Nextdoor, South Perth

Today I have some exciting news to share with you about a new kid on the block on Angelo Street in South Perth. Previously Tipsy Monk Bar, the new place goes by the name of Nextdoor, so named as it’s next door to Olsen butcher which has been established as a quality upmarket butcher in the area for many years.

Nextdoor is owned and run by the Olsen family with Gavin Olsen at the helm. My friend and I live just around the corner so as you can imagine we were very keen to see what it’s all about. I’ve been peeking through the window for weeks to watch the progress!

As you walk in, the rustic modern feel with the exposed brick walls and natural relaxed fabric tablecloths is immediately welcoming, as are the staff who greeted and seated us right away and brought water and menus.

To the left of the restaurant, there is formal dining and to the right, it’s a little more casual but with the same menu. The menu, although not extensive, showcases first-class quality meat as one would expect. There is however something there for everyone. I found the menu to be both innovative and exciting and I’m looking forward to seeing what new dishes will be added in the future.

We were served a complimentary dish of crispy chicken skin over avocado mousse. Now this was just a revelation, crispy chicken skin dusted with tamarind powder popped on top of avocado into which the chicken fat had been whipped – gorgeous. This would be perfect to nibble on along with one of the local craft beers or a glass of wine in the less formal area.

Today we both chose the sirloin steak which was served with creamy Bearnaise sauce and just a touch of tarragon so as not to overwhelm, black garlic, and the most divine deeply flavoured rosemary jus you can imagine. The meat was beautiful, juicy and tender with a perfect char from the flame grill. On the side we had crispy chips with smoked garlic hollandaise, and creamy mashed potatoes with corn and a macadamia nut crumb. Both were excellent.

Onto the puds, we didn’t need them but for research purposes we had to try. We shared the honey flan with the macadamia frangipane which was good, but the star today was the apple sorbet with cinnamon jelly squares which was a delight, and then to find tangy lemon curd with more soft apples underneath was heavenly.

My photos do the food no justice so my advice would be to go there to try it for yourselves.

The wine collection is extensive as is the spirit list and I was delighted to see mostly local craft beers available.

Did I like it?

I didn’t just like it, I loved it.

For more information about Nextdoor visit www.nextdoor79.com.au

About Jane Florence

Jane Florence was born and bred in the North West of England but has since moved around considerably.
She loves new cultures and languages and has lived in California, Copenhagen, where she met her Scottish husband, Spain, Norway, Scotland and Indonesia.
When living in Jakarta, Jane and her family enjoyed several holidays in Perth to visit friends, and thirteen years ago decided to move with the family permanently to this beautiful country.
Since coming to Perth, Jane has worked in retail but decided that life was too short and gave it up for more time to pursue other activities.
Swimming, reading, Zumba, dog walking, travel, cooking for her family, theatre and dining out are some of her passions and she’s constantly on the lookout for new and interesting places to dine.
No plans to move again, but who knows!?