Last night in Perth, and colleagues take me out of town (a little) to Mount Lawley. Three or so kilometres north-west of the CBD, it’s a little too far to walk but definitely worth exploring given the lack of decent food in town.

Actually, when I think on it, this is about as far out of town as the Brunswick Street haunts are in Melbourne, so maybe I have to be a little more charitable towards poor Perth.

Clarence’s is a welcoming little place, playing old school funk on the stereo and serving up tapas-style dishes and mains in a casual but friendly way.

We had grilled prawns in harissa and soft-shell crab with avocado salsa to start. The house red and white was all we needed and it went down well.

Main courses were saffron and pea risotto for two of us, and a very nice-looking pan-fried barramundi with blood orange, chorizo and fennel.

The harissa was more tandoori-flavoured to me and not at all hot, but really moreish. The soft-shell crab was nicely cooked but the avocado salsa could have done with some sort of extra cutting flavour to it. Nonetheless, we scoffed the lot.

My risotto was delicious but not so piping hot. Ruth’s barra looked and smelled divine, and was a decent-sized meal without any sides.

Service was friendly without being overbearing and the music did not falter for the duration of our meal.

Definitely worth a trip back to Perth to look further into this new street of possibilities.

566 Beaufort St Mount Lawley, WA 6050
(08) 9228 9474
www.clarences.com.au