With a group on nine on a Saturday night, it’s usually quite a struggle to find somewhere decent with good food, drinks and isn’t overly noisy to hear each other talk. With a few phone calls, we were able to get a table at the Dutch Trading Company. MC has been before, however this was my first time, so wasn’t sure what to expect on arrival.
ATMOSPHERE & SERVICE
Walking up to the space, I was a bit unsure on what to expect. However, walking through the front door I was impressed with the fit out of the venue. You are welcomed by the well lit bar area, showcasing their endless beers available on tap. Funky bar decor fills the space with kegs used as chairs and light fixtures and concrete floors follow through to the back room. Here you find a second bar, more seating and an outdoor sand pit for the kiddies. It’s not often you find a decent bar with an area for the little ones to keep busy.
The Dutch Trading Co was established in 2015 by a team of beer enthusiasts, who are sharing their passion with the rest of Perth & beyond. With more than 300 bottles of beer on the list and 18 rotating taps, there is something for everyone to enjoy. The best part is, you enjoy the beers at the pub, or you can purchase beers to take home from the ‘bottle shop’ section of the pub.
Putting their heart & soul into the pub, the pub has been rated as Australia’s 5th Best Metro Beer Venue by a panel of industry experts for Beer & Brewer magazine.
FOOD
We arrived quite late and everyone was pretty hungry by the time we sat down. We ordered our first round of drinks at the front bar and took our seats out back to have a look over the menu. Not surprised at all, a massive board arrived with 36 beers to sample. The boys had saw this on the menu, and thought it would be fun to order to share between the two of them to get a ‘taste’ of all the beers on tap. It’s definitely a great way to try all the beers on tap, however be prepared to stumble home.
While we were entertained by the boys downing their beers, our food arrived, smelling so delicious! The ladies all went with the ‘Crispy Kale Salad & Southern Fried Chicken’ served with torched and smoked maple butter, shaved cheese and radish. I wasn’t sure what to expect, however I was blown away by how tasty the dish was. The kale was sweet (not bitter), the chicken AMAZING and the smoked maple butter brought the whole dish together. Definitely worth trying!
MC ordered a few dishes to share plus his main meal. The ‘Dirty Spiced Fries’ were the first to arrive, served with smoked chilli mayo, followed by the ‘In-House Pickles’. The fries definitely had a bit of kick to them and jam packed with flavour.
MC’s main was the ‘Southern Style Chicken Burger’ served with American cheese, Chipotle mayo, iceberg lettuce & watermelon relish. Another stand out dish by the kitchen! The chicken was well seasoned, juicy on the inside and a crunchy exterior and the watermelon relish brought the whole dish together.
I was very surprised on how tasty the food was. For a pub, usually you expect simple pub food, focusing on the beverages. However here, the kitchen has gone above any expectation I had walking in. I definitely look forward to heading back on our next Perth adventure and checking out their new beers on tap and some more tasting dishes!
*Hero photo taken from Dutch Trading Co Facebook Page.