Perth fine dining restaurant Petite Mort has announced that it will be closing its doors at the end of this year. The chef-owned restaurant is considered by many to be one of the best in Perth.
Owner and chef Todd Stuart opened Petite Mort in 2011 in Shenton Park in suburban Perth. He took a risk placing a fine dining restaurant in the suburbs, but it paid off, and Petite Mort has gained many loyal diners, including Andrew Forrest and AFL star Nat Fyfe. That wasn’t the only risk Stuart took; Petite Mort translates from French as “little death”, which refers to the brief loss or weakening of consciousness and is mainly used to refer to the post-orgasm feeling. When the restaurant first opened, critics weren’t sure how the conservative locals would react to such a name, but clearly, the food backed up the name’s meaning.
Petite Mort specializes in an advanced dining concept called small plate methodology; this allows for an expanded food experience that wouldn’t usually occur using the traditional entrée and mains method. Petite Mort describes small plate methodology as allowing “a virtually infinite variety of menu delights, served within the meal”. One of the big concerns many people have when hearing about small plate dining is that they will finish the meal feeling unsatisfied due to the small portion sizes; this simply isn’t true. Furthermore, suppose you are one of the rare people who are still hungry after finishing one of Petite Mort’s degustation menus. In that case, Chef Stuart has a personal guarantee to start the menu over until you feel satisfied.
Todd Stuart is the mastermind owner and chef behind Petite Mort. Stuart was born in New Zealand and grew up in Dunedin. He grew up around good food as his mother was a very good cook whose cooking still inspires his dishes. Before owning Petite Mort, Stuart cooked in restaurants in New Zealand, London and Australia. He learnt his drive for cooking perfection whilst training under Meyjitte Boughenout, a Michelin star chef. He moved to Western Australia two decades ago.
Petite Mort offers two degustation menus five days a week, Tuesday to Saturday. Diners have the choice of a five-course tasting menu or the full signature nine-course degustation menu. They have a carefully selected wine list that exemplifies the best of Australian, New Zealand, and French wines; or, for a more curated experience, matching is available with the nine-course menu.
In 2021, Petite Mort was awarded 14 hats in the Australian Good Food Guide and a reader’s choice award and received three hats from French restaurant reviewer Gault and Millau. When they first opened, they were award “Best New Restaurant” by the Western Australian Good Food Guide.
Petite Mort will be missed from Perth’s fine dining scene, but we await Stuart’s next adventure anxiously. People should try to experience Stuart’s exemplary cooking skills before Petite Mort’s last service on the 18th of December.