A polished dining room where classics endure, new ideas land softly, and a sharp, worldly wine list ties it all together with quiet confidence.
Some restaurants coast on nostalgia; Balthazar thrives because it still has something to say. A Euro-style bistro at heart, it filters its classics through an Australian lens. The room feels polished but relaxed, and moves with a quiet confidence that comes from knowing why people keep coming back. Succinct but far-travelled, the wine list moves from benchmark European producers to contemporary, left-of-centre names without losing its footing. Grower and classic Champagnes sit alongside small estates and emerging labels. Everything is carefully considered and pairs effortlessly with the menu. The kitchen, led by Enrico Cancedda, works with a steady, considered touch. Oysters arrive plump with a bloody mary granita that’s bright, salty and sharpened with the right flick of heat. The caramelised onion tartlet – long a fixture – is a perfect balance of hazelnut-brown shortcrust, sweet onions and oozy cheddar custard. Tuna tartare leans modern – dressed in a caramel-soy-mirin mix and finished with finger lime over a silky pepita cream. The seafood spaghetti remains a signature: WA octopus, prawns, cuttlefish and snapper tangled through a glossy, egg-emulsified sauce, topped with karasumi and prawn head oil, as comforting as ever. And then the cruller doughnuts, stacked and drenched in warm dark chocolate at the table – an indulgence that never gets old. Balthazar feels assured, timeless, and still entirely in the present.
In other news
