PICA has always been my favourite art gallery in Perth.
A little weird, a little baffling, often brilliant.
But in all my many visits, I had never tried the food at Picabar.
Maybe I was wary of burgers shaped like Salvador Dali’s head, loaded fries depicting the fall of Western Civilisation, or pasta strung from the rafters like Tracey Emin’s hair.
Thankfully, things were far more conventional—a lovely, contemporary menu with a range of share plates, mains and sides.
It was pretty sophisticated for a bar with dishes including raw kingfish, burrata, duck gnocchi, anchovy toast and grilled halloumi.
But don’t worry, there was also more standard fare like burgers, steak sandwich and schnitzels (even a kangaroo one if you’re feeling adventurous).
Despite the works going on at the Cultural Centre, necessitating barriers and ramps, Picabar is still a lovely setting with a cosy, atmospheric courtyard and lots of stylish twists inside.
It was surprisingly busy for a damp Tuesday with lots of young, avant-garde folk convening for lunch.
The sensible price point on the menu probably helps—a chilli cheeseburger was $21, two fish tacos $16, and the vast majority of dishes were under $30.
I couldn’t resist getting a trio of dishes from the share menu.
I kicked off with the raw kingfish ($22). A beautifully presented dish with the slices of fish arranged like the spokes of a wheel.
Each piece of fish was garnished with coconut cream, lemongrass and chilli.
The kingfish had a lovely sweet tang and tasted super fresh.
I found the chilli with seeds overpowered the delicate fish, so I removed them from each slice, but that’s a personal preference.
The pool of lime juice underneath added a piquant sharpness.
It was a fantastic looking and tasting dish.
Next up was the burrata ($21).
Again, the presentation was spot on.
A plump ball of burrata surrounded by roasted eggplant and tomato, with Ortiz anchovies draped over the top.
It’s hard to make this dish look pretty, but they managed it.
It was a beautiful combination of flavours with the burrata cutting through the rich eggplant and tomato.
Just when things were getting a little monotonous, the anchovy kicked in and gave your taste buds a welcome jolt.
A tasty dish which would go perfectly with some toasted sourdough bread.
Last but not least were the corn fritters ($17).
The six deep-fried balls of goodness almost looked like bulging pakoras.
There was plenty of corn and the accompanying sambal mayonnaise was creamy and moreish.
Maybe it was down to the strong flavours in the other dishes, but I found the seasoning in the fritters a tad bland and they were ever so slightly dry.
But still another very enjoyable share plate.
The service was great with lots of friendly smiles from the lady behind the bar and the woman who brought out my order.
I was surprised by the quality and presentation of the food at Picabar—it’s restaurant standard and very well priced.
The portions were good too, and three dishes would comfortably feed two people (I overate, again).
A hidden gem in the heart of the city.
As I finished my Diet Coke ($3.50), a man with neon blue hair and flares walked by, raving about a spinning tyre in the gallery.
It was time to loosen my belt and investigate.
Picabar
51 James St, Northbridge
picabar.com.au
by STEPHEN POLLOCK