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Chianti on Colins
Chianti on Colin's was an Italian fine dining restaurant established in a Federation Queen Anne-style house at 21–23 Colin Street, West Perth. The building was originally constructed in 1900 on a 652m² site and later adapted for commercial use. During its time, the restaurant became well known throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, particularly among politicians, journalists, lawyers, mining executives and business leaders working in West Perth's corporate district.
Italian restaurant
The business name 'Chianti on Colin's' was registered on 26 April 1991. Although the ASIC business name was later cancelled, the trading name remained current on the Australian Business Register under an active ABN associated with trading activities. The restaurant was established by restaurateur Umberto Tinelli and later changed ownership several times. In 1992, a transfer of the restaurant licence was approved from Alena Holdings Pty Ltd to Dawnglow Holdings Pty Ltd. Businessman Brian Burke was later reportedly involved with the restaurant, before ownership eventually passed to Leon Jung in the mid-2000s.
Its location close to Parliament House and within West Perth's business district helped establish it as a popular lunch and meeting venue. The restaurant heavily promoted itself as a fine dining destination and one of Perth's longest-running Italian restaurants. However, by the late 2000s its popularity had declined and plans were being discussed to refurbish and revitalise the business. Public reviews from its final years were generally negative, with many customers criticising the service, food quality and pricing. The restaurant eventually closed around 2009 after operating for almost two decades.
Listed for selling horse meat
Chianti on Colin's appeared on the Horse Meat Watch website, which catalogued restaurants known to serve horse meat. While horse meat consumption is legal in Australia, it remains relatively uncommon and often attracts public attention because it’s rarely advertised by restaurants.
August 2020
The end of the restaurant
After it permanently closed, the building remained vacant for several years. On 27 May 2014, a suspicious fire broke out at around 2.30am, causing an estimated $700,000 worth of damage. Firefighters spent more than two hours extinguishing the blaze, which had already spread through parts of the roof by the time they arrived. The incident was investigated by WA Police's Arson Squad.
Redevelopment plans
The property changed hands four times during its later history, selling for $510,000 in February 1991, $1.4 million in September 2003, $2.35 million in August 2014 and $2.18 million in March 2019.
In December 2015, the City of Perth approved demolition of the former restaurant and construction of a new two-level restaurant on the site. However, neither the demolition nor the redevelopment proceeded.
Instead, the vacant building remained standing for several more years and gradually deteriorated. By the late 2010s, it had become known for housing homeless people and people affected by drug use. After years of vacancy and neglect, the former Chianti on Colin's building was finally demolished in October 2021, ending 120 years of the building’s history.
Media Articles
Eclat Apartments
The Éclat West Perth apartment development at 19–23 Colin Street, West Perth was constructed on a site consisting of three consolidated properties. The site included 19 Colin Street, a commercial building constructed in 1975 and 21-23 Colin Street, which was built in 1900.
October 2022
Site purchase
On 27 March 2019, 19 Colin Street Pty Ltd purchased 19 Colin Street for $2.8 million. The adjoining property at 21-23 Colin Street was acquired by 21–23 Colin Street Pty Ltd for $2.398 million. The combined acquisition cost of the two properties was approximately $5.2 million.
January 2023
Development
The site was subsequently redeveloped by Palazzo Homes, a Perth-based luxury residential builder and developer, as Éclat West Perth, a nine-storey apartment development comprising 40 boutique apartments and 74 car bays. The project was designed by Bollig Design Group and apartments were marketed and sold off-the-plan during construction, allowing buyers to secure residences before the building was completed.
February 2023
Construction
Construction was completed in early 2026. Following completion, a strata plan was registered and individual strata titles were created for each apartment, allowing settlements to proceed and the apartments to be separately owned and sold.
June 2024
© Bollig Design Group / Eclat West Perth
