Si PARADISO
Ciao ! from where you’d rather be.
I know, I know. We're late to the party – but what a party it is! Si Paradiso opened in the former Late Night Valentines spot on Beaufort Street in October last year. Cale Mason, one of Late Night’s owners, has stayed on board, so it's better to think of Si Paradiso as a reimagining of the previous venue than a completely new beast. That said, it's been quite a thorough reimagining. Yes, I've recently seen Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood, but spending a few hours in the courtyard/amphitheatre of Si Para feels like a time-warp back to a kitschy LA pool party in the late '60s at a place named "The Forum" or "Caesar's Palace". There's no denying the Italian blood that runs through the veins of this venue, but it's filtered through an American-esque, almost novelty sensibility. See: the large stone colonnades in the courtyard; the Roman statue busts adorning the outdoor bar; the plethora of leafy green plants both indoors and out.
The amphitheatre is the heart of the venue, and doubtless the setting for many balmy summer evenings that blur into dance parties. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, however, the mood is positively laidback – the stage hosts only a bubbling fountain flanked by more plants. The young and beautiful sit around the courtyard sharing pizzas and bowls of chili mussels, drinking spritzes and chilled wine. Inside, it’s a nostalgia trip; laminate tables, parquet flooring, vinyl upholstery. It could be your grandparent’s living room - if your grandparents are secret disco fiends. There's a DJ booth in the dining area and a mirror ball hanging from the ceiling.
“…as expected, very en pointe.”
First and foremost, Si Paradiso is a watering hole and the drinks situation is, as expected, very en pointe. Cocktails pick up the Italian aperitif vibe and include spritzes, sodas, tonics and a house negroni. There's a decently sized list of tap beers – served by the schooner – and a larger selection of tins, with a focus on local brewers. A concise but interesting wine card has a separate section for magnums – highly exciting. The bottles are predominantly Australian or Italian, and there's a good representation of less common varietals and trendy skin-contact orange wines. We opted for a BK Wines 'Skin and Bones' contact savagnin; particularly moreish with a sake-like freshness on the palate and a clean, dry finish.
“Tasty, and you’ll have room to fit in another one!”
The menu is short and to the point. Pizzas are the mainstay here and make up roughly 50% of the offering. As has become industry-standard, there are both red- and white-based options. We chose a daily special featuring stracciatella, crispy cavolo nero, chili oil and lemon zest. The pizza wasn't huge – maybe 6 medium-sized slices – but the dough was chewy and the toppings fresh. The stringy stracciatella was melting and slippery, the cavolo nero added a sharp bitterness to cut through the cheese and the chili oil lent a real lick of spice. Tasty, and you’ll have room to fit in another one! To accompany the pizza we shared a plate of oysters ($3 ea), served simply with lemon, "paradiso bread" ($8) which came with cultured butter, and a plate of Sardinian salsiccia, ($11) with shaved pickled fennel and crispbread. Eating out on the wooden decking overlooking the amphitheatre's stage, it was like a hipster foodie picnic. The bread - a dense, oily round loaf - came out soft and warm; a generous smear of butter was all that was needed to elevate it to finger-licking glory.
“…elevate it to finger-licking glory.”
The salsiccia was a decent plate of thinly-sliced rounds of cured sausage, topped with the piquant shaved fennel which really gave it a savoury, vinegar-y boost. Snacking on cured meat is one of life's simplest pleasures and enjoying this plate of salsiccia was no exception. The rest of the menu leans towards similarly share plate-y options – think anchovies, chili mussels, fried fish wings and gem lettuce salad with pangrattato, parmesan and mayo dressing. It's bar food, no doubt, but it's pretty decent; especially as the "bar" part of the formula is so good.
“…is all about the vibe, man.”
We even had dessert – a plate that is the result of a collaboration with Chico Gelato – tiramisu gelato, encased in a coffee-flavoured "biscuit" and served with a dollop of liquor-tinged cream. It was outstanding, perhaps even the highlight of the meal. Simple? Delicious? Si.
Si Paradiso is all about the vibe, man. It's cool to look at, and full of cool drinks and cool food. A lazy afternoon would be the perfect time for relaxed beverages and some plates. On weekend evenings there's a bit more action, when the amphitheatre becomes a dance floor and the indoor DJ booth's volume knobs get twiddled upwards. Kane Hipper, one of the co-owners and also part of the team behind Scarborough’s successful taqueria El Grotto, has said that Si Paradiso is inspired by those European venues where you can come to eat and stay to drink and dance - without having to leave. I think he’s successfully brought that mood home to Perth. Once you’ve settled in at Si Paradiso, you won’t want to go anywhere.
Simple? Delicious? Si.