Friends Restaurant

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

My boyfriend and I were looking for somewhere truly special to dine out for his 30th birthday this year. After scouring the internet for a suitable restaurant in Perth with a delectable looking food menu and wine list, we decided upon Friends, and we were certainly not disappointed, overwhelmed would be a more accurate summary.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a very friendly waitress who confirmed our booking. We were then given the option of heading straight to our table or having a drink at the bar first, so we headed to the bar. The bar had every imaginable drink stocked and the cocktail list looked very impressive, however, being the English commoners we are we opted for a bottle of Stella each! Unexpected delicious hot canapes were placed in front of us, a sign of the unknown wonders and treats to come.

When we were ready to be seated at our table the waitress guided us over. It hadn't occurred to me at the time of booking but it's a silver service restaurant. My key piece of advice to anyone as common as me who hasn't dined silver service style often before is don't be afraid to ask, the waitress will be more than happy to tell you which fork to use with which course (work your way in!) and help you find a suitable wine within your budget range from their extensive list.

In fact, the waitress did an amazing job of suggesting suitable wines for us throughout the meal. We ordered a starter and a main each. Before the starters we were brought a small bowl of the most delicious soup I've ever eaten in my life, pumpkin and carrot, it doesn't sound like the most exciting combination but honestly it was so nice I could bath in it and eat it every day!

I had the scallops for a starter, they were ridiculously nice too, the best scallops I've had in my life in fact. Between the starter and the main we were brought a leek and potato dish which was also very nice. For the main, my boyfriend had the beef and I had the lamb, both of which were absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. We asked the waitress to assist us in picking a glass of red each which would compliment our specific dishes, and the ones she selected worked tremendously well in each case.

After the meal we skipped dessert and returned to the bar for a cocktail and a liqueur coffee (both of which were superb and made to the highest standard). They brought us over a small selection of fine chocolates which were delicious. We got talking to the waitress and then the owners about how wonderful we thought the restaurant and the service were.

We mentioned to Clyde the owner that we felt rather common to be dining somewhere so fancy, he was very open and understanding, and said that they like to think that their restaurant isn't exclusively for upper class people who know which fork is which, but also for every day people who are just looking for a very special experience. They overheard us mention that it was my boyfriend's birthday, so they brought us out another small selection of fine chocolates with "happy birthday" stencilled on the plate in cocoa and a fairy light in one of the chocolates, it was a beautiful and very heartwarming touch!

Friends Restaurant was an unforgettable, truly magical experience for us. The owners and staff are lovely and very friendly and helpful, and the chef (who we later found out worked in a 2 michelin star restaurant in the UK for over a decade before he came to Friends) made us the finest food we've eaten in our lives.

I can highly recommend Friends Restaurant and can't wait to go there again. If you're looking for the best of the best in every aspect and a truly luxurious experience, look no further.

May 10, 2011 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

I was blown away with this place! The food is creative and delish! I went on a saturday night, and my partner and I had the degustation menu. For $95 we had canapes to start with (something which most fine dining restaurants don't even offer), and then moved on the the soup, which was cider and white onion, with garlic chips, which was to die for.

The next two courses we got to chose entrees. I had the scallops, which were mouth watering, followed by the chicken, which was beautifuly prepared and amazing to eat, while my partner had the oysters, which were fresh and amazing, and then the terrine, which had amazing flavours to it.

For the main course, I had the lamb cutlets, which were perfect, and my partner, had the Wagyu, which was only an additional $10! We both couldn't believe that Wagyu beef was only an additional $10, when in most places in costs an arm and a leg. The Wagyu was certainly worth the extra cost, it just melted in your mouth. We then had the Hazelnut Souffle, I could quite happily only ever eat the Hazelnut Souffle again for the rest of my life.

For an extra $5 dollars each, we both had a coffee, which the person who made it knew what they were doing, as neither the coffee or the milk was burnt. The coffee aslo came with homemade chocolates. This was the perfect place for my partners and my anniversary. The wine which we were recommened complemented our food, and was a reasonable price.

The waitstaff and owners were approachable, friendly, and would happily give advise and explain things on the menu. At the end of our night, I booked tickets to a show at Friends, and If it is anything like tonight, I have a lot to look forward to.

Mar 20, 2011 

6 Average

Food  4      Ambience  6      Service  10      Value  4     

Friends restaurant is in dire need of a makeover, bring in Gordon Ramsay! The decor is tired and a bit on the shabby side. On the food end we indulged in a six course tasting menu. Four of these were really well cooked, but most of the courses had too much salt in them. The portion sizes were very small even for a tasting menu, the piece of steak I had was no more than 3 cm in diameter.

We chose the five star wines that matched the courses and two of these were simply inappropriate. At nearly $500 dollars for two we came out somewhat disappointed and a bit hungry. There are far better places to eat in Perth at a fraction of the cost, won't be seeing me there again. However, can't fault the service. The wait-staff were brilliant and just the right amount of time was provided between courses.

Jun 16, 2010 

10 Highly Recommended

Food  10      Ambience  10      Service  10      Value  10     

We undertook the Tasting Menu with the premium wine list. We have undertaken tasting menus (degustations) in several restaurants and we believe it is a wonderful way in which to appreciate the food, the chief and the wine. I would rate Friends Restaurant's tasting menu very high.

It was a lovely experience from the moment we arrived at the restaurant until we left. We watched a beautiful sunset while enjoying scallops with Pommery Brut Royal NV and finished several hours later after courses of crab, salmon, duck, beef and Turkish delight. Each course and each wine complemented each other beautifully.

The only thing I would change and it is something I've noticed in a previous degustation: next time only one of us will order the wine and then we will share the glass.

Oct 09, 2008