Il Lido, Cottesloe - Dan Wegener makes it even better
Il Lido, at Cottesloe, is a Perth institution - authentic Italian by the beach. Under new owners, it’s now even better.
Il Lido, 88 Marine Parade, Cottesloe, Perth. Score: 4 out of 5
Across the road, behind the Norfolk Island pines, is one seriously glorious beach. In the gentle hills behind reside some of the nation’s wealthiest individuals. Yep, Il Lido occupies a cracking location on the maritime boulevard of Cottesloe. It also occupies a certain space in the Perth psyche.
I’m not sure you’d call it an institution but everyone in the city knows Il Lido; it has been there, and good, for a long time. The sort of default place for breakfast, a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine in the western suburbs if you want to get by the sand and waves. Increasingly, it’s that glass of wine.
The restaurant quietly changed hands last year and one of the new operators is Dan Wegener, one of the better-known sommeliers in Australia. With walls lined with wine and boxes of the stuff everywhere, the place has the feeling of a seaside Italian enoteca. Which is nice.
The pitch: They call it an Italian canteen and there is certainly a conviviality to the place; high tables at the front near the bar and a series of communal tables forming ribs across the “torso” of the dining room. Chalkboards announce food-and-wine “tours” through Italy. During a Saturday lunch, a curated playlist adds spice to the place, although the din of children can be, er, challenging.
The reality: The place has switched-on staff. The partners came from Perth’s Print Hall complex of restaurants and bars; they have runs on the board and contacts. This wasn’t our first time at Il Lido and it’s fair to say standards have gone up several notches between visits.
The cuisine: An unaffected Italian brio pervades the menu. No faux Italian names or descriptors, just simple dish descriptions in three categories: antipasti, risotto and housemade pasta, and mains. That excludes a tempting Sunday-only special: “Roberto’s traditional lasagne for two, $45”. As befits the location, there’s plenty of fishy stuff.
Highlights: Thick, meaty pieces of chargrilled cuttlefish are the protein hero of a green herb-dressed “salad” with exceptional halved olives that sings of a Puglian summer. Fennel seed adds a very pleasant twist to Il Lido’s take on “market fish carpaccio”, in this case ocean trout dressed with fresh chilli, shallot, fried capers, quality olive oil and a dash of lemon. It’s pretty, light and I bet it sells its socks off with the resources widow set and their daughters. Ditto the “daily arancini”: golden, fried rice balls with a soft centre of tomato, mozzarella and zucchini, served on a puddle of roasted red pepper mayo. The real standout, however is the quality of the pasta, in this case maltagliati with a wet braise of rabbit, tomato and borlotti. It has the kind of firm yet silken texture only achieved with careful laminating. Possibly the greatest highlight: in an expensive city, the prices represent good value for money.
Lowlights: I’m not a big fan of pea sprouts as a garnish.
Will I need a food dictionary? No. And, should you want to talk wine, chances are there is someone on duty who can talk back.
The damage: Sensible.
In summary: A western suburbs standard enjoying a new lease of life. Lots of fun.
Contact: (08) 9286 1111, illido.com.au