The Principal Brewing Company

To start the New Year off on a positive note we decided to go back to a few of the places we enjoyed last year and went along again to the Principal in Midland. In renovated and historic school buildings opposite Midland Gate it is an attractive place.
Outside and to one side a beer garden, inside the front doors the restaurant dining room, and down a corridor to an open and well lit bar and informal dining area.
They offer a pretty good little wine list with Swan Valley and other WA wineries prominent — Mandoon, Upper Reach, Harewood to name a few. And they also have a nice range of beers both on tap and by the bottle.
This time we set our sights on a bottle of Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley rosé from McLaren Vale. Bright pink with rose petals and strawberry aromas, this crisp style is made from Grenache and has citrus and raspberry flavours, with a hint of watermelon sweetness on the mid-​palate. An excellent food wine.
Looking over the menu you will see it contains many of what may be termed «usual» pub food but moves beyond the norm with some innovative and different choices on offer.
We started with a shared dish of seafood cakes — squash ball sized rounds of moist, minced seafood in a slightly crisped skin — lots of Thai flavours, lemon, mild chilli and served with a salad of greens, a little wakami scattered over and a small bowl of Nam Jim dipping sauce providing its contrasting flavours of sweetness, sourness and mild zing. A good start.
For mains we chose a special of the day — panfried barramundi, as well as a warm salad with squid.
The fish had a delightfully crunchy and salty skin protecting juicy tender flesh and sat on a selection of straw and oyster mushrooms and charred spring onion in what was described as a ponzu sauce. The sauce was the only quibble we had– rather than a citrus lift it was much too salty — it tasted too much of soy sauce and that detracted a little from the overall dish. Notwithstanding that the dish was well presented and, setting aside the sauce, full of flavour and texture.
My salad of a mix of Asian greens, strips of pawpaw, slivers of subtly sweet wakami and a mild chilli dressing was topped with warm calamari fried with a Szechuan spices — the salad was fresh, crunchy and well complemented by the dressing, while the squid was tender, with just a hint of heat from the spices. A very summery and successful dish, we thought.
The Principal has carved out a niche as one of the best pubs in the area, but it is really more than that — the drinks selection is very good, the food is extremely well turned out — a lot better than just pub food — the waiters are friendly, professional and helpful, while the building provides a lovely setting.
We enjoyed our return visit and it will not be our last.

If you find yourself in Midland in need of a pleasant place to drink or eat, this is the watering hole for you.
While I wasn’t too fussed by the wine list, the beers on tap had me curious. Our group was really impressed by the food we ordered. The chips were awesome, and the pumpkin gnocchi piled on a mound of goozy melted blue cheese was deluxe and made me moan with pleasure. The gnocchi was fried. Sinful but delicious. I feel the food is pricey for the portion size, but I was extremely satisfied.
The building has lots of different areas including a pretty big outdoor beer garden. It looks like a pretty good place for some afternoon beers. Moreover, the staff were all really friendly. That said, I found the atmosphere inside a bit off.
All in all, the Principal is a nice enough place, but despite the fried gnocchi induced foodgasm, I wouldn’t go out of my way to return.

It’s a nice venue and the atmosphere is pleasant, but the food really let’s it down. I’ve never had a great meal here and at high end prices I expect great. Last time I had the Argentinian Porter house, the steak was cooked almost to medium rare, but obviously at too higher heat as the outside was charred and the inside raw in the centre. The meat itself was very poorly chosen cuts, tough and grisly, with little flavour in meat itself. Most low price restraunts I go to cook better steak than here. My friend had the same and same issue… Every dish at the table wasn’t up to a great standard by any means.

Not bad, food service was quick and fast. Will defiantly be coming back here soon

Probably the best bar restaurant in midland. We wouldn’t go anywhere else.
The security is good so you can be reassured.
Food is always well presented and rather nice. Reasonably priced,
clean premises
friendly staff.
Certainly the best choice for midland. We will be back!

A new favourite spot of mine for a fabulous lunch and beverage? I most certainly think so!
From the moment I walked through the gate to the main entrance and spotted the fantastic outdoor garden area, offering a surprisly peaceful surrounding, I some how forgot I was actually opposite the bustling Midland Gate Shopping Centre!
Entering the front of the buliding I was taken in by the whole interior design with it’s lovely wooden floors and polished Bar it instantly gives off a fantastic vibe and atmosphere. The room is wonderfully spacious so even during those busy hours you wont feel over crowed therefor mainting is fabulous Authentic Hertiage vibe and design. Truly gorgeous room that instanly makes you feel relaxed and ready to enjoy some good Food and time with your friends!
Yes, perhaps it’s just me, but yet again I had a hard time deciding where to start with the great varaity on the Menu! Offering a great selction from Small Bites & Shares Available 11−3pm, 3.30−9pm which offers a rang of options from Dips and Breads, Chicken Wings, Chips/​Wedges, Battered Onion Rings, Tasting Plates and Scollops and Oysters! All scruptious sounding starters! They then offer an excellent broad variaty menu with your great Princple Classic which offers your fantasic tradiction Pub Grub Meals such as Burgers, Wraps, BBQ Pork, Chicken Parma, Fish and Chips and Steak! They then offer A lovely Salad Menu!
Then from 12−3pm, 6−9pm they have a great Mains menu including Pasta, Beef Cheeks, Fish, Chicken, Peaella and much much more! Then of course to end an delighful meal you have the desert menu, offering mouth watering options like Brulee, Vanilla Saffron Churros, Chocolate Fondant or a Cheese Platter if the Sweet Tooth isn’t for you!
I was very satisified with my choice of Beer Battered Onion Rings served with their in house made Tomato Chutney! The Batter was perfect and the Chutney was one of the best I’ve tasted! surpurbly satisified start and the batter very flavoursome and cooked perfect!
I then ordered the BBQ Pork Ribs; Marinated in ginger, red wine & bbq sauce, served w/​wedges & fresh garden salad and the second it came out my napkin was dabbing some drawl away! Setting my plate in front of the the steam was still rising of the suculant ribs and the sauce gleaming with flavour and smothing my perfectly cripsy wedges and great looking Salad I could not wait to tuck in!
The Meat honestly could not have been cooked anymore more perfect, coming away with such delecisousy and tenderness it truly was a mouth watering meal with the sauce offering splendend mixed flavours you could tast everything! The Salad was fresh tasting and the dressing amazing! This meal could not have been cooked and presented better! They really know how to cook a rack of ribs!
I will recommend this place to everyone and it honestly is a must place to go wether its for Dinner, Lunch its perfect, and the option to sit outside in the lovely garden and enjoy the sunshine and great bevarge this place can not be faulted!
They also offer great entertainment, with awesome live music to keep you entertained and add to the awesome atmosphere! I’ve supplied the website to check out some of the great up and coming events this wonderful has to keep the great mood and vibe going!

I love that The Principle has a heritage story. I think a building site’s history should be kept alive. The front restaurant is my favourite part for that reason. I think they could have made it a bit more historically authentic looking actually though.
That said the name can be
pretty confusing when to have to explain to your Mum, where you went for dinner when you are a ‘teacher’ .(‘No Mum, its a restaurant.’) .anyway…
The food is tasty pub style fair with everything being fresh and flavorful. Not a huge range. Give it a go if you happen to be in the area and need a bite to eat. The service is friendly and efficient too.

Surprisingly Boganless? (only one mullet spotted the whole time we were there…)
Plenty of indoor and out door seating (most with shade)
Friendly & helpful staff happy to give us a small taste of their beers/​wine by the glass before shelling out for a whole one gained an extra star —
The word «Micro» should really accompany the word «Brewery» as they only have two of their own beers on tap… however they do offer an additional «seasonal» brew and this was my choice on the day as I wasn’t overly keen on the two regulars.
Other than that they have a reasonable range of beers (mainly James Squires on tap) and cider in both bottles and on tap
Cant rate the food but punters looked happy and well fed … always a good sign …

A microbrewery in the heart of Midland? Great. It’s places like this that are slowly and subtly, yet very surely changing the face of this oft’ scoffed at suburb.
My mum tells me that once upon a time, many moons ago, Subiaco was not considered classy. Not a suburb of choice by a long way. She has long talked about the need to revitalize Midland and I see this change starting to occur.
The redevelopment of the Midland Workshops, …and the Principal’s microbrewery in Midland are all changing the tapestry of this humble town.
I love the Principal. It get’s its name from its origins as one of the original schools in Midland. The red brick walls of a by-​gone era do add a certain authentic flavor and charm to the little brewery come restaurant come café.
The beer here is very good, as you’d probably expect and I’m a fan of the pear and apple cider on tap.
The outdoor and indoor dining areas are fresh and clean and charming. The staff have always been great and the owner is exceptionally helpful and wonderfully chatty.
Come down and experience this new side of Midland.