Hospitality veterans Michelle Forbes and Nella Antonic understand that great venues aren’t just about good food and wine; they’re about making people feel like they belong, without a hint of pretence. Their version of hospitality – fine-tuned from years spent working at Rockpool, The Trustee and The Subiaco Hotel – isn’t about grand gestures or overly fussy service. It’s subtle, disarming and understands that putting people at ease can be the best thing on the menu.

These values have turned the couple’s Dunsborough venue, Lady Lola, into a magnet for locals. “Life is busy, but we believe in slowing down for what matters: friends, family, and the relationships we build,” Forbes says. “That applies to our guests just as much.”

It’s testament to that hospitality that Dunsborough patrons are making the six-ish-hour round trip to the city to visit. “We’ve seen so many familiar faces already,” Forbes adds. “They’re loving the space but we keep hearing, ‘Just don’t leave Dunsborough’.”

Never miss a Perth moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

In the former home of Halford and later Pooles Temple, where dimly lit, masculine drama once held sway, Lola Underground offers a lighter, counterpoint. Plush royal blue banquettes meet botanical artwork and bird of paradise plants. “We wanted to create an oasis that feels welcoming to everyone,” says Forbes. “You’ve got project managers and lawyers working nearby, but the hospital is close too, so we see nurses and doctors as well.” The result is a venue that feels both refined and approachable: a place as much about inclusivity as it is about escape.

Antonic oversees the drink program with the same meticulous attention. Cocktails are deliberate, calculated acts of efficiency and elegance. Every cocktail is stirred, not shaken: a choice driven as much by pragmatism as by preference. “Shaking takes time,” Forbes explains. “In a small venue, you need to keep drinks moving, and guests shouldn’t have to wait. We’ve worked hard to balance every recipe so that a stirred Margarita, for example, delivers the same bright acidity and zesty kick as one shaken with fresh lime.”

The cocktail menu leans European, with spritzes, Negronis, and a French Manhattan sharing space with Forbes’s signature Lola Martini, which, when ordered dirty, owes its briny edge to a mother brine of Sicilian olives. Vermouth lovers will find plenty to explore, alongside cava and champagne, a nod to the couple’s travels. True to its name (an acronym for “love of life’s adventures”), Lola’s drink list feels like a postcard from abroad.

The food menu (Forbes’s purview) also leans European, offering a concise yet compelling selection of small plates. Think house-marinated olives kissed with vermouth and citrus, oysters on the half-shell, and a pork, pistachio and cognac terrine. A toastie stuffed with mushroom duxelles, confit leek, and truffled bechamel is the kind of late-night decadence that could turn a quick stop into an extended stay.

Cheese-lovers will find rotating selections of Spanish and French varieties, such as a 12-month manchego paired with orange fennel jam and crisp bread, while late-night specials – confit duck lasagne or an oozy Spanish tortilla – round out the menu with dishes that beg to be shared, or not.

Lola Underground
State Buildings, Corner Hay Street &, Cathedral Avenue, Perth CBD
(08) 6168 7888

Hours:
Sun to Tues closed
Wed to Sat 4pm–midnight

@ladylolaunderground
www.ladylola.com.au/lola-underground