A good time in Perth doesn’t have to mean hitting up the town well into the late hours; never knowing where the night will take you, or accidently hopping to one too many drinking dens, no.
A good time in Perth can very well mean popping into your local for a pleasant libation with one, two or heck even three companions for an evening on the somewhat downlow.
And for the people of the Osborne Park, just a short ways north-west of the city centre, the latter will soon be entirely possible as a neighbourhood wine bar is on the horizon for the locale.
As of Wednesday 15 February 2023, Social House will swing open its doors to the public and welcome avid drinkers and snackers into its intimate space, which once served as an old-school deli of yesteryear.
Entrepreneur, Ami Bertagni with a string of successful cafe businesses behind him and the cult favourite Little Nolla in Nollamara, is at the helm the new O-Park venture.
Social House is pegged to be a continuation of Ami’s pattern of identifying under-serviced pockets of Perth and bringing that inner-city edge, combined with proper hospitality, to the suburbs.
Social House takes inspiration from Italy without being Italian, says Ami. “Italy is loud, everything’s a drama and it’s all about family and food,” he says. “It’s the Asia of Europe,” having grown up in Singapore, and learning of partner Michael’s Tuscan heritage.
Social House’s wine list is reflective of those Italian roots, as well as Ami’s personal preference for low intervention, organic, and biodynamic wines. While the small, but flavoursome menu draws on a Spanish tapas influence, curated by Chef Hailey Kuk.
Ami engaged the talents of Perth hospitality and food design consultancy, work.shop.dine to bring his vision for the wine bar to life.
“Social House set out to create a casual, but refined nook in Osborne Park,” says lead designer on the project, Trent Robinson.
“From the hand-formed plaster and feature marble pendants to the concrete render finishes and monolithic structures. The devil is in the detail when adding edge and character to this new neighbourhood bar.”
Ami shares that, “Work.shop.dine developed an intimate palette focusing on traditional, warm and exotic accents, rich in energy. The space is open and inviting, a staycation in the suburban hubbub if you will.”
“Our businesses are always about neighbourhood and creating community; building something that the locals feel is theirs, and that’s what Social House will be,” Ami finishes.
The Social House is set to make its grand debut to the public on Wednesday 15 February, and will be open from Wednesdays through to Sundays from 4pm until 12am, while their coffee window will sling the bean juice from 6am until 10am daily.
All images supplied