The Indiana

The sun set on the Indian Ocean as we arrived at Cottlesloe Beach in Perth. It was a picturesque scene of golden sky, glittering sea and pristine white sandy beach. Yet, somewhere far out in this vast ocean, were teams of rescuers working tirelessly to try to locate the missing Malaysian Airlines MH370 plane. It was with this heavy heart that we visited The Indiana, a dining housed in this iconic Western Australian landmark in early April 2014.

The Indiana can accommodate MICE groups of up to 140 people or 170 cocktail-styled. Given the spectacular sea view and proximity to the sandy beach, it is ideal for MICE theme parties or casual corporate dining coupled with team-building activities on the beach. The bistro also has two private dining areas – the Pavilion with capacity for 60 seated guests or 80 cocktail-styled; and the Private Ocean Room for even more intimate gatherings.

Online reviews from walk-in customers on The Indiana had not been very kind. However, my experience here as part of a group function runs contrary to those reviews. The food quality and overall experience on that night won over the hearts of most of the guests in our group.  The ceiling to floor windows in the Private Ocean Room, in which our function was held, provided an almost panoramic view of the ocean and the beach. Although it was stated that the room can seat up to 28 guests, and it felt comfortable with not more than 20 guests in the room.

The dinner started with mouth-watering platters of wood-fired Turkish bread, hummus, olive oil & balsamic, grilled beetroot, calamari, selection of dips and cheese. I ordered a beef rib-eye for my mains, cooked to medium-well. It was a nice thick cut, and the meat was pink and juicy inside without oozing out blood. It was absolutely tasty and tender. The sprinkling of beef cheek bits around the steak was a wonderful touch, giving the dish a different texture and feel. The bistro served large bowls of green salad to go with the mains. I tried the house specialty Chocolate Parfait for dessert. I didn’t find it particularly memorable, although it was good, rich and not overly sweet.

The Indiana is about 30-45min away from Perth CBD. When planning an evening function here, event organisers should take into consideration peak-hour traffic. The road leading to the bistro is rather narrow and without proper loading and unloading bay, hence organisers may also want to take note when leading larger groups in big tour buses.

For more information, please visit: http://indiana.com.au/