Wildflower Review: A Fine Dining Experience Celebrating Wa’s Flavours

Perched on the rooftop of one of the country’s top luxury hotels, Wildflower has lofty standards to live up to.

As the fine-dining venue of The State Buildings precinct – one of Perth’s best hotels and highly regarded as Perth’s ultimate luxury venue – expectations for Wildflower have always been high.

Add to that the A-team behind the scenes, including property developer Adrian Fini (the genius behind breathing new life into the precinct) who has an OAM and Western Australian of the Year award to his name for his contribution to Perth’s culture; Director of Food & Beverage Robbie McGowan, who comes from the ultimate hospitality pedigree including Matt Moran’s Aria and Peter Gilmore’s Quay in Sydney; wine aficionado and award-winning Emma Farrelly as Group Sommelier; and Head Chef Paul Wilson, who has worked everywhere from Copenhagen to Fiji, and even cooked for Oprah Winfrey.

All that to say – does Wildflower live up to the hype?

Location

Wildflower is located on the rooftop of COMO The Treasury within The State Buildings precinct, which is a collection of three interconnected heritage buildings in the heart of the CBD.

The buildings have a rich history spanning over 140 years, where they served various functions from a Post Office and Police cellblock to WA’s Treasury and office of the Premier and Cabinet.

the COMO The Treasury exterior — COMO The Treasury is home to Wildflower Restaurant.

After being vacant for many years, the State Buildings have been meticulously restored and reimagined by Adrian Fini as a vibrant luxury precinct. Today, they house a mix of lavish accommodations, bars, cafes and fine dining restaurants – the fairest of all being Wildflower.

the rooftop dining at Wildflower Restaurant — Head on up to the rooftop and dine in style.

Style and character

Wildflower capitalises on its sublime location with its floor-to-ceiling windows that flaunt sprawling views of Perth City and Swan River. As you expect from a fine dining venue, the restaurant sashays between refined elegance and contemporary charm.

The white polished marble floors are offset by deeply-hued velvet chairs, a rich oak arch that frames the chef’s pass, and murals of native trees that blanket the walls – no doubt serving as a nod to the local seasonal produce that informs the menu.

Wildflower is without a doubt the finest of dining, so the clientele is expectedly diverse – from business professionals and couples celebrating special occasions, to food enthusiasts and well-heeled locals who appreciate the restaurant’s commitment to showcasing the best of regional produce.

the contemporary interior of Wildflower Restaurant — The dining interior is contemporary in design.

Food

The food at Wildflower is a celebration of Western Australia’s rich heritage and seasonal produce, guided by the Indigenous Noongar calendar of six seasons.

Each season – Birak, Bunuru, Djeran, Makuru, Djilba, and Kambarang – brings different local ingredients and flavours, which are reflected in the food served.

a bowl of chocolate with river mint, yoghurt and mandarin at Wildflower Restaurant — Delight in chocolate with river mint, yoghurt and mandarin.

Expect dishes like line-caught snapper with native ginger, lemongrass and curry myrtle; Wagin duck with apricot, jarrah honey and lime; and south-west lamb with native salsa verde, celeriac and bush tomato.

Manjimup Marron dish, Wildflower Restaurant — Manjimup marron with pumpkin, curry leaf and nasturtium.

Diners choose from a four, six or eight-course tasting menu, with the option of a champagne and sparkling, wine pairing or a non-alcoholic drinks pairing. The restaurant also offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

Whichever dining option you choose, don’t just expect food – expect a culinary journey that includes beautifully plated courses, each telling a story of the land and its bounty.

Drinks

Emma Farrelly is highly regarded in Australia’s wine circles for good reason – her taste and expertise are simply impeccable. The wine list at Wildflower is extraordinary, with all wines on the menu a true statement of the land in which they were grown and are sustainably produced, with integrity and respect.

The champagne and sparkling pairing is, unsurprisingly, predominantly French, while the wine pairing is a real global journey – all the way from Portugal and Japan to Margaret River and the Adelaide Hills. The restaurant also offers classic and seasonal cocktails, beers and local and international spirits.

a cocktail with hand-carved artisanal ice — Sip on an exquisitely crafted cocktail with hand-carved artisanal ice.

As fun as it is to peruse the seemingly endless wine list, we suggest relinquishing your right to decisions and leaving everything up to Emma by way of getting the degustation with wine pairing. The staff will bring each new drop to the table, explain how it pairs perfectly with the next dish, and leave you to enjoy.

a glass of Lemon Aspen Spitz, Wildflower Restaurant — Lemon Aspen Spitz pairs well with the Manjimup marron.

Service

The service at Wildflower is without a doubt superb. The waitstaff are attentive without being overbearing, professional without being pompous, and are only too happy to offer their advice – when asked – on food and wine selections. They quite literally personify hospitality, in the finest, most decadent way. You’d be hard-pressed to find another restaurant in Perth delivering this kind of top-tier service.

Access for guests with disabilities

Wildflower has an elevator to ensure accessibility for all guests, and the dining area is spacious enough to allow for extra space if required.

Family-friendly?

Wildflower is fine dining and the price tag reflects that – so if you have little ones in tow, it might be worth organising a babysitter so you don’t have to shell out for small humans who would prefer chips and toast anyway.

Details

Address: Wildflower, 1 Cathedral Avenue, Perth

Cost: Mains hover around $48, entrées $33, sides $14 and desserts $24. Cocktails are $20–$28, and wines by the glass range from $15 all the way up to $50.

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Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

Aerial view of Mandurah. — Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

The best things to do in Mandurah

Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

Dolphins swimming in Mandurah. — Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah. — Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

Where to eat in Mandurah

Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops. — Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

Where to stay in Mandurah

With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river — Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.

A fine dining experience celebrating WA’s flavours