Matisse Beach Club {CLOSED}

I had been curious about Matisse Beach Club, which opened earlier this year on the Scarborough beachfront. It sounded decadent and chic – like a beach club in Miami or San Tropez.

Matisse has caused quite a stir already – I had heard a couple of things on the grapevine like the food wasn’t too flash and that the average age was pretty young, so I hadn’t rushed out to pay a visit. To be fair though, winter is not the time of year that one would think to visit a beach club!

I got invited to a dinner by Matisse’s management and looked forward to the opportunity to check it out for myself and forge my own opinion.

The last time Chef and I had been at this venue it was “The Lookout” nightclub and we were on one of our first dates. Fast forward about 12 years and there was not a sticky floor in sight – thank goodness! Mattisse is fresh, light and airy. The colour scheme has big splashes of colour which pop against the white. It looks fantastic.

Some people have been whinging about the plastic glasses at the beach club. I don’t see what the issue is – they’re not exactly disposable, frat party cups. To be honest they don’t even look bad. Check out my pretty cocktail below. Who’d even think it was in a plastic cup?! There IS a reason behind the plastic glasses and with two pools and many pairs of bare feet, glass is not a good option.

Scarborough has been dogged by a bad reputation over the years. Matisse uses a state of the art security system to keep the troublemakers out. IDs are scanned on arrival, which is linked to police databases. The average age for men and women is about 29/30 years, so my assumption it was full of 18yr olds was unfounded too – and that’s nothing against 18yr olds – but it makes me feel like a Nanna!

We started the night with lush Mai Tai cocktails ($18) and canapés by the pool. The pool is only 30cms deep – perfect for sitting in with a cocktail in hand. The colourful, neon cabanas can be hired. I loved the spicy chicken drumettes, with blue cheese dip – delicious!

We then went through to the dining room, where colourful dining booths mirrored the cabanas.

A large seafood platter ($70) was brought out for a shared entrée. It was brimming with barramundi, salmon, crab cakes, scallops, oysters, prawns, muscles plus salad, slaw and super chunky chips. We were also treated to pizzas and salads, which both feature on Matisse’s menu of light, share food.

We enjoyed sampling several dishes from the menu. I enjoyed the duck with a walnut and goats cheese salad ($32). I thought the food was very lunch-y and relished the club sandwich ($24), something I’d not eaten in a long time.

At $22 – $26 the pizzas were priced reasonably – the prawn pizza was scrumptious. BTW… it’s half price pizza on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Mattise, owned by the Reid family who are also behind the Breakwater at Hillary’s, will have a busy summer season on their hands. It’s a stunning venue for some drinks and nibbles with friends. Matisse is more laid back than it appears – mirrored by the casual food on the menu. You can even go in barefoot off the beach – shoes are optional before 8pm. Matisse hasn’t been open during hot weather yet, so hasn’t quite had it’s day in the sun. The beach club is something totally unique in WA and will be a big hit in summer.

Thank you to Sean, Michela and the Matisse team for a wonderful night.