Don Tapa

Delicious food, fantastic service. Staff are friendly and really helpful and the atmosphere is relaxed. Interesting range of cocktails (not your normal boring range). The Natural Beer is a great choice for lager drinkers too. Food comes in great sizes for tapas. Atmosphere is funky, lively, but not too noisy. Can’t fault the place.

Hubby and I braved the crazy weather on Saturday morning to meet up with some friends for lunch at Don Tapa.
Don Tapa is a modern South American cuisine with an Asian Fusion twists also know as Nikkei Cuisine — the beautiful love child of Peru and Japan. Located at the Mantle, Don Tapa is a pop up space in a beautifully converted warehouse in the East End of Fremantle.
Don Tapa’s menu was designed to be shared amongst friends and hence the arrival of the Kimchi Pancakes for us to start off with.
The Kimchi Pancakes ($ 18) consisted of broccolini and corn, kimchi salad, togarashi spiced egg with added house cured bacon on the side.
Despite not having any kimchi in the «kimchi» pancakes batter, the pancakes still tasted quite good complemented by the rest of the flavours on the plate. The kimchi salad could be a bit spicier and with a little more kimchi sauce, this dish would have been amazing!
We also had the Ancho Chilli and Bacon Ramen ($ 18) which consist of Char Siu Pork, 62 degree egg, pickled mushroom and prawn toast.
The ramen was Inex’s choice and initially she wasn’t going to shared with the rest of us (j/​k!) but eventually she gave in and managed to split it into 5 little bowls beautifully. The ramen was delicious and heart-​warming and if the broth was to be a little bit more (chilli) spicier, I think this dish will be our absolute favourite!
Next up was the Ceviche Sushi Roll ($ 15) with market seafood, tiger milk and chilli.
The sushi roll is Don’s twist on the classic ceviche dish. The dish was light and together with the pickled chilli (on top) was so refreshing and flavoursome. The trick is to pop the whole thing in one mouthful in order to experience that burst of flavours at the same time.
Fourth dish on the list was the Koji Chicken Donut Slider ($ 7) with spiced fried free range chicken, jack cheese and Jarra honey butter.
The combination of ingredients flavoured the dish so well and thanks to Inex’s knife skill we’d all managed to have at least 2 pieces each of the sliders!
Fifth dish we tried was the Don Does Saigon ($ 22) with peanuts, coriander black pudding, smoked chilli and green tomato salsa and panko crumbed egg.
I didn’t get a chance to taste this dish as I was probably too busy taking photos, but the boys said it was quite nice!
The Szechuan Soft Shell Crab Tacos ($ 18) were last on our list; served with chipotle aioli and corn salsa. Lucky me I got to chomp down on not one but two of these tacos!!!
Overall we had a wonderful time at Don Tapa. The ambience and vibes were nice too despite the horrid weather outside.
Our waitress was also amazing and ever so patience with us, especially when we literally took forever to decide what we wanted to order.
P. S. I’m a Northie (proud of it too!) and rarely dine out anywhere South of the River, but Don Tapa’s relax atmosphere and friendly service has prompted me to explore Freo and its surrounding even more so now. Can’t wait!

Love the variety at this place pizza one side bar the other always busy but. Get in early to get a seat.

This place has such a great vibe. Our waitress was lovely. She was attentive, kept us informed about food and wait times and looked like Lilly Allen. We decided to go for the $ 49 chefs choice-​soooo much food and all delicious! There wasn’t 1 dish I didn’t enjoy, by the end I was wanting to undo the top button of my jeans! The espresso martini with its rum twist and sexy smokiness was delectable! An absolute stunning experience which I highly recommend. I will definitely be visiting Don again.

What can I say about this place. Fantastic. As the name suggests king of the tapas it is indeed! We opted for the chef selection at $ 49 per person. We got 9 delicious dishes ranging from bell peppers to grilled chorizo and halloumi mmmmmmm!!! The cheese wontons were utterly delicious! Our waitress was lovely and she kept us informed about what was coming next and how long it would be. It is a bit of an event so would set aside a bit of time but it was all worth it!!!

Went to Don Tapa last night for dinner with one friends and chose the Chef’s tasting menu. For $ 49 it’s well worth it! We left full and satisfied!
Loved the décor and set up. The staff was great! So friendly and helpful and our waiter Keith was hilarious… made the night even better!
The food was delicious… everything was great. However the lamb skewers were a bit chewy. they needed the fat and grit cut off. And the pork belly was disappointing, the crackle was chewy also and lacked flavour, however the combination of the flavours on the plate worked well.
Overall it was a great night… would love to go back again and try other things. Their breakfast/​brunch menu looks good too!

The Kouji Chicken Donut Slider, on Don Tapa’s new brunch menu, is singularly the most amazing thing I’ve put in my mouth for a LONG time! The combination of perfectly seasoned fried chicken, jack cheese and Jarra honey butter on a light and fluffy cinnamon donut was like a fiesta in my mouth. My Minted Mule Mocktail was the bomb, a tantalising combo of mint, lime, ginger beer and orange bitters. Finally, so glad I decided to try out the empanada of the day, melt in the mouth beef and red wine in a crispy, flaky pastry. Don Tapa is the Pied Piper of empanadas and I am following! Don Tapa started their brunch menu last week, 9am to 3pm on a Saturday. I have long bemoaned the fact that breakfast /​brunch in Perth is a bit stock standard compared to my favourite place to brunch, Sydney. Don Tapa may well be the solution to filling this culinary void!

Went to the Mantle recently and had some Tapas at Don Tapas, we have enjoyed a pizza at the Mantle before however Don Tapas were a total let down.
The menu was not explained well and the staff were rather pushy. We ordered a pastry filled with two meats a bit like a samosa this was served with two on the plate at $ 8, very tasty. Next Tapa was two grilled tiger prawns cut in half at $ 14, $ 3.50 per half a prawn. It was over cooked and floury. Next was a lamb skewer with 4 bite size chunks for $ 8, $ 2 a bite. This was tasty enough, however very chewy. We also ordered a bottle of sparkling water, to find out this cost us $ 12 was over the top. On paying our bill the waiter did not show us a bill and just pay passed the account without asking, which we avoid because payments can be delayed and balancing your account can be awkward.
In short we have been to numerous tapa restaurants and know Fremantle extremely well and to be told numerous times this was street food, they need to half there price and improve quality to even compare at with local food trucks in value.

The Mantle is a pop up space in the heart of Fremantle, home to a few vendors. There’s the famous Short Order Burgers, Magna Pizza, Stampede Gelato, Alter Ego and Don Tapa. On a weekday after attending The Black Truffle’s Christmas Party, we head towards The Mantle for dinner at Don Tapa.
We started off with the Don’s Ceviche ($ 18), which consists of a white market fish, tiger milk and chilli. The Don’s Ceviche is Don’s twist on the classic ceviche dish. It’s a dish bursting of fresh flavours with plenty of acidity. What was interesting in this dish was how the salted and fluffy popcorn surprisingly complements well with the other elements of the dish.
We also had the Colours of the Beetroot ($ 19) which consists of heirloom beetroot, pisco, honey, smoked mozzarella foam and brazil nut. It’s tangy in flavour, flavoursome and fresh with a tint of sweetness.
Next up was the belly con cerveza ($ 28), a dish comprising of Young Henry’s Hop Ale braised pork belly, black barley and spiced green chilli, palm heart and fennel cream. The pork belly was crispy on the skin with a good amount of fat. Tender and yet juicy. The black barley, palm heart and fennel cream gives a hint of moorish flavours to the dish, making the dish texturally well-​balanced.
Did you know that the Don Tapa makes good desserts too? We had our eye on the passionfruit mousse which we saw on Instagram but unfortunately, the passionfruit mousse was not on the menu during our recent visit. In the end, we had the pistachio panna cotta ($ 14) with strawberries and fairy floss which still looked as beautiful on presentation. It was such a lovely dessert which did taste as good as it looks. From the light flavours of the pistachio panna cotta to the sweetness of the strawberries and fairy floss, it’s a dessert with well-​balanced flavours.
The Mantle is definitely one place for foodies, bursting with good food along with a great atmosphere. We recommend you checking out Don Tapa at The Mantle. Did I mention that the Don Tapa are rolling out a new menu in New Years with new flavours too? We already can’t wait to see what flavours and dishes Don Tapa comes up with! Bring on 2016!

Sophisticated and varied cocktail list, each one carefully handcrafted albeit a bit pricy.
The first time I came I had this delicious peach, tomato and palm hearts salad. It was understated, simple and deliciously fresh. We also had the steak which was pretty tasty but I loved the little fried cheese ball it came with the most. The second time I came for dinner the menu changed pretty significantly but kept a few staples like the ceviche, which unfortunately wasn’t that great as it was way too sweet. The empanadas were delicious and though the baked camembert seemed a bit off theme as it’s the farthest thing from Latin American, it was pretty tasty with an interesting mix of warm camembert, honeycomb and cauliflower.
All in all a good meal but if I could do half stars, I think this place would really be more a 3.5 in my book.

If you haven’t been to The Mantle in Freo yet, I strongly recommend heading over there one night! Don Tapa has some awesome food and dishes come out when ready and trust me it works well… You won’t need to wait long before a dish arrives… I love how they change their menus regularly and how they have quite interesting variety in foods… My all time favorite will remain the yuca chips with their sauce. Everything we have tried has always satisfied our palates! The ambiance is very nice with great vibes and music and the look of the place is something I love: reclaimed wood, art, wooden pallets, it has an attractive urban look and it oozes in creativity!

Still one of my most favorite places to eat! The Mantle is a fantastic venue in freo and the food and menu at Don Tapa is always spectacular.
This trip was for a girls catchup for Sunday lunch. One of my friends is celiac but for once she was able to eat almost everything we ordered to share as there is a great variety of gluten free options.
My highlight today on the new menu was the baked camembert and the lamb skirt! Both amazing. The dessert Empanadas were delish filled with caramel and coconut and served with lime icecream!
As always the service was also fantastic and the staff very knowledgable about the menu.
Will be back!

I frequented Don Tapa quite frequently when it was but a shipping container at the E-​Shed markets over summer. There mix of South American cuisine and cocktails was the perfect full-​stop to a work-​week when I’d pick my husband up from his boat. It’s new incarnation at The Mantle shows that the delicious goods made in fairly primitive conditions in a sea container definitely improve with a proper kitchen. I met my husband and SIL for dinner after work on a Thursday and although it was empty when we got there at 5pm, it was soon full. This despite it being both a fairly miserable night, and midweek.
The waitstaff were all very friendly and attentive. Happy to chat and give advice, and leave us sit when talking overtook menu-​reading. We started off with cocktails from the Alter Ego menu. All still swayed by South American flavours. I ordered a Blood Orange Pisco Sour, which was very well balanced and refreshing. Later on, I ordered the house-​infused charred pineapple and coconut rum with pineapple wedges and lime sherbert. It was presented in a DIY style and I am generally hesitant with these type of cocktails because they just scream fad rather than well-​formed. And that was sort of the case here. The novelty of presentation and drinking/​eating/​spooning probably was unnecessary. A pineapple cocktail with the lime sherbert floated on top would’ve been just as nice and easier overall.
For food we shared yucca chips (deliciously crispy outside, light as a feather inside), duck tacos with charred corn and lime labneh (the duck and labneh combination was perfect, and such a generous portion, it came with 4 tortillas but probably needed 6 – 7 for the amount of meat), empanadas of the day, which I believe was a simple picadillo style filling served with fresh tomato salsa (probably the best empanadas in Perth — pastry was spot on, filling was well seasoned, salsa zesty and fresh) to start with. Appetite whetted, we ordered the Flank steak with green chili purée (lovely meaty dish, well paired with the earthy, herby chili) and the smoked pork belly with celeriac purée and a malbec jus (the pork was well-​cooked, fat perfectly rendered, meat tender but it was too salty. The silky celeriac and the slightly acidic malbec reduction tempered it, but not quite enough. The addition of either sweetness or more acidity would’ve helped, but less salt is the better option)
I can’t wait for the weather to warm up so after work dinner can be on balmy nights, with Latin American music playing, fresh ceviche and cocktails rather than rugged up inside, dreaming of summer. Don Tapa is just made for that!

Wow, wow and wow! Incredible food and great service. What more could you ask for? Every dish I tried was packed full of amazing flavour combinations. The serving sizes were generous, I thought, compared to other share-​plate places around Perth. Highly recommended!

Some of the best service I have received in Perth! Really friendly staff who have a great understanding of the menu. Every dish I have ordered here has been 10/​10, full of flavor, executed flawlessly. Kingfish ceviche was perfection. Pork tacos were juicy yet meaty, without a hint of dryness. Steak was a huge flavor hit, mouth wateringly salty with green vegetable sauce and onion to provide a sweet hit. A+, would recommend.

Don Tapa is now located at The Mantle, the somewhat newly opened mixed tenancy warehouse space in Fremantle.
I recommend getting a cocktail at Alter Ego beforehand, the bar at The Mantle, as their cocktails are the real deal. You’ll probably have to anyway as there is usually a bit of a wait on tables at Don Tapa.
Their desserts were my favourite part of the meal, and definitely was the most flavourful, some of the mains lacked flavour or spice. The Tres Leche was incredible — a flan, sour milk sorbet and milk crumbs.
I gave them an extra star for service, because it was possibly some of the best service I’ve ever experienced in Perth.