Monday night in the city is going to be quiet isn’t it? At least that’s what I thought when I made arrangements for my husband and myself to meet a New Zealand friend who was in Perth for a couple of days.
I booked a table at Heno & Rey, part of the Intercontinental Hotel in Perth’s CBD. The Spanish words Heno and Rey simply mean Hay and King, a nod to the restaurant’s location on the corner of Hay and King Streets. Part of the attraction of this Spanish tapas restaurant is that it is open to the street and very good for people watching.
Our table was booked for six and by seven the place was very, very busy. Mayor Zempilas would have been delighted!
Authentic tapas is what Heno & Rey promise on their website and for the most part, the restaurant got it right. There are two set menus available for either $49pp or $76pp. Snacks, seafood, charcuterie, cheese, salads, tapas, larger plates and desserts are on the a la Carte menu.
From the tapas (small plates) menu we ordered four dishes to share – Chorizo with sherry and parsley ($18), Patatas Bravas -fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli ($19), Albondigas -meatballs with tomato sauce ($18) and Croquetas with ham and cheese ($18).
We also ordered Rey Pollo from the Raciones (large plates) menu. This chicken dish was $28 and sadly overpriced with just two small pieces of marinated chicken thigh, one piece of broccolini and an almond picada. The chicken did taste good though!
All of the dishes were good and were all perfectly seasoned, which was, just as well as there were no condiments to be seen. The only quibble I have is that the Patatas Bravas was lacking in Bravas sauce – we were presented with a dish of fried potatoes with aioli but no tomato sauce. However, by the time I had noticed this, both my husband and our friend had been tucking in and enjoying, so what the heck!
Service was good after the initial fifteen minute wait for drinks and we all found the servers friendly and helpful.
Heno & Rey is a good place for lunch and a great place to share food with a group of friends.
Address: 815 Hay Street Perth
Phone: 08 9486 5700
Reservations: Yes
Opening hours: Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, 9am-10pm
Gluten-free options: Yes
Vegetarian options: Yes
Restrooms: Clean and accessible
Parking: Wilson Parking available on St Georges Terrace (walkway to Hay Street) or City of Perth parking at His Majesty’s Theatre on Hay Street
Website: www.henoandrey.com.au
