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Balthazar

Faithful to its location in an Art Deco building cheek-by-jowl with Perth’s Stock Exchange, Balthazar is intimate, clubby and best enjoyed when you’re sitting on a thick wallet. True to the clientele, the food tends towards the weighty side, even in summer. Fennel and judicious use of truffle oil add interest to seared scallops but parmesan is an unnecessary addition, and while the individual elements of grilled scampi, confit chicken wing and dirty rice are well executed, there’s not much to link them on the plate. Red meat dominates the mains: veal backstrap sits on parsnip mash, the sweetness of mocha mushrooms reined in by silverbeet; juicy confit lamb comes with could-be-crisper chickpea chips and dabs of garlicky yoghurt. The wine list is massive, particularly impressive by the glass, expensive and suitable for celebrating big deals. Pick of the sweets is the assiette de dessert (ahem), perfect for two.