All Lux Out: A luxury travel experience in Western Australia

TO START, A SERVING OF GOURMET RESTAURANTS

For your first course, treat yourself to a generous helping of award-winning restaurants in WA. We begin our gastronomic course in the main city of Perth, where Lulu La Delizia serves up cosy, elevated Italian flavours. Chef-owner Joel Valvasori named the restaurant after his nonna, and the menu rightly reflects the warm, comforting food that an Italian nonna would offer at home. Sip on one of the Italian wines offered on the menu and tuck into your pasta because you’re in for a good time.

Further out of the city in Margaret River, the luxurious gastronomic doesn’t stop. Enter Frui Momento, a gorgeous winery restaurant that serves equal parts fine food and wine experience. Located on Caves Road in Wilyabrup, the restaurant also serves picturesque views of the vineyard it’s nestled within. Seafood is a big focus on the menu, but expect quality ingredients like vegetables, beef, and duck, all predominantly sourced from WA. If you don’t feel like exploring the tasting menu, worry not. Frui Momento also has a cold bar area where guests can lounge and sip on wine paired with delicious morsels from the grazing platter.

ON TO YOUR MAINS: GORGEOUS FIVE-STAR STAYS

Now that your palate has been taken on a gastronomical journey, your main course should be a luxurious stay in only the most extravagant of hotels in WA. Step into the historical State Buildings in Perth, a 140-year-old structure used for many government-related services throughout the century. It used to be the Public Offices, a police court and cell block, the Treasury, the Office of the Premier and Cabinet, and more. 

Currently, though, it houses some of the best restaurants in Perth and also a gorgeous hotel: COMO The Treasury. Occupying the upper floors of the State Buildings with 48 rooms and suites, most rooms overlook the Perth cityscape and Swan River. Designed by the late Australian architect Kerry Hill, the rooms in COMO The Treasury have an old-world grandeur, a nod towards the building’s legacy, yet have an airy and tranquil feel, which is a COMO signature. Pamper yourself with a wellness treatment specially curated by the COMO Shambhala Urban Escape. It combines eastern and western healing traditions, calming your senses  and rejuvenating. Otherwise, treat yourself to a swim at their heated indoor pool and gym.

In the Margaret River wine region, luxury accommodations are also plentiful. We can certainly imagine waking up to the sound of nature and walking out to lush, manicured gardens surrounded by vineyards. Get all that and more at Cape Lodge, a luxury boutique hotel set inside a private country estate in the acclaimed wine region. With only 22 rooms within the property, you can be assured that the experience will be quiet and intimate—you might even make a friend or two playing croquet and tennis on-site. If that’s too much activity, simply lounge by the pool or spend your days reading with a glass of wine or two. The on-site restaurant is also not to be missed— Cape Lodge Restaurant is a destination of its own, with an ingredients-focused menu that changes daily, depending on what’s in season from the garden within the property and nearby farms.

FOR DESSERTS, TRY A TOP-OF-THE-CLASS WINERY EXPERIENCE

Anyone can visit one of the many cellar doors in WA, but to make it an experience like no other, pick only the crème de la crème of them all. Two major wine regions in WA come to mind: Margaret River and Swan Valley.

Discerning wine enthusiasts will undoubtedly enjoy a tour of Vasse Felix, Margaret River’s founding wine estate. Sign up for a private, behind-the-scenes tour at the winery and learn all about winemaking from the local winemaker. You’ll also learn about the area’s history and how Vasse Felix came to be, and then end the tour with a wine tasting from the winery itself, which is always a good time. 

It’s no secret those who enjoy fine wine often have good taste—so why not bring it a level up and have a wine-tasting experience in an art gallery? Over at the Leeuwin Estate, you can enjoy a wine-tasting experience hosted in the property’s Art Gallery Cellar. Sip on wine while being surrounded by Australian art pieces. Coincidentally, these artworks arealso featured on the winery’s “Art Series” wine labels, which showcase the estate’s love for fine art.

Usually hosted in small groups, this wine-tasting experience is a great way to learn about the history of Leeuwin Estate and its winemaking philosophy. You’ll also get to taste some of their cellared museum releases, such as the Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz. 

Several hours away in Swan Valley, the luxury wine-tasting experience doesn’t have to stop. Get your desserts at the award-winning Lancaster Wines, which serves fine wine in a picturesque setting during your tasting session. In fact, the tasting session is held outdoors in a sheltered bar in the middle of the vineyard. You’re tasting top-notch quality wines in a relaxed setting, allowing you to let loose and learn all about the winery’s produce without the intimidation.

From the outdoors, we head indoors for another wine tasting in the Swan Valley. To be more precise, we’re going underground. At Mandoon Estate, you can opt for a wine tasting in their regular cellar door on ground level, but a more exclusive experience takes you downstairs to their Underground Cellar. Here, you can sample seven types of wines, including limited ones from their Reserve range paired with cheeses. Be sure to adjourn to Wild Swan later, the winery’s in-house restaurant. The contemporary fine dining restaurant serves a tasting menu comprising the finest local and seasonal produce, all designed to pair perfectly with their wine.

We have reached the end of our tasting menu for the most sumptuous experiences in WA. The proof is in the pudding— WA doesn’t disappoint when it comes to offering only the best for travellers who want a slice of the high life.