The Sentinel Bar & Grill

The face of dining and entertainment culture in Perth has changed markedly over the past few years. Off the back of the booming state economy, locals are looking for more opportunities to wine and dine. Symbolic of this movement in middle market bistro dining is The Sentinel, which in many respects pioneered the surge of inner city development since the turn of the decade. The Sentinel is located on the corner of St George’s Terrace and William Street, recognisable by the solid wooden grates used to support its burly brass frame.

Myself and a mate headed in one mid-week evening for a beer and a bite. It wasn’t too crowded, so we chose to sit in the outside area on the alley side. The outdoor setup was well designed with lamp heaters leering over the tables and synthetic grass laid over the back half of the area. We ordered the Salted Cod Croquettes ($12.5) as a starter to share, two Margaret River Wagyu rumps for mains ($37.5) and a couple of pints ($10). The drinks were quick to arrive; however they had made a mistake with one and poured a middy instead. To the credit of the waiter, he promptly apologised and returned with the corrected order.

The starter did not take long to come out and they were certainly a good choice. Well-seasoned with plenty of flavour and texture, the croquettes partnered with our beers signalled a promising start to our meal. Our mains followed suit, and they lived up to expectation and the price tag. The meat was perfectly tender (ordered medium) with a deep charcoal crust providing plenty of smoky flavour. It was accompanied by a ramekin stuffed with hand cut chips, where the only criticism was that they arrived a little cold. But given the quality of the overall plate, I certainly wasn’t in any mood to complain. Having sampled many steaks around Perth and being disappointed on too many occasions, it is refreshing to know the art of cooking a good cut of beef hasn’t entirely been lost in this city.

The Sentinel has done a good job in imposing itself on the Perth wining and dining map. It hosts an extensive wine offering to those who seek, partnered with a solid dining menu which will please most. The building itself is very polished both on the inside and outside, radiating an earthy feel to its patrons. One minor irritation of the design is the large ladder leaning across the walkway onto the wine cabinet, which is a potential safety hazard to those especially who have had a couple of frothies. But overall, I can report positively on my first experience and more than likely I will be paying another visit in the near future.