Lock 'n' Load

Recently I went along to a birthday party at Lock 'n' Load at West End. Lock 'n' Load is another one of those places that I have walked past loads of times, but never actually ventured inside.

My friends had cleverly booked a private room up on the first floor. When you walk inside, the first thing you'll see is the main bar. This is also where bands set up later on in the night. Then you walk past the dining area, which was very busy. There's also an outdoor area out the back, but being the middle of winter, I'm glad we weren't out there.

We headed upstairs into the space that had been booked. It turned out to be two pretty big rooms, together with a verandah that overlooked Boundary Street. There were plenty of couches and chairs around the two rooms to relax into after we'd all had a few drinks.

Rather than have a sit-down dinner, we ate from the $30 a head canape menu. The quality of canapes at Lock 'n' Load is a big step up from the tired calamari rings and soggy spring rolls that so many places serve up around town. The canapes included arancini (risotto balls), asparagus wrapped in shaved zucchini served with tomato sauce, nachos with salsa, avocado, cheese & sour cream, scallops served on a half shell (these were delicious) and crusty bread served with pesto, tomato and roast capsicum. Sure it wasn't haute cuisine, but it was tasty and exactly the food we were after.

The food was brought out on platters every 5-10 minutes and then left on a table for grazing. There was plenty of food throughout the night. For me, this is the perfect kind of dinner for a party - you can have a drink in one hand, a canape in the other and wander around the room talking to whoever you like.

During the night we all ordered our drinks from the bar downstairs. Although the bar got busy as the night went on, I never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to be served. Drinks prices are very reasonable - you can get decent bottles of wine under $30 and standard spirits are $6.

The music during the night was fantastic, which added to a great atmosphere. They even played two Belle & Sebastian albums in a row, so whoever was in charge of the music had great taste (Belle & Sebastian are one of my favourite bands - you can have a listen here). If you don't like the music they're playing on the sound system, then head downstairs where you're likely to find a band playing on most Friday and Saturday nights.

So if you're looking for a great spot for a private party or a night out with a bunch of friends, its definitely worth giving Lock 'n' Load a try. The food is good, drinks are cheap, you can reserve a private room and they even play great music - what more could you need on a Saturday night?

Lock 'n' Load Bistro
142 Boundary Street
West End 4101
P - 07 3844 0142
W - http://www.locknloadbistro.com.au/