560 Beaufort Street
Mount Lawley, WA 6050
04 6753 4267
Five Bar is one of my fav spots in the whole city because of its great location, relaxed but trendy vibe, and, most importantly, because their offer of set and seasonal food, desserts, huge variety of draught and bottle beers and ciders, great selection of wines and other spirits.
THE PLACE
The place is a bit old-pub style, but has different areas with different ambiances and vibe, from the old grandpa's club (sorry, my opinion) to the funky mural at the bottom end corner, and the trendy high tables with stools and leather armchairs in the middle section. My favourite area is the bottom end corner, where the couches and the mural are, which is perfect for groups. Five is a a very chilled out, cool, spacious and comfortable pub and bar, perfect for lunch, mid afternoon, evening or late night.
I love the fact that they have a bookshelf with books, several newspapers and table games for the use of the patrons.
The toilets are very clean and well illuminated, which is a bonus these days in any bar or restaurant.
There were a mix group of patrons from all ages, genders, and dress-style, solo, coupled and groups, families with baby included. The place seems to be gay-friendly at least when I have visited.
FOOD AND DRINKS
Their food is very good regarding taste and presentation. Generally speaking, it is tapas-style. Some of the small
plates are really filling, like the empanadas, but others are more like
an entrée, like the goat meatballs, their vegetarian croquettes, the chicken rilette or the salad of the day. If you have an stomach or are
a man you need at least two dishes, plus a drink. They have a selection
of boards, cheese and cold meats, daily specials with different sorts
of hot meals and desserts, and weekly and nightly specials. I love their specials, as they use seasonal produce, and they always have a man-sized meal, just in case you are man or super-hungry.
It might sound surprising to you, but Five Bar really succeeds at something unexpected - they have seasonal desserts that are delicious, creative, good-looking and well priced. They usually have
two or tree fixed desserts, but they are really well prepared and plated, and
not especially pricey.
The Orange Pudding was wonderful. Not too sweet,
very light and fluffy, with a great mix of textures and flavours, and it
was so beautifully plated!
Their pannacotta in strawberry sauce was a hit with me too and one of the best desserts of the year; yummy, light, and beautifully arranged on the plat - a gorgeous mix of red, white and green, a mix of liquid, semi-solid and solid textures, and feast for your five senses.
The grilled fresh peaches in butter, rosemary and ice-cream were great. A simple dessert that is both healthy, light, tasty and filling. The peaches were a bit hard, and I would have them on the grill two more minutes. Still, I had another yum slap aha glorious moment.
The chocolate brownie was very nice in flavour, with the mix of chocolate, berries and cream wowing me; however, the cream used is butter thick and not especially flavoursome, and I would rather have fresh cream or whipped cream, while the biscotto was stale and that is always a big no-no.
They have a great selection of cheeses, and specials for Monday night, weekends and so on with specific dishes and food on offer.
Five Bar has a very good selection of Australian and international (Spain, France, Argentina) wines, ciders (France, UK) and beers. They have tap and bottled beers and ciders, too. Everything I have drank there has been great.
COFFEE
Five Bar coffee is not
bad in taste, but changes in creaminess and preparation
depending on the barista at hand. I have had all the possible
variations, from the hurriedly prepared to to the very well prepared and anything in between.
Five Bar is a bit pricey if you go for small plates and drinks, and you have a stomach. Do you? However, if you order one of their specials you will have a very good meal too appease your hunger and at very good prices. For example, on Mondays you pay 25 bucks for a super dish of Beef Wellington and a glass of wine house, and on Tuesday 22 bucks for a pork belly dish and a glass of cider. That is a bargain for Perth standards. I find their desserts very well priced due to their freshness and quality.
Recently, they did what all Perth coffeeholics were dreaming of in a city that has ridiculous prices for coffee - to decrease, yes decrease!, the price of their coffee to $2.50 for an espresso, $3 for a flat white/cappuccino and $3.50 for a latte, with no extra charge for soya milk. How good is that?
The pricing for alcoholic drinks is standard - meaning expensive.
THE SERVICE
The staff are very friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, and eager to help. Perfect to talk
to if you want to drink something but you are not sure what brand or
what sort of thing you want. For example you want a cider that is not
sweet but not strong, or you want a silky wine, or whatever. They will
advice properly and do so with a smile.
The food takes a bit to
come out. During my first visit, the place was extremely quiet, with not
many customers to attend to when I ordered. On another occasion my dessert took about 20 minutes to come out because my
order was misplaced; although I was given sincere apologies and a drink
on the house, still, the place was not even full and it is a dessert
that takes minutes to prepare.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
+ A few extra tables for couples or solo eaters would be a natural addition to the place. Eating on a trunk used as a table is charming if you are just having tapas or finger food, but not good if you need to use your cutlery, a low table is never ideal or comfy, and a killer for your lower back. There is plenty of room to accommodate a few more small tables, so do it!
+ Why is their Facebook page not public or non-existent?
+ A few more recent magazines would not heart anybody.
+ Lines of communication should be open between kitchen and waiters, so there is more coordination and customers get when they order, or get their order, or do not have to wait too long to get their order.
