Swanbourne is the next beach up from Cottesloe to the north. It’s a continuation of the same beach but as it’s at the far northern end which is relatively isolated and windy, so the only people you’ll meet here are kite surfers or naturists and gay men posing on top of sand dunes in the buff!
My reason for coming here though was this great beach restaurant…
The Shorehouse (High Intermediate A), 278 Marine Parade, www.shorehouse.com.au
The Shorehouse has a One Hat rating from the 2018 Good Food Guide. I love the terrace out front which has a great view of the sea and the sunsets although it can get a bit cold later in the evening, so you should bring warm coverings and some mosquito spray.
I enjoyed it so much I came twice, once for lunch and the second time to celebrate my brother’s birthday meal.
On both visits I kicked off with a G&T of which there are six on the menu to choose from. The Bangkok Hilton did it for me (B+) but the Sipsmith Cucumber less so (B-).
I was starving on my first visit so I rattled through four courses, beginning with some decent, very knobbly oysters (B).
The Evoi Sauvignon Blanc went well with them (B).
The following Watermelon Salad with Seared Nectarines, Heirloom Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil with Organic Honey absolutely blew me away (A+). Must have a bash at this at home.
For the pasta course the Linguine with Blue Crab and Prawns was also very good (B+).
And I couldn’t fault the final Panna Cotta matched with Strawberries and Beetroot, who would have thought…(A).
Six of us sat down for Dan’s birthday a week later and I was too busy talking to score or take pictures of the food but I enjoyed the Burrata Salad (B+), even though it wasn’t my idea of burrata, it was just very fresh mozzarella with no cream inside.
Next the Tiger Prawns, cooked on a Josper charcoal grill, were good but I’ve had better (B).
Finally the cheesecake was okay except that it was lacking a base which is usually the most tasty part (B).
To drink, the Silkman Semillon was okay but lacked fragrance (C+) despite being from a region known for this aromatic grape. The Cullen SBS was better (B+) and I enjoyed the sweet Juniper Estate (B) with dessert.
Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food so I have no hesitation in recommending The Shorehouse as one of my favourite spots in Perth.