Perth's dining scene is booming - these four spots are leading the charge

While there is much acclaim for new Cottesloe Beach restaurant, Tigerfish, the views over the Indian Ocean are so good from nearby Magic Apple that the restaurant could provide an early warning service for passing great white sharks. Set on cliffs above Cottlesloe's less-frequented northern end, it's all big windows and rustic beach decor and perfect for a seaside lunch, or spectacular west coast sunset dinner. The fare is as healthy as the sea air, with halloumi, cous cous and eggplant featuring regularly among dishes including organic chicken, grilled with tahini yoghurt dressing, beef nachos with green tomato mayonnaise and mushrooms with marinated tofu. It's not all acai bowls and kombucha, though; you can also toast the view with a prosecco. magicapplewholefoods.com

Taking advantage of its seaside location and anchored in nostalgia - it's named after a sand-blown kiosk that served beachgoers here in the 1960s - Bert's is a large, light-filled restaurant melding the feel of surf club bistro and pub beer garden, where the rollicking surf provides the backing track to the cacophony of conversation.

Its food offerings have evolved from the ice-cream and pop of yore, however, with a dozen oysters headlining shared plates that include moreish WA prawn and lobster rolls, Baja fish tacos and, for traditionalists, Spanish mackerel fish and chips and "Bert's Parmy". For those settling in, there's a drinks menu, from breakfast cocktails through tap craft beers to bubbly and an impressive variety of wines, almost as long as City Beach itself. bertscitybeach.com.au

Karla means "camp fire" in the local Noongar language, providing inspiration for this hot new city-centre restaurant, with modern Asian dishes cooked over a wood-fired barbecue, hibachi grill or in a charcoal oven. Set upstairs at Stories, overlooking Yagan Square, between Perth CBD and happening Northbridge, Karla is all dark theatricality, with splodges of moody red lighting and a central partition of branches underlining its campfire theme.

Service is friendly-breezy and the food, from Thai-born head chef Ben Pienprasop, is exquisite. With an emphasis on fresh, locally sourced native ingredients, shared favourites include Wagin duck cigar starters with hoisin sauce, barra and prawn tsukune on lemongrass skewers, and a crispy baby snapper main. stories.au/karla/

Perth's incarnation of the east coast Light Years' Asian diner franchise is an expansive and stylish, space-age venue on central William Street, with a banquette set under an industrial-style ceiling and a curved bar, accommodating walk-in diners. It has the ambience, if not the pricing or overly dressy imperative, of a special occasion restaurant for Perth's pretty people, with convivial chat flowing over a plethora of well articulated pan-Asian dishes.

To savour among the many small bites are spicy Korean fried chicken bao buns, ginger and shallot bay lobster dumplings and tempura bug rolls. Memorable among larger dishes are the Moreton Bay bug noodles in laksa bisque and the five spice pice roasted duck pancakes. lightyearsasiandiner.com.au

The writer was a guest of Tourism WA