Having a young family, I don’t eat out nearly as much as I used to so Eat Drink Perth is the perfect opportunity to get back into town and see what our fantastic city has on offer. It has certainly evolved over the past few years and Eat Drink Perth, in its 12th year, has firmly cemented its place as the go to festival for any foodie lover.
Eat Drink Perth runs from the 16th of March to the 23rd of April, catering for a range of cuisines and budgets, there is sure to be something for everyone. In fact, clear your calendar for the next 4 weeks to guarantee you don’t miss any of my top 10 picks.
foodie cravings Top 10 Eat Drink Perth Picks
1. Twilight Hawkers Market
When: March 18 and 24, then every Friday in April
Time: 4:30pm – 9:30pm
Price: Free entry
Location: Forrest Chase, Murray St, Perth
Who doesn’t love an outdoor food market and with an abundance of cuisines on offer, you’re sure to find a number of stalls that you want to sample. Out in the open air in Forrest Chase, the hustle and bustle and enticing aromas will have you feeling like you’ve been transported to an Asian city where they’ve created a vibrant market atmosphere. The popular event East Drink Perth event has certainly grown since its inception in 2011 where it began with just 12 stalls. No doubt you’ll see foodie cravings in amongst the crowds, as she’s a massive fan of this event.
2. Perth Home Grown
When: Every Sunday from the 20th of March
Time: 11am – 4pm
Price: Free entry
Location: Murray St Mall, Perth
Given the chance to source fresh produce right in the heart of the city, Eat Drink Perth’s Home Grown is somewhere I’ll be heading to get my hands on some locally grown greens and homemade wares. I’ve been previous years and feasted on local honey and desserts and stocked up on oils, breads and olives. My family and I were in antipasto heaven with the purchases I made. Meal times are always a success after I’ve been to these markets.
Check out food cravings experience of Perth Home Grown last year where she munched her way through a selection of desserts that day. I’d definitely suggest going on an empty stomach judging by her photographs.
Eating through the Perth city with $100 - Perth Home Grown, Toastface, Poppo, Presotea
3. Perth CBD Progressive Dinner
When: Begins Tuesday 22nd March and then every Tuesday & Wednesday throughout March & April
Time: 6pm – 9:30pm
Price: $165 Location: Perth Town Hall, Corner Barrack & Hay Streets, Perth
If you’re like me and haven’t hit up the city in a while, Perth CBD Progressive Dinner is the perfect way to become reacquainted with our beautiful town. Perth has had quite the transformation over the past few years and what better way to check out the progress than by taking a tour by “Two Feet and a Heartbeat Walking Tours”. If you fancy, recruit seven of your closest friends to make it a private group booking. It’s time for me to book the baby sitter as I enjoy a night out at three of Perth’s newest venues, feasting on amazing food prepared by renowned chefs in the heart of the city.
4. DegustAsian
When: Thursday 7th April 2016
Time: 5pm – 9pm
Price: $65 / $100 for cocktail pairing
Location: Wok St Chow House, 47 Lake Street, Northbridge
Asian is my go to food whenever it’s my pick to dine out so this is a must do for me for the Eat Drink Perth festival. Eight delicious courses of Asian street food with the option of cocktails – sign me up! It will also give me the opportunity to check out the newest addition to Northbridge, Wok St Chow House. As long as something on the menu includes the words ‘satay’ and ‘chilli’ then it’s sure to be a thumbs up dinner for me.
5. Perth Food, Drink and Art Exploration
When: March 16 & 17; April 6 / 7 / 13 / 14 / 20 / 21
Time: 6pm – 9pm
Price: $49
Location: Tours start near the green Grow Your Own sculpture at the northern end of Forrest Place.
I love street art and it reminds me of San Francisco where certain designated public spaces are intended for this art form. Perth has an increasing amount of private commissions allowing for this form of expression and I think it’s awesome that this tour allows you to visit three bars on your meander through Perth whilst discovering various murals that decorate our city. Looking forward to recruiting some mates for this one and getting our walk on.
6. The Dominion League School of Spirits – Gin Edition
When: Wednesday 13th April 2016
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Price: $60
Location: 84 Beaufort St, Northbridge
The Dominion League School of Spirits has joined the Eat Drink Perth festival this year and I’ve actually picked this one for my husband and his mates, as they are big fans of gin so it sounds like their kind of night out. Hendricks is the drink of choice in our household but this experience allows you to sample some of the world’s most exquisite gins. It’s sure to impress any fan of this white spirit. The cost includes food, three gin and tonics and a cocktail, so for $60 that’s a bargain of a night out.
7. Late Night Degustation
When: Friday 15th April 2016
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Price: $80
Location: Basement – State Buildings, Corner St Georges Terrace & Barrack St, Perth
So prior to writing for foodie cravings, I’ve never been a massive fan of dessert. I’ve realised that since feasting on some truly mouth watering third courses, it’s all in the execution and quality of what’s served. Hence, when this one caught my eye, I thought, I’m in and I know of more than a few friends who will be keen to join me in. Indulging in some sweet treats and wine tasting by candlelight, it’s the perfect night out whilst also meeting the faces behind the Sugarplum Sweets, Sue Lewis Chocolatier and The Honeycake.
8. Easter Chocolate Pop-Up Store
When: Monday 21st March – Saturday 26th March 2016
Time: 9am – 5pm
Price: Free
Location: Pan Pacific Perth, 207 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth
Easter means chocolate so this is sure to be a popular event for anyone who loves to indulge at this time of year. Having dined at the Pan Pacific before, I know that their Pastry Kitchen will be creating the most magnificent of chocolate treats and the best part is, they’re complimentary. They will also be creating personal designs; I know where I’ll be stocking up on my gifts this year.
9. Perth City Easter Fun Day
When: Saturday 26th March 2016
Time: 10am – 3pm
Price: Free entry
Location: Forrest Place
I am really looking forward to this event during Eat Drink Perth, as my two year old son is old enough to participate in some of the fun activities on offer at this Easter Fun Day. I can’t wait to see his excitement at hopefully meeting the Easter Bunny, and getting involved in the craft workshop. It’s sure to be a lot of fun for everyone and I don’t know who will enjoy more, him or me.
10. Yum Cha in the Park
When: Saturday 23rd April 2016
Time: 11am – 7pm
Price: Free entry
Location: Northbridge Piazza Corner James & Lake Street Northbridge
As the closing event to the festival, Yum Cha in the Park is a definite yes to experience for me and one of the festival highlights. No doubt foodie cravings will be there too as we all know she is a massive fan of dim sum. Not only did she recently complete a dim sum hop through Northbridge but she experienced this very festival event back in 2012.
In it’s fifth year, it’s the perfect opportunity to eat my way through ever popular dim sum selections; sticky rice, dumplings and egg tarts, my personal favourites, while kicking back on the lawn to watch the live performances on the main stage as well as Asian films on the big screen.
