Subiaco Bar & Bistro — Restaurant in Western Australia

Used to be a great place. Sadly, this is not the case anymore. The owners have recently changed, and overall quality of place has taken a serious backward step since the change. It is very obvious that the staff have no idea what they are doing, nor do they care.

I went there thinking that there was a quiz night and $15 cheeseburger special which was previously happened every Tuesday and it was on their website. Turns out neither were true, and they had simply not updated their website.

The food was overpriced and terrible quality. I spent $45 for a steak sandwich and a pint. I usually don’t mind spending a bit extra if the food is worth it. However, what I got was a Coles Turkish roll, inside was a single lettuce leaf, a thin piece of chewy steak, two slices of tomato and bit of siracha mayo. It was small, dry, and completely de-void of any flavour. Definitely not worth the money I spent. It was very obvious that the ingredients had been sourced on the cheap and that no effort was put into the food.

The range in beers had also seriously diminished since the previous ownership. There were a lot of empty taps or taps with no label with a sticky note with untidy handwriting on it.

In hindsight, I should’ve known what I was in for when I arrived there were not even staff behind that bar and the place was completely empty whilst the surrounding bars and restaurants were full.

Terrible service, terrible pricing and terrible atmosphere. Small business owners take note. Go there and learn how NOT to run your business.

Also, there are a bunch of 5-star reviews that have very obviously been...

Tried to book a table online for Thursday steak night, booking was accepted but received an email shortly after that no bookings are accepted, it's a walk in only set up, due to the $7 deal.

Arrived just before 5pm and lined up to enter. Managed to grab a table, later realising that several tables had Reserved signs on them... of which none were occupied during the hour and fifteen minutes we dined. I thought we weren't able to book??

Lined up to order, which took quite some time. Meals were delivered about 25mins later, even tho the place wasn't at capacity yet. It seems they're short staffed.

Nearing 6pm the line for orders grew longer, as people poured in to find no available seating (even tho there were several reserved tables that remained empty).

During our meal, 4 different people came over and disrupted our conversation to request they take our table on our departure.

In the middle of one of the dining areas was a ping pong table which enabled players to launch their ball into patrons who were enjoying their meal. This space would have been better utilised for additional seating!

We requested the pepper sauce on the side for all 3 meals, but only one was served as we asked. The medium rare steak was almost still mooing, and was also incredibly tough. The steak knife provided struggled to carve the meat effectively.

If the $7 steak deal is the Village Bar's drawcard, I suspect they'll see everyone once. We won't be back. As they say, you get what you pay for. And it is too good to be true.

Don't...

Absolutely divine cuisine and an exceptionally genuine atmosphere. Stepping into the establishment I knew this would be my new go to regular. And, oh boy, was this thought only cemented further once I took when my first bite into the suculant, tender magic of the Thursday night steak. The burst of flavour and the intoxicating, but yet addicting, aroma embraced me with pure bliss, reminding me of the warm and welcoming essence of my mother's own cooking space. Oh, how she'd rival against the mastery of this chef's expertise. However, the par of expectation is now set beyond her standards. And even she would salute in admiration and willing forfeit in respect for such skill required; only a genuine chef has a true eye for such authentic cuisine. The food here leaves you wanting for more despite the empty pockets of your wallet. Approach with caution. Or don't. Either way the food is indubitably worth it. Take my word for it. Ultimate props to the chef, your food has taken over my conciousness. And I thank...