Perth Voice Interactive

BIVOUAC in Northbridge has great food and excellent service, along with funky decor and a very trendy and modern menu.

It’s so named because the eatery is designed for rest and recuperation with “a menu you’ll feel comfortable ordering a mix of plate to share”, the webpage says.

To me, to bivouac is to camp in the wilds with a mere handful of people I like, or can get away from if I don’t.

So the new-fangled style of eating, sharing a table with 8–10 strangers, squeezed in like sardines, each fork raised an encounter of the too close kind, is an anathema.

D’Angerous Dave and I passed a couple of empty tables, to be shown a very full one at the rear. But having left my shoehorn at home I couldn’t see how we were supposed to cram in.

Rejecting the miniscule space we were led back past the empty tables and seated with a couple.

But at least we had a vase of flowers between us to give a sense of outdoors, space and a semblance of privacy, we thought.

Bivouac caters for the pre-theatre crowd, and really excels at getting people stylishly fed…

Just up the road from the State Theatre, Bivouac caters for the pre-theatre crowd, and really excels at getting people stylishly fed and watered in plenty of time for the first bell.

They even thoughtfully present the bill before diners finish eating so there’s no last-minute crush at the till.

D’Angerous celebrated his narrow escape of being sardined with a serve of crispy fried local whitebait, accompanied by a delicious tahini yoghurt ($10).

He’s a real fan of the small fish and tucked into them happily, along with a serve of hand-cut frites ($10).

The potatoes were deliciously fluffy inside and crunchy on the outside, and their truffle mayonnaise was divine.

This wasn’t my first meal at Bivouac and I couldn’t go past what I’d eaten previously—the black barley and autumn vegetables ($28).

The mix of flavours, including babaganoush and labneh (Greek yoghurt cheese), certainly put the smile back on my face in no time.

Bivouac has plenty of share plates for larger parties, including Gingin goat chops with tomato kasundi and fig ($17.50), veal and prawn kofte skewers ($19), and the pizzas at another table looked pretty good.

The theatre bell was about to ding so we couldn’t stay for coffee, but I have it on very good authority Bivouac does a fine brew. But no billy tea.

by JENNY D’ANGER

Bivouac Canteen and Bar
198 William Street,
Northbridge
9227 0883
open Tues–Sat noon till late