La Lola

The SO took One to La Lola on Saturday night for a bite to eat. One has been wanting to go to La Lola since One first heard of it opening a little while back. La Lola is the new venture of the former head chef at Bar One which as many know is one of One's favourite haunts.

Bar One is one of those places where the staff are great, the food is great and the fit out is great. Its great all round. One gets what One wants and One is happy.

La Lola is the new kid on the block and a bit like a new parent, all about the ground rules. La Lola's menu kicks off with a set of rules:
1. No bookings or B.Y.O.
2. No separate billing
3. Ask your waiter for the bill which will be brought to your table
4. $25 minimum for eftpos or credit card payments
5. We do not accept American Express or Diners Club cards
6. All food items served on the premises can not be taken away due to health code

Ground rules have their purpose - everyone then knows what they're buying into. The rules are probably also to deal with the Western Suburb WAGs that are likely to be queuing up to get into the hot new thing on Hampden Road. Plus there is barely an inch to move in the restaurant and the rules are probably to keep bums on seats as much as anything else.

The rules are in order of need. Don't try to make a booking and don't bring your own booze. Fine and on this especially cold and wintry evening there is no shortage of heaters out front while One waits to be let in. Unfortunately as this is suburban Perth and not Sydney and so there is no deal with the nearby bar that lets One wander over for a lazy tipple while waiting for One's table to be ready. Luckily the wait was not long and within about 10 minutes One was requested to head through the main dining room and into the Lounge. Which is really just a private dining room down the back of the restaurant. Again, its a tight squeeze and so along with cleaver design tricks (recessed salt/pepper/EVOO/cutlery receptacle) there are the less desirable elements - no backs on half the chairs and being so close to your neighbours you can't help but hear their intimate conversations.

The food is nice, without blowing One away. Good quality Italian trattoria bits. One had a pork belly, sweet and sour onion, mozzarella and radicchio pizza. Nice, but nothing amazing. The SO had a Rabbit Ragu with fettuccine, it was heavy on the pasta and light on the ragu and very very oily.

La Lola - its not for an intimate date night, but it will certainly give the WAGs a great venue for a girls night out (provided they play by the rules).