Pagoda Restaurant & Bar

Hmm… Interesting dining experience. Venue was deserted when my husband and I arrived. The staff were polite and friendly, but didn’t appear to be trained properly. Firstly the waitress showing us to our seats delicately picked up the napkin from the table but then chucked it on my lap…(awkward) a little odd but didn’t think anything of it at the time. Another waitress who took our order looked really confused when I explained I was pregnant and requested the lamb I ordered to be well cooked… She said she would ask but wasn’t sure if they were capable of achieving this. When the food arrived over an HOUR LATER (we were the only table apart from a couple who didn’t stay long) the barramundi and rack of lamb dishes ordered struggled to meet the definition edible. I could only manage a few bites, the meat didn’t look fresh and most — if not all — of what was on our plates looked like it came from the freezer (it definitely didn’t justify the hour long wait) It was appalling and I hate giving bad reviews but… This time it can’t be helped

Oh my wordy lordy, if you haven’t tried the high tea here, you definitely have to put it on your list!
High tea is available Sunday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm and reservations are essential. We opted for the ‘Traditional High Tea’ which is $ 31.95pp Monday to Friday and $ 38pp Sunday.
Our group of 6 arrived at 1pm and were seated straight away with a perfect position right near the front windows overlooking the river. Our tea preference and coffee order was taken and not long after it arrived on our table. Pots were shared between two people and fresh pots brought out when needed.
Next came out the high tea on a 3 tier cake stand and consisted of —
Two scones, one plain and one fruit with jam and cream
Finger sandwich
Two quiches
Croissant
Salmon on bread
Cheesecake
Mousse
Macaron
And this is what we had EACH, with unlimited tea and coffee!!!
We had two large groups of people nearby but noise was not a problem at all and we could hear the lovely music by the man singing and playing piano.
There are also other options for high tea —
‘Sparkling High Tea’ which includes all of the food and tea/​coffee as the traditional high tea, plus a glass of chilled Omni Classic or Omni Sweet Sparkling. $ 39.95pp Monday to Friday and $ 46.50 Sunday
’Special Occasions High Tea’ which includes the above food and free flowing house sparkling for 2 hours. $ 44.95pp Monday to Friday and $ 44.95pp Sunday.
Minimum 20 persons.

The Pagoda is a really beautiful venue, with panelled wood interior, an impressive bar and fantastic views. I’ve always wanted to try it, and when I called to make a reservation and was told about the special menu deal for January I was all set to go. The staff on the phone were very polite and helpful, which made me very hopeful that I would be in for a good night.
We arrived, and although I had made a reservation there were many empty seats and were shown to the nearest table without delay. There is a bar section with lounges and intimate armchairs to catch up with a friend over a drink that is on a slightly higher section that overlooks the main restaurant area.
The menu was simplified on account of the special they were running, so there were 4 or 5 entrée, main and dessert choices, and I found a few options that I would be happy to try. I did enjoy that there were subtle Asian themes throughout some of the dishes but I was expecting more Chinese inspired menu options given the name of the restaurant.
I settled on the grilled chorizo entrée which was nice but nothing special and the scotch fillet. A friend of mine ordered the squid as an entrée and it came with the most beautiful lemon/​citrus dipping sauce — it was definitely the better of the to entrée choices!
The scotch fillet was a little overcooked for my liking and had a lot of char on the outside which I don’t like either. The herb butter sauce however was a triumph on the plate and the fondant potatoes were crispy and fluffy all at the same time which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also tried some of the barramundi fillet with risotto and a lemon flavoured sauce, which again was the better of the two choices. The fish had a beautiful flavour and crispy skin that was packed full of flavour and the lemon sauce was the perfect balance — a really great dish.
After all that I was a little too full for dessert, but given the special that was on I think it was fantastic value for money. The staff were very professional, polite and efficient — right from the initial phone call down to paying the bill.

Pagoda is just lovely and I love the rich history it has as a Perth Icon. I went to a High Tea with my Mum for her birthday with her sisters. The food was delish, melt in your mouth fresh and beautifully presented.
The best bit was listening to the stories of the shared histories and experiences through the years at the Pagoda. I believe having the food so beautifully done made for a lovely relaxed reminiscent lunch.
The only grumpy bit was we literally had to chase a waitperson down to ask for more tea and the high tea plate towers are way too high for a sit down table service.
I highly recommend booking for a High Tea. You will enjoy everything! So yummy!