strip is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Salame
Tonight is Christmas Eve and the Freo Doctor is only lightly wafting through the expansive open windows of this corner block. Transformed into a vibrant restaurant in an enviable position, the lessons learned from Il Lido down the road are everywhere.
There is the excellent translation of beachside casual comfort, a natural link between the feel across the road into the restaurant. You can be quite comfortable in boardies and thongs, but won’t feel out of place in jeans and a shirt too. There is the focus on the product offered, and plenty of well trained staff enjoying being part of something new and a little bit different.
Bufala
Before sunset it can be very bright in the restaurant, meaning there are lots of people in sunglasses looking like they might just as well be poolside in Italy. Not many meals offer sunset as a complimentary side and we are pleased to accept, along with a couple of pizzas, a baby cos salad, and a few choice summer beverages.
Both the Bufala and Salame pizzas are excellent. That traditional Italian thin crust that wasn’t heard of during my childhood, provides a crisp base that has been pulled from the oven just at the right time, before crispiness turns into charcoal. The San Marzano tomato base is fresh and properly seasoned, and all the various ingredients on both pizzas are classically combined. The only improvement would be a bit more topping near the crust.
Baby cos salad
The baby cos salad is simply served in collections of full leaves, dressed with vino cotto (sweet and balsamic like) with parmesan scattered in between. To wash it all down I try both the WA brewed Gage Roads Single Fin, and the Victorian craft Stomping Ground Pale Ale from Collingwood, with the latter my preference. Really I should have done the Italian thing with an Aperol Spritz like Catherine did!
As we walk out of Canteen Pizza packing a couple of delicious Sicilian cannoli for later, the night sky is taking over. This is a fabulous addition to the dining scene in Cottesloe, with reasonable prices making it a regular proposition for locals, and large gatherings.
Thank you for visiting my independent website that focusses on the best restaurants Melbourne, surrounds, and other destinations have to offer! Please add your email to receive new reviews (around one per month) or subscribe through WordPress.
Yes! We have found a restaurant with waitstaff that can keep up with the humour and wit of my Mum! The restaurant manager mentions “Jesse will be with you shortly” and the first thing Jesse hears is something to do with the song “Jesse’s girl” care of Mum, followed up with my lack of singing ability when trying to explain what she is talking about. In the first few moments we know we have the right place.
Mum is in her element when we add terrific guidance on the geographical and varietal diversity of the wine list, some natural oysters from Smoky Bay in South Australia (that are perfect), and a fun family catch up along with Catherine and my Aunty Sher. As usual we are deep in conversation for the entire meal, but occasionally that conversation is broken by a comprehensive enjoyment of the food and wine.
For dessert we shared the tiramisu and the pear tarte tatin. The latter was the better dessert by far. While the tiramisu was nice enough, it was more cake-y than usual, and missed the high notes. The pear tarte tatin was strongly executed, with crisp pastry.
