The Pony Club

Posted by: Pepe pepe | 11 February 2010, 4.53pm

Having now eaten in all of perth's tapas venues i can say that this place comes up trumps.

The combination of flavours in everything sampled was well balanced and interesting without the wank.

If you want value for money I highly recommend the set Banquet De la Casa menu. For $45 we go to sample around twelve dishes, the sweet tooth satisfied with the best churros i've had outside of spain and we left with full bellies and happy tastebuds.

The wine list is not huge but appears to have something for everyone and is reasonably priced. Our waitress sold my wife on Luis Canas Viura spanish white wine which we enjoyed thoroughly and thought offered a lot for the price.

Service was extremely professional. We felt genuine warmth and invested interest from the staff looking after us.

Thanks for good food and good times, can't wait to return.

Food:			Visit: Thu 14 January 2010 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: cyntheap | 29 January 2010, 4.17pm

My partner & I headed to The Pony Club on what was a rather quiet evening for the restaurant. We were one or only four or five tables all evening, which may have contributed to the friendly happy service and willingness to cater to our every need.

We ordered 5 tapas to share. The stand out (in my opinion) was the crespones de calabaza (pumpkin crepes), which were absolutely devine. They were so good that we ordered a second serving. My partner loved the higos horneados (baked figs), which were fresh and well offset with the orange blossom goats curd.

The desserts were also a highlight, particularly the churros, which were light and perfectly fried.

The Pony Club is not inexpensive however, for a superb meal that I will rave about for some time, not even my accountant partner was complaining.

Food:			Visit: Thu 28 January 2010 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: wombat&emu | 26 April 2009, 1.28pm

Lets start with the good. The man who waited on us was terrific. One of the best I have come across. Other staff continually topped up water and smiled warmly - that was great. Now the not so good; the restaurant was incredibly noisy. OK its a Saturday night, but I have been to many many busy restaurants on a Saturday night and never found that I continually could not hear my dining companions over the noise. Secondly, the room temperature was unbearably hot and stifling. I wonder how the staff can work in that heat. The food, although mostly well-presented and possibly prepared perfectly with the best ingredients, was somewhat bland. I kept waiting for my tastebuds to be challenged but it didn't happen. Finally, we consider it overpriced. However, thats a syndrome of all Perth dining establishments. I am Perth born, but must say that, for example, Adelaide leaves Perth for dead in value for money eating out.

Food:			Visit: Sat 25 April 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Bachuus | 27 January 2009, 8.47pm

I had never been to The Pony Club until attending a amazing party for my friend's birthday. The party was held in the private function room (stunning space) above the restaurant.
The food and service at the party was absolutley fab, so my partner and I decided to book in for dinner for my birthday.

We started the night with a some cocktails at the bar.
One was a fresh pineapple and basil concoction with vodka I think and the other ginger with lemongrass and gin both were really refreshing and got the tastebuds going.

The food was simply delicious. We had fresh plump oysters to start served with a simple tangy ginger and shallot vinaigrette. Then two follow we sampled some scallops served with pancetta and confetti like mix of finely diced vegetables lentils and herbs. The scallops were perfectly seared, tender and juicy. The baked figs with goats curd and ham were recommended by our waitress and were just divine.
We also sampled venison chorizo tartlets (loved the soft yolk quail egg on top) pumpkin crespon super rich but worth the calories and broccolini fritters with a romesco sauce.

We finished dinner with stonefruit trifle and very generous spanish cheese plate which we washed down with sticky Spanish moscatel.

Our waitress was friendly, informative and had a slighty wicked sense of humour which was fun.
Overall I really couldn't fault anything and am looking forward to returning.

Food:			Visit: Mon 12 January 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: kagurazaka | 14 January 2009, 3.25pm

Nice location, good atmosphere and the waitstaff had a pretty good attitude. Freshness was an issue: scallops and mussels didn't seem to maintain the flavour one expects. Chorizo tartlet was good but the salad was a little mean on the more expensive ingredients. In general the dishes lacked the passion and punch of the Spanish equivalents (maybe this place has "Melbourne disease" ie, it draws less inspiration from the Spanish originals and more from the London knock-offs?). I think the ideas driving this menu are one step ahead of the kitchen's ability and two steps ahead of the produce used. You could forgive it if they were not charging premium prices but... they are.

Food:			Visit: Tue 13 January 2009 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: bailey24 | 25 August 2008, 1.18pm

I wish I had the same experience as everyone else here. Mayabe it was because we were in the corner table next to the door, but the service at the Pony Club wasn't as smooth as I had anticipated and made me wonder why I was paying premium price for a few morsels of food. We waited quite a while to get our order taken. Our wine was poured for us and the put on the side counter so when we had finished our glass I had to get up and retrieve the bottle. I really enjoyed the food, but for me the whole experience wasn't worth it.

Food:			Visit: Fri 1 August 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: proper | 30 April 2008, 11.11am

This place has the potential to be something really special. Upon our visit the mains (racions) were executed to perfection with the rabbit and vegetable tagine being the highlight, while the tapas offered a little something for everyone.
An excellent wine list which is diverse and superbly crafted is backed up with well made cocktails and great coffee.
However the only thing I found missing - and to be fair it was a Tuesday night - was the real lack of warmth or atmosphere. With chandeliers a top, modern lines and warm timber floors, does it want to be a trendy tapas bar that does great food, funky music and served by good but casually dressed waiters in jeans and t-shirts or an elegant, inviting restaurant that does divine food in a glamour setting and exceptional service.
To me it lays somewhere in between.

Food:			Visit: Tue 29 April 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: melovefood | 29 February 2008, 11.30pm

This place has it all great food, great service and a fantastic atmoshphere.

The baked figs with goat's curd and jamon are a party in your mouth. The veal rib eye was cooked perfectly and big enough to fill the bottomless pit that is my brutish lover. Spanish verdejo, right up my alley, and made me feel far more exotic then drinking an Aussie sav/blanc.

It took me a long time to make my first visit, but I think, Pony Club, I'll love you long time!

Food:			Visit: Thu 14 February 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: vachootza | 17 February 2008, 4.37pm

Having heard great things about the pony club I decided to book in for my boyfriend's birthday.

Fortunately for us everything we had heard was true.

This place has such a great vibe, the interior is cool relaxed sophistication and the staff are so upbeat and really attentive.

We went for the chef's table banquet menu, which for $55 is great value, so much food! Pork belly with mustard fruits mmm mmm mmm.

The wine list is quite extensive and featured some really interesting wines. very pleasing for the wine buff boyfriend.

Top notch, can't wait to go back.

Food:			Visit: Fri 15 February 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: gypsy bell | 13 February 2008, 9.34pm

My gal pals and I decided on having a wee bite to eat during a hectic day of shopping... We decided on the Pony Club after hearing they had now started doing lunch (had already been there for fabulous cocktails & dinners!).

Was so good. We ordered the lunch special, basically a mini set menu very aptly named "the pony express" - it sounded great so we ordered one each. Lots of things to try and so cheap we even got dessert! Very happy - finally somewhere that understands a quick lunch, so perfect while shopping or even if you wanted to nick out of work for an hour.

Giddy-up indeed!

Food:			Visit: Wed 13 February 2008 Mealtime: lunch
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Posted by: Steelo | 8 February 2008, 10.53pm

A warm welcome and some good cocktails was great start to what would become one of the most enjoyable dining experiences my wife and I have had of late.

Our bubbly waitress was very attentive and offered some much welcomed guidance when it came time to order the food and wine. We went with her suggestion of having 3 small courses consisting of 5 tapas and a crispy jamon salad.

All the tapas were really tasty with simple but effective presentation. The standouts for us were the scallops with chorizo and manchego and the dates stuffed with blue cheese and walnuts.
We washed it all down with a fantastic temperanillo, also recommended by the lovely waitress.

For dessert we couldn't go past the churros. These traditional Spanish pastries were cooked to perfection with lovely hint of zest that worked beautifully with the chocolate ganache dipping sauce.

Definitely glad we went and looking forward to going back soon.

The only downside was my wife loved the decor so much she now wants to redecorate our house.

Food:			Visit: Mon 14 January 2008 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: matted | 28 December 2007, 2.15am

Dined at the Pony Club as a couple in late October after hearing so many rave reviews of it, and was infinately disappointed.

DO NOT come dining as a small group, or couple.

The Pony Club's atmosphere, inattentiveness and sharing-focussed menu definitely lends itself to a large group of people.

Upon entering, we were met by a beautifully dressed girl and a large restaurant whose decor was charming, cool and sophisticated.

Two serious issues with the restaurant itself:
1) The voluminous concrete and tin makes the sound levels rise to a point where you cannot hear each other without shouting.

2) The restaurant's one (single) air conditioner had apparently broken down 'only a few hours ago', and the temperature soared almost to the level of the sound. This was despite the staff kindly opening all windows to the breeze of Beaufort Street's peak hour car fumes.

Already sweating from the heat in the restaurant, we wasted no time ordering numerous tapas to begin. Upon presentation, we found the portion sizes to be extremely small for the price. They were of average taste, however.

I add 1 star to the food rating as the tapas were good.

The wine list is varied and extensive, and is a definite (and perhaps an only) plus.

Heading to 'mains' I myself ordered the spiced chicken.

Service at this point was attentive, but the waitress was unable to answer a question about my partner's dish.

After a wait of only 15 minutes (and despite a full restaurant) our mains were served.

The chicken was dry and rough. Despite being hungry I had eaten only half (of an already small portion) when my partner had finished his mains.

I add 1 star to the food rating, since it did actually come out of the kitchen.

As I was having difficulty swallowing my mains, we searched for a waitress who could find me a drink, however, none were to be found. In fact since they presented our mains we were not able to garner the attention of a single waitstaff for the rest of the evening (perhaps 30 - 45 minutes).

Despite dirty plates (with mine half eaten and a serviette sitting atop) in front of us for 25 minutes, and no desert yet served, we finally approached the podium to pay the bill and escape.

Perhaps try at lunch time when no-one seems to visit - I suspect the waitstaff may be more attentive, and the cook better able to do his or her job. The menu is also appropriately cheaper.

Food:			Visit: Fri 28 December 2007 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: JBluv2eat | 18 November 2007, 4.37pm

Went for a friend's birthday party last night - there were 12 of us. I was expecting something more than what we were to discover having heard and read good things about the restaurant.

We arrived at 7:30 pm and I was impressed with the layout and decor. There was a pleasant atmosphere and an inviting buzz so I thought this is going to be a special night out. We were shown to the bar area and placed an order for drinks sitting on tasteful and comfortable sofas arranged around a table. The cocktails came for 4 of the girls after a couple of minutes and then nothing... I could see that they were fairly busy and the girl behind the bar seemed a little stressed so I figured a few more minutes wait for the wine and beers was not out of order. After the girls had finished their drinks I thought it was time to inquire and found that the rest of the drink order had been lost or forgotten about. When our drinks finally came nothing more was offered to the girls, a missed sale I think! One of the guys got up and got his own beer.

We were then shown to our table and the service seemed to improve greatly. Food and drink arrived on time and in good order. However, the quality of the tapas dishes that we ate (the $60 a head banquet with a variety of choices) were for the most part average. The olives in oil and garlic were great, the lamb was good, the salmon was ok, the tuna was bland, the chorizo and bean dish was much too hot (spice-wise not necessary, covered a lot of intricate flavours that otherwise would have been there), the prawns were deepfried, the grilled haloumi was bland, and the churros with chocolate for sweets was not as good as it looked!

Overall I have to say average and expensive ($102 each). Maybe an off night in the kitchen and at the bar...

Food:			Visit: Sat 17 November 2007 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: RockApe | 3 September 2007, 6.35pm

Went to Pony club with 6 mates for a friends birthday. We are all pretty fussy foodies (and boozies!) and we had planned just to have a light tapas-style meal but after we read the menu all opted for the $50 a head banquet. It was amazing, very filling, the olives were a great start, the gorgonzola dates amazing and a little different, the house-cured salmon exceptional. By the time we had the excellent mains of snapper (they accomodated the fact we had a few vegaquarians with no drama) and the chorizo casserole, and a couple of bottles of booze and jugs of sangria (which was tops although a little pricey) we barely had room for the churros......

As you can tell, a great place to have a hedonistic evening with mates if you are willing to go "bugger the cost", which obviously that evening we were. Was about $80 a head with booze.

Food:			Visit: Fri 31 August 2007
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Posted by: cassyj | 23 July 2007, 1.55pm

I went for dinner with a group of 7 girls and I was amazed at the quality of the food and lovely service. I particularly enjoyed the rocket, pear, walnut and blue cheese salad. Oh, and the truffle honey feta was so good, and the tuna loins were divine. The recommended wine was also beautiful. We didnt stay for dessert as we were totally satisified from the tapas, and were all in a great mood to head out! I totally recommend this place if you want to try some delicate flavours. The only thing i didnt like was the lighting. There was one candle for the whole table, so I think next time I'll try and dine during the day. :)

Food:			Visit: Sat 21 July 2007 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: pookie | 2 May 2007, 5.36pm

Was hesitant to try The Pony Club after reading some mixed reviews but very glad we decided to go. Food was really different and delicious - 4 of us shared the banquet and enjoyed every dish. Will definitely go again really soon and try some of the other dishes. Wine list was very good and the service on the evening we went was very attentive. Beware however; if you dine in the back section the step down from the bar is a trap for the unwary - says she having falled flat on her face on the way in! Even that did not detract from a fantastic evening.

Food:			Visit: Fri 20 April 2007 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: Perth girl | 17 April 2007, 1.38pm

A group of my friends and I went to the Pony Club for a weeknight dinner and were extremely disspointed our choice of restaurant.

We arrived on time to the near-empty restaurant for our 7pm booking only to be told our table wasn't ready and we would have to wait at the bar. Twenty minutes and a few over-piced drinks later we had to ask if the table was ready and the waiter went to 'check', even though we could see it was. Once at the table we waited another 15 minutes to be given the menus and another 20 until a waiter actually arrived to take our order.

Despite ordering the tapas banquet for the whole table, we waited 30 minutes for our first course and all subsequent courses and each time we tried to get the attention of a waiter, they nonned at us and walked away.

To top the night off on leaving, we couldn't believe the price of the bill and asked for a receipt. On examining the receipt outside the door, we realised we had been charged twice for the drinks we ordered at the bar. And on going back inside to confront the staff about the overcharge they admitted they knew they had made a mistake - but failed to tell us even though we were standing at the door!

While the food good, but not remarkable, the Pony Club need to drastically improve their service to keep diners coming back.

Food:			Visit: Wed 28 March 2007 Mealtime: dinner
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Posted by: tooky | 3 March 2007, 3.45pm

We went there on a Friday evening after hearing a lot of good feedback about this place. After 35 minutes in there I was struggling to work out what all the fuss was about. We booked a table for 6:30pm but after getting there decided to sit at the bar and eat. Eventually we got the attention of the bartender and ordered two glasses of wine - that was as far as our evening went.

Asked for a menu, it came 15 minutes later, no one took our order despite 4 staff members just standing around polishing cutlery and chatting and we weren't offered a second drink. After 35-40 minutes we left and tried to pay the bill, staff couldn't operate the till and eventually they just gave us the wine on the house and we left (I think the floor manager knew they had stuffed us around).

Atmosphere was sterile, layout and design was ordinary and not very comfortable.
As for the tapas, well we never had the opportunity to try them. Menu looked interesting but had no real traditional tapas items on offer and a real disappointment to my Spanish girlfriend who was looking forward to tapas. Have been in the hospitality game for a long time and would not recommend the place.

Food:			Visit: Fri 2 March 2007 Mealtime: supper
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Posted by: RockApe | 23 November 2006, 1.01pm

Went there for a friend's birthday, the tapas were really good (especially the humus, really nice!) and it's also an interesting wine list. Very fresh produce and quality food, the service was a little erratic. I had to wait quite a while for some wine but other than that was an excellent night out! Good to see some decent tapas action in Perth, the last Spanish place which was over the road from this was terrible!

Food:			Visit: Wed 15 November 2006 Mealtime: dinner
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