Mayfair Lane brings the wow back to West Perth
Date: March 31 2017
David Prestipino
Back in the heady days of Burke and co, when Perth was still drunk on the success of the America's Cup, anyone who was anyone could be found wining and dining in West Perth.
This office precinct was home to the power lunch, where rich men thrived on fancy glassware, five-star service and the reserve wine list while bellowing and belching away their Friday afternoon.
But as tastes refined, these establishments didn't, and the arrival of hipsters to the CBD and James Packer to Crown Perth spelt the end of power lunches in West Perth, as people celebrated and salivated elsewhere - Subiaco and Claremont, then Mt Lawley and the city.
Mayfair Lane is in the heart of the old stomping ground of the rich and Perthonalities, in the old Onyx Bar that was last The Brown Fox.
And while it's unlikely you'll see a politician at the British gastropub (well, there was a dog getting some sun on the alfresco deck), the service and offering are worthy of the occasion many desired back in the day, minus the pomp.
Even better, you don't have to be anywhere near as rich as those buggers to dine at Mayfair, just in possession of a hearty appetite and penchant for fun, with great-valued meals, a clever drinks list and the best wine program in town.The Mayfair charcuterie plate is great value, and all meats are prepped in-house.
Operations manager Foni Pollitt is a ball of energy on the dining room floor but don't be fooled by her exuberance - she's the one responsible for what I think is Perth's most versatile wine list, boasting 61 drops by the glass and a bottle list that runs into the hundreds and covers every vineyard from Mudgee to Mt Etna.She has spent years overseas tasting, teaching and loving wine, and boxes are ticked for every budget and palate on the Mayfair wine list (the venue also hosts regular Meet The Winemaker events). Foni (and the attentive wait staff) can also match wines with head chef Shannon Wilson's pub and dining room menu if that is desired.
Mayfair's wine offering is top shelf, with bottles able to be preserved for weeks.
Along with her husband Chris, the pair spent several years honing their hospitality craft in London and wanted to open a venue in Perth with a British-style vibe and a refined menu offering.
Hence pub classics like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and salt and pepper squid are present alongside a Rockpool-quality selection of aged meats (complete with duck fat potatoes and a rip-roaring bearnaise sauce).
Experienced operators Foni and Chris Pollitt have nailed it at Mayfair Lane.
Main offerings on the dinner menu include macadamia and herb-crusted Amelia Park lamb, poached chicken breast stuffed with chicken & foie gras mousse with truffle gnocchi (wowsers) and some of the more heartier but inventive salad dishes we've tried out west.
Indeed the real celebration here is not only the return of a casual restaurant with substance and style to West Perth, but one that offers classy service and meals that won't leave you hankering for more but are still cooked with a proper technique that foodies and the pub crowd both will appreciate and savour.
And unlike the clientele who once thought they were bigger than the city they ruled over, Mayfair Lane is here for the long haul.
Mayfair Lane Pub & Dining Room 72 Outram Street, West Perth (08) 9425 5222 Monday to Saturday, 11.30am-late www.mayfairlane.com.au