Eating Out: Sweetwater Rooftop Bar, East Freo

A SERIOUSLY stylish drinking establishment that’s not so polished on the eating front. Take the lift up to the top floor and pretend you’re in New York City with a cocktail in hand.

Crispy quail, nashi pear, daikon, wasabi and shiso ponzu. Picture: Richard Hatherly

IT’S hard not to cock an impressed eyebrow when a venue is accessed via its own exclusive lift and cordoned off by a red rope screaming VIPs only. Then there’s the Men in Black-style entry process: Halt before a bloke wearing an earpiece, reveal the booking details, get ushered part-way through, then repeat. We meet three smartly dressed crowd controllers before we reach our  table.

Sweetwater is like nowhere else in Perth. Positioned on the top floor of the new Richmond Quarter building, which is also a Seashells apartment hotel, it feels very New York City. The fit-out is super slick, with a vast floor of curved couches and a dominant, wooden-slat bar leading to a long, windowed deck zone. It’s dark and moody, lit by small, ceramic light pendants that hover like fireflies.

The dining section is either side of a gold chain curtain, with black and charcoal booths. The East Freo view is a mix of industrial manpower and ocean glimpses.

But the venue is clearly not about looking out, but looking in. The all-ages crowd is perhaps more Malibu than NYC, sporting designer duds, coiffed hair and engaging in plenty of peacock behaviour that feels very springtime. So maybe it’s no surprise food plays second fiddle.

Yet for a venue that is clearly focused on drinks, the menu is surprisingly lengthy, and maybe that’s why the plates aren’t as sharp as they could be.

Sweetwater has a “feed me” deal that is $55 for four starters, a main, a side and one dessert. It’s different from most — you can either go the lucky dip, or curate what arrives on your table.

Our waitress oversells the oysters — $4 extra a pop. They’re small and swim in a tangy dressing — fine but not in the same league as her gushing description. Actually, she oversells everything.

Salmon wontons (normally $16) are awful. Deep-frying flesh that should be served rare to medium is criminal. It comes out firm, dry and fishy, presented in a curry jus.

Squid ink bao buns ($16) resemble mottled black muffins. They’re appropriately spongy but far too thick for the delicate, well-seasoned soft shell crabs they encase. The buns — soggy with cucumber and a pointless wipe of red puree — fall apart in our hands. Terrible date food.

Amorous couples also would do well to avoid the cauliflower ($14), rolled in black and white sesame seeds that wedge in the teeth. The flavours are decent, though, with roasted cashew cream giving off caramel and soy tones.

Two portions of maryland-cut quail ($16), bones in, are overcooked and tough. No knives are provided, so we struggle with a fork and spoon. The highlight is the salad.

Our main of yellow curry ($31) has sound flavours, with mild punch and sweet hues but the seafood — prawns and three mussels — is mushy, with a texture similar to raw bread dough.

Happily, the side of Asian greens ($10) has decent crunch and appealing soy flavours.

For dessert, a quenelle of deep, dark chocolate gelato is decadent, laid over a dull, airy cream base, piped into a wiggly log.

Chocolate and raspberry dessert. Picture: Richard Hatherly

Fresh raspberries and a raspberry gel complete the OK dish.

I think if you were paying full price for dessert, you’d feel cheated. As part of the “feed me” deal, one dessert, shared, costs $5 a head; otherwise it’s $15.

We leave feeling perplexed. For a spot that has so much style, it’s surprising the nourishment holds so little substance.

Fleur’s Verdict

A seriously stylish drinking establishment that’s not so polished on the eating front. Take the lift up to the top floor and pretend you’re in New York City with a cocktail in hand, but maybe stick to a liquid diet until they’ve rethought the food.

Originally published as Eating Out: Sweetwater Rooftop Bar, East Freo