The need for a hot date doesn’t go away because the temperature drops. Winter is when you want the low light, the cosy table you can settle into for three hours without anyone moving you on. There are the extra layers of clothing, and let’s face it, winter just affords cooler outfits. So, with all that, the stage is set; the question is simply where? Here are ten rooms across Perth and WA with good lighting, a measure of discretion and a corner built for two. Some are hidden, some are loud, all of them know exactly what they are.
Ah Um, Northbridge
Tucked behind the Astral Weeks listening bar, away from the Northbridge crowd, Ah Um is a dimly lit room of just 25 seats. Custom Translate Sound speakers carry the night, from jazz to funk to ethereal indie, and the room is not afraid to play it loud. The menu nods to Japan and rarely runs past ten items, but the real draw is the mood. Sit close, order the ribeye in its shio koji marinade, and let the playlist do the rest.
Balthazar, Perth CBD
Some rooms coast on nostalgia. Balthazar always has something new to say. A Euro bistro filtered through an Australian lens, it is polished but relaxed and moves with the confidence of a place that knows why people keep coming back. The wine list travels from benchmark European names to left-of-centre labels without losing its footing. Settle in for oysters with a bright bloody mary granita, the long-running caramelised onion tartlet, and cruller doughnuts drenched in dark chocolate at the table. It’s dark, moody and very date-night-esque.
de’sendent, Margaret River
On Margaret River’s main street, de’sendent is the next chapter for Evan Hayter and Ann Spencer, the pair behind the much-loved Arimia. The bushland and estate-raised pigs are gone, but the obsession with detail remains. The finishes are elegant, the light is low. A tasting menu opens with three bites on a bed of seashells, then moves through marron-filled krupuk and Albany rock oysters dressed in estate olive oil. The wine is beautiful, and Spencer treads the floor with a team that believes in the room. Intimate and assured.
Il Santo, Claremont
Lyndon Waples means it when he says osteria. On Bay View Terrace, in the old Nolita site, Il Santo is the Western Suburbs go-to it has been waiting for. Studio Gram have lit the room in a low, generous register that may be the best restaurant lighting in Perth, grown up without ever feeling dim. Textured walls, travertine and bentwood chairs reward a moment’s thought about where to sit. Ask for the discreet spot at the end of the top-level booths, order the lemon tart to share (of course), and stay for another glass.
Papi Katsu, Perth
Past a neon neo-Shogun entry and down into the dark, this subterranean izakaya marches to its own beat. Dark wood joinery and intimate banquettes set a low-lit stage for splashy raw plates and sticky skewers: pink tuna on bitey wakame, chicken mince glossed in soy, and the crisp, juicy pork katsu that gives the place its name. Knock it all back with a chilled sake or a yuzu spritz. Rambunctious and a little theatrical, it suits the young and the young at heart who want date night to be not-too-serious.
Si Paradiso, Northbridge
Si Paradiso plays on three levels: nightclub, courtyard amphitheatre and restaurant. Do not let that worry you. Focus for your date on the dining room, which is darkly handsome, all booths, terrazzo and mood-setting parquetry, and the kitchen brings the same passion as the DJ roster. A beef tartare lifted by green tonnato, grilled pork collar spiedini with kimchi butter, a charred marinara pizza finished in lobster oil. Drift into a Euro-leaning wine list and decide later whether the night ends with dessert or dancing.
Foxtrot Unicorn, Perth CBD
People still stand at street level cursing Google Maps, which is part of the charm. Those in the know slip into a plain CBD lobby, take the narrow stairs by the lifts, and land in a dim, Jarrah-clad room that doubles as a taxidermist’s fever dream. Foxtrot Unicorn is a training ground for some of Perth’s best bar talent, so cocktails are the main event, from a textbook negroni to a Coastal Martini built on oyster-shell gin. Fortify with an epic ten-cheese jaffle and lose track of the hour. A great date option for a very discreet date, with the most flattering lighting you’ll find. There are plenty of hotel options nearby too, should you wish to continue your rendezvous.
Cherubino City Cellar, Subiaco
A spot for a grown-up date night. Find it down a narrow alley off Rokeby Road, up an industrial stairwell, and into another realm: amber floorboards, illuminated red brick and a peaked skylight as long as the bar. This is winemaker Larry Cherubino’s den, part bar, part wine store, part bistro, with thousands of bottles climbing the wall. Begin, as one should, with a barrel-aged negroni poured over branded ice while the unflappable staff talk you through the list. Then settle in, people-watch and, if you haven’t secured one of the comfy loungers in the top corner, nab one when you can.
La Lune, East Fremantle
One of the best options in Perth to feel like you’re on a date in Paris. They do winter well too. Midway along George Street’s jacaranda run, the mood shifts. Rattan chairs, fluted glass and vintage Côte d’Azur posters drop you straight into French bistro territory. Start with a French 77, fragrant with elderflower and citrus, then a dozen petite oysters with tarragon mignonette and the dense, magenta duck parfait scattered with macerated cherries. Walk-ins are preferred, in keeping with the street. Finish on the terrace with a Rhône muscat and a chunky amber tarte tatin.
L’Chaim, Fremantle
You may need a drink by the time you find it, but that lends itself very well to a covert date night. Down a flight of stairs and behind two hidden doorways in the basement of The Old Synagogue, L’Chaim rewards the effort the moment you step in: a dim, low-ceilinged room of cluttered shelves, vintage glassware, a chandelier behind the bar and a jazz soundtrack. The house cocktails are named for jazz greats, among them a Nina Simone of gin, mandarin and lime under a bergamot foam. Settle into a booth, build a dinner from the pan-Asian snacks, and stay for one more.