Si Paradiso

1/446 Beaufort St, Highgate si-paradiso.com

Chef Paul Bentley Price guide $ Bookings Recommended Wheelchair access Yes

Succulent crystal crab spiked with horseradish, piled on a golden disc of roti. Charcoal-grilled octopus with a yuzu kosho-esque blood orange and chilli paste. Pink mushrooms roasted with schmaltz and nutritional yeast: Si Paradiso, for an Italian(ish) restaurant, boasts an unusual highlight reel, which is precisely why Perth crushes so hard on this fantasy of ’60s Roman cool – parquetry flooring, gilded photography, terrazzo and all. The cool kids aren’t just here to dine, however. They’re also here to drink and improve their understanding of lo-fi Italian-Australian vino and what constitutes a well-made cocktail. And they’re also here to dance to DJs in the amphitheatre while laying waste to puffy Naples-style pizza, charry bread baked-to-order and hit with a downpour of pecorino and pepper, plus other new-school ballast. It’s a scene, certainly, but Team Paradiso works hard to make sure guests feel like they’re part of the party.