Besk – Restaurant Review
You won’t find old blokes sipping ponies in the front bar but in every other way Besk is a proper Australian pub: a contemporary interpretation of the traditional rubbity-dub that’s both neighbourhood gathering place and community hub. Yet unlike Aussie boozers of days gone by, Besk boasts a smart list of low-intervention, organic and small-producer wines, up to 26 beers on tap and a liquor store that’s catnip to beer-ophiles.
A cheerful, welcoming and unfussy repudiation of modern dining’s infatuation with chefs on pedestals and dishes served with a manifesto, the food here fits within the pubby oeuvre. Hand-chopped beef tartare with egg yolk and condiments is served at room temperature (thank you) and is joined on the small menu by favourites including fish and chips, Caesar salad, a simply charred scotch fillet and a very naughty mortadella melt. Be sure to check out the rotisserie of the day, too. Besk is the real deal – a haunt for Leederville’s well-heeled locals, 20-something beer fans, modern-wine lovers and the after-work crowd keen for a rollicking night out.
264 Railway Parade, West Leederville, Perth; (08) 6319 2290; open seven days for lunch and dinner.
