Perth Voice Interactive

TUCKED away in North Perth is the classy cafe/restaurant Blake Hill.

Just up from Walcott Street, on a random suburban hill, it’s one of those places you could easily miss while going about your daily business.

The restaurant/cafe has a lovely look and feel – think European artisan with a pinch of rustic glamour.

There’s three dining areas to choose from – the large pavement alfresco, the bright and modern main room or the cosy annex, which has lots of plush booths and stylish nooks.

I opted to sit in one of the booths, which was nice and cool on a stinking hot day.

Blake Hill are an ambitious and hard-working bunch, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the week. 

I’ve been in for brekkie with the family and it was superb – the highlight was the smashed avo “Italian style” with bocconcini and salmoriglio.

A classic breakfast menu with lots of flair, it also has more adventurous dishes like chorizo and prawn shakshuka, and chicken and mushroom bruschetta.

But today I was here to try their lunch menu which had a nice range of dishes including salads, burgers, pasta, fish and meat.

It anything it had an Italian bent, but there was something for everyone on there.

Highlights included mushroom risotto, philly style bulgogi cheese steak sandwich, caprese salad, and seared barramundi.

I felt like something light and couldn’t go past the mushroom arancini ($18).

After ordering at the counter, I retreated to my booth with my purple smoothie ($7.50).

Perfectly balanced with the right consistency, it wasn’t too sweet and super refreshing on a humid day.

The service was top notch in Blake Hill – the staff were well turned-out, super polite and got the food out efficiently with a minimum of fuss.

My mushroom arancini was delicious – the fried balls had a lovely crunch and were filled with light and fragrant risotto and a decadent, gooey cheese.

But perhaps the star of the dish was the little pool of mushroom puree – it had a complex meaty punch and tasted divine when combined with the shaved parmesan and truffle oil.

Rounding things off was a few sprigs of judiciously placed rocket. The presentation was first class and it looked as good as it tasted.

According to the Blake Hill website, the chef has previously worked at a Michelin star restaurant.

I could see why as the presentation is meticulously and the flavours complex and refined.

My only gripe – I wanted more. Perhaps four arancini balls instead of three would have been perfect for lunch.

The restaurant was pretty busy on Tuesday lunchtime with a mix of business folk, couples, retirees, wealthy bored housewives, and even the odd tradie in high vis.

Blake Hill is classy without being pretentious, and serves up top-notch food at reasonable prices.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Blake Hill
4 B&C Blake St, North Perth
blakehill1.com