The original of chef David Thompson’s franchise in Australia is still an excellent experience. While the atmosphere of the historic State Buildings site plays a big part, the uncompromising food is the real magnet. The sour orange curry with fish is a must but there are some dishes here that veer toward an Aussie palate that’s very comfortable with chilli. The chicken larb is a serious taste of northern Thailand and not for the faint-hearted.

Perth (Boorloo) has very few marquee restaurants with marvellous views; Wildflower, atop COMO The Treasury hotel, is surely the finest. The beautiful dining room looks out to the river while the menu – highly contemporary, dégustation-style eating – looks with an intense focus to Western Australia. Rare ingredients native to the state are paired with the coast’s exceptional seafood or pastured meats and poultry in thrilling ways and the mainly locally sourced wine list is a gem. Settle in.

Frenchy-ish. Intimate, definitely. Hospitable, unquestionably. Le Rebelle is a high-street neo-bistro that takes La France as its inspiration, not its doctrine. The place is fun, atmospheric, wine-centric and has the kind of vibe only a hard-working husband-and-wife team can create – if they have their tongues firmly in cheek. Wagin duck drizzled in bearnaise is a winter staple; equally, a serious steak with frites and a bottle of local grenache is a great option. Great music and value for money are bonuses.

With a menu that emphasises organically grown produce, built around two woodfired ovens and a highly regarded in-house bakery, Bread in Common has been a raging success since day one and a strong part of the Fremantle renaissance. Lovely, approachable food, such as bread and butter pudding with burnt toast ice-cream, in an award-winning architectural heritage space with mostly communal seating is a timeless winning formula.

Is Cottesloe Perth’s Bondi? Kind of. The seaside suburb is a heady mix of beach shabby and fashionable chic and Italian enoteca Il Lido is part of the landscape, from coffee in the morning until digestivi late at night. The menu is broadly Mediterranean – salumi, risotto, pasta – and for next-level pizzas, sibling spot Canteen is just up the road.

Rollicking and fun, for sure, but don’t lower your dining expectations: this is a restaurant deeply committed to Italian food – particularly pasta – run by a determined chef. Joel Valvasori-Pereza produces some of the best pasta dishes in Australia and rarely has the term artigianale (handmade) seemed so appropriate. Service and wine are taken seriously, too, which is why the place has a legion of loyal followers from around the country.

Inspired by a heady cocktail of Italian New York folklore and Ratpack mythology, Santini is a classic big-city restaurant. Urbane, a little brash, but moody and sexy at the same time. Executive Chef Ramon van de Griendt runs a kitchen that jumbles Italian classics with New York-style grill standards and throws in a fair smattering of finesse. No wonder super-stylish Santini has been a winner since the QT Hotel opened.

Inspired by the “ruin bars” of Europe – venues opened in ramshackle old buildings – co-founder of Little Creatures beers, Miles Hull, opened this 300-person bar in a once-dilapidated heritage building in Northbridge. A third of the 18 taps pour WA brews (there’s a slick cocktail list, too) and a rotating roster of food trucks rolls into the courtyard on weekends. There’s also a quiz night, regular specials and a meat tray raffle, plus an Aussie-style pizzeria is in the works.

No visit to Perth would be complete without a stop at Hearth at The Ritz-Carlton, Perth. The elegant restaurant elevates Western Australian produce with every bite, such as gently smoked scallops from Abrolhos Islands, just 60 kilometres off the coast of Geraldton, and Margaret River wagyu beef striploin with kohlrabi.

Just say you get the niggling urge fo yum cha in Perth and you want the best. This contemporary restaurant in a suburban shopping centre in Belmont really is it. The steamed dumplings, the congee, the Yangzhou fried rice… the list goes on. Canton Lane has the authentic, perfunctory service we all love but the brilliant food is the most outstanding of its genre in town.

A unique plot of land in the southern coastal suburbs of Perth creates a rare venue that’s 75 per cent market garden, 25 per cent delightfully revamped old pub. Great design and architecture bring it all together, while a contemporary Mediterranean menu makes clever use of site-grown produce. Strictly seasonal, roast carrots with carrot caramel, pesto and pine nuts is an exemplar of the garden-as-veg-supplier approach, the wine list is thoughtful and the overall experience impressive.

Part bar, part wine store, part relaxed restaurant, Lalla Rookh is the kind of place everyone wants in their neighbourhood. Court of Master Sommeliers New York oenophile Jeremy Prus curates an exceptional wine offering – from Sicily to Burgundy, Margaret River and Clare Valley – while the food menu embraces Italy’s generous dining culture with classics such as bistecca alla fiorentina, campanelle with ragu and whisky semifreddo.

With its beer-garden atmosphere and rather casual approach to dining, you might expect La Cabana to be chaotic. Not a bit of it. This well-managed non-stop party of a place not only nails the Mexican fundamentals but adapts them to the Western Australian market with fine results. Even the (real) tortillas are made locally – in Freo – with nixtamalised WA corn. Note: There are queues to get in.

South American food is having a big, global moment thanks to a bunch of prestigious award wins for restaurants in Chile, Peru, Brazil and beyond. The buzz hits Perth at Lima Cantina, a bright Peruvian eatery in Leederville. Empañadas and ceviche are the obvious things to order but there’s a lot to be said for taking a detour on the road less travelled. Try the cauliflower gratin with yellow aji chilli sauce, the pan-fried prawns with pisco butter and the Angus rump cap with tangy anticuchera sauce – a classic Peruvian dressing made of garlic, coriander and beer.

It’s a clever concept – two venues, one location. But the smarts at this Leederville spot are more than skin deep. Fine diner Naber is the refined offering – creative small plates and a rotating drinks list – while IIII (pronounced four) is an all-day (and almost all-night) hangout with tap beers, cocktails and snacks to keep the party going. Both proudly hero WA ingredients and local labels.

Another member of the Freo renaissance, this bistro steers towards big flavours, plenty of meat, things done from scratch and a palpable generosity. Try buttermilk chicken from the wood over, or fill the table with share plates including pork belly with cavalo nero and a charcoal grilled aged oysterblade chop. What may sound big and ballsy can actually translate to refined and considered; it’s little wonder this place is a favourite haunt of the hospitality community.

Order at the counter, cut out the waiters, bring down the prices – all you need now is excellent food and a Eurocentric wine list at prices that would make Sydney blush. That’s the concept at Vincent Wine. The charcuterie is the highlight, so authentic are the flavours and textures, so generous the portions. This place has a French rustic aesthetic but style in no way subsumes substance.

Here you'll find a distillery – Dandelion Spirits Co – two bars and an Asian-influenced restaurant. Plus, views from the second floor balcony, a chef’s table by the buzzing open kitchen, a curated 50-bottle wine list, bespoke gin and vodka, and a giant 105 litre still right as you walk in. From prolific Perth hospitality operator John Parker (whose other venues include The Royal Hotel and The Standard), this two-storey, 500-person spot in Karrinyup Shopping Centre’s West Deck dining precinct has something for just about everyone.

Don’t be fooled by its no-frills interiors – this Northbridge diner is a local and chef favourite for its authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Stop by for swirls of egg noodles in fragrant soups, crispy spring rolls, fresh pho and tangy-sweet broken rice dished out in generous portions. Complete your meal with a cafe sua da – traditional Vietnamese iced coffee made from espresso and sweetened condensed milk.

21 Unmissable Things to Do in Perth