16 October 2024
11 mins Read
Of course with the warm weather and endless sunshine, Perth is the ideal place for some remarkable rooftop bars. But it also boasts everything from martini bars and whiskey saloons, to cocktail basements and sophisticated wine and cheese bistros. These are the 23 best bars in Perth.
Best for: Whiskey and bourbon drinkers
Alabama Song is Perth’s favourite honky tonk country bar. Expect peanuts on the tables, live music behind the chicken wire and fried chicken and cheeseburgers if you need some sustenance.
Address: 232 William St, Northbridge
Opening hours: Wednesday – Saturday 6pm – 2 am; Sunday 8pm – 2am
Best for: Cocktails, pizza and rock’n’roll
To the untrained eye, this might look like a city pizza joint, but Alfred’s Pizzeria is one of the best small bars in Perth. Enter through the old phone booth and descend down the stairs to the dimly-lit, timber-clad bar for an unforgettable night of wood-fired pizzas and Italian vino.
Address: 37 Barrack St, Perth
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 3pm – midnight
Best for: Music appreciators
Astral Weeks is a listening bar in the heart of Perth’s Chinatown. Inspired by the great listening bars of Japan, the bar is an acoustically-treated sanctuary where bar staff and guest selectors play records on an exquisite all-analogue Line Magnetic sound system.
With a focus on high-quality Australian and international wines, the drinks list is as carefully considered as the records on the bar’s turntables.
Address: Shop 12, 66 Roe Street, Northbridge
Opening hours: Wednesday – Sunday from 4pm
Best for: Cocktail and whiskey drinkers
A stalwart of the Perth bar scene, Lafayette is a sophisticated and plush bar on one of Perth’s oldest heritage buildings.
Sink into one of the Chesterfield couches and enjoy your hand-crafted cocktail while marvelling at the vintage art lining the walls.
Address: 125 St Georges Terrace, Perth
Opening hours: Wednesday & Thursday – 4pm – 11.30pm; Friday 4pm – midnight; Saturday 6pm – midnight
Best for: Drinks and eats
Bar Rogue is in the hip inner-city suburb of Highgate and caters to those who like a snack with their tipple.
The kitchen serves up food until late, with dishes ranging from oysters, saganaki and lobster rolls – to gnocchi, duck curry and steak.
Address: 515 Beaufort Street, Highgate
Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 5pm – 10pm; Friday & Saturday 5pm – midnight; Sunday 3pm – 10pm
Best for: Italian wine and dining
This neighbourhood wine bar in uber-cool Mount Lawley is inspired by the Italian way of life.
The extensive wine list has more than 150 wines, which sit alongside a food menu that heroes Italian classics.
Address: 181 Central Ave, Mt Lawley
Opening hours: Wednesday – Sunday from 4pm
Best for: Drinks with friends
A great classic bar with a simple yet slick wine list. Edward and Ida’s is great for everything, from a midweek pint to a late-night party in the basement. Enjoy classic cocktails, tap beers, and a tight list of wines alongside Patagonia toothfish burgers, a variety of pies, and curried scotch eggs.
Address: 269 William Street, Northbridge
Opening hours: Tuesday – Thursday 4pm – midnight; Fri – Sun 12pm – midnight
Best for: Date night
Bobeche is one of Perth’s most charismatic cocktail bars. Located in the basement of the renowned Heritage Bar + Kitchen, it has a century-old, speak-easy vibe with some of the best bartenders in town shaking up lesser-known classics such as the Brooklyn and the Singapore Sling.
Address: 131 St Georges Terrace, Perth
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 4pm – midnight
Best for: Tequila (and a big night)
Stepping inside this Mexican cantina and tequila bar is not for the faint-hearted. Expect loco times with food and drink specials, DJs, mariachi bands, pole dancing and piñata parties, and even a resident live tattoo artist inking free custom Caballitos tattoos.
Address: 26 Queen Street, Perth WA
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday 4pm – late
Best for: Wine and cheese
This neighbourhood wine bar and bottle shop has an extensive wine, beer, cocktail and spirits list.
Take a seat at their alfresco tables on the sidewalk, order some Sicilian olives and cheese, crackers and quince and enjoy.
Address: 399 Oxford Street, Mount Hawthorn
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 4pm – late
Best for: Late-night cocktails (and jaffles)
Hiding underground in an old bank vault from 1887, Foxtrot Unicorn is home to some of Perth’s most awarded bartenders who are obsessed with finding the best produce from near and far. You’ll find all sorts of fine spirits, classic and modern cocktails, an eclectic wine list and some very fancy jaffles including one with 10 cheeses.
Address: Basement, 101 St Georges Terrace, Perth
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 4pm – midnight; Friday 4pm – 1am; Saturday 5pm – 1am
Opening hours: Tuesday – Thursday 4pm – 10pm; Friday & Saturday 12pm – 1am; Sunday 12pm – 10pm
Best for: Wine and cheese
In stylish Subiaco, Lums is a boutique wine bar offering a generous selection of world-class wines and tasty nibbles.
The menu skews Meditteranean with a range of tapas delights such as jamon and pea croquetas and Hirosma kingfish sashimi, and larger plates including wild mushroom gnocchi and wild boar ragu. These are to be paired with a funky Swan Valley Pet Nat or a classic Italian Nebbiolo.
Address: 433 Hay Street, Subiaco WA
Opening hours: Tuesday – Thursday 4pm – 11pm; Friday & Saturday 12pm – midnight; Sunday 12pm – 9pm
Best for: A great martini
This relatively new bar in Northbridge has a focus on martinis, but also has an old-world European-inspired wine list. Park up in one of their elegant leather booths and enjoy some of their Baltic-inspired food like eggplant doughnuts with salted ricotta and tomato, with your perfectly mixed martini.
Address: 434 William St, Perth WA
Opening hours: Wednesday – Saturday 12pm – late; Sunday 2pm – 8pm
Best for: Cheese and wine
Powell’s Fromargerie and Wine Bar is an inner-city haunt run by mother and daughter Marisa and Jasmine Powell. Get cosy in the slick, sophisticated space and enjoy gourmet cheeses that are designed to be paired with the tight, rotating wine list.
Don’t miss out on the Cheese Mongers Choice Board which features a selection of that day’s finest cheeses.
Address: 12 Electric Lane, Leederville
Opening hours: Wednesday – Friday 4pm – 9pm; Saturday – 2pm – late
Best for: Gin lovers
A classic of the Northbridge bar scene, Frisk is best known as Perth’s neighbourhood gin bar. They have an ever-evolving collection of 200+ gins, from WA, interstate and overseas. The space is an eclectic mishmash with unpretentious style – world-class cocktails with friendly staff. Don’t pass on ordering the nostalgic Frosty Fruit with passionfruit and orange sour.
Address: 103 Francis St, Northbridge
Best for: Rum (and a bit of an adventure)
Sneaky Tony’s is a prohibition-style bar in Northbridge’s Chinatown, with shelves bursting with rum – they have more than 300 bottles from around the world.
In true prohibition style though, they don’t reveal their address and passwords are required on Friday and Saturday nights (but you can find them on their Facebook and Instagram.) Have fun with your mates trying to find it.
Address: Somewhere in Chinatown, Northbridge WA
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday 5pm – midnight
Best for: A late-night drink and dance
Spring On Queen is a relatively new addition to the city bar scene. Spread across multiple floors within a century-old heritage building, you can expect smooth DJs, unique cocktails and delicious food in a vibrant and (very Instagrammable) setting. They also do a bottomless high tea where cocktails are playfully served in teapots.
Address: 16 Queen Street, Perth WA
Opening hours: Wednesday & Thursday 4pm – 12am; Friday 12pm – 2am; Saturday 12pm – 2am
Best for: Drinks on a balmy evening
The Standard is a light, bright and breezy garden bar with great food in Northbridge. The drinks list is refined, stylish and incredibly fun with flavours of Italian stone fruits and summer citrus, creamy dessert favourites and hints of Mediterranean spice. On balmy nights, head up to their rooftop bar.
Address: 28 Roe Street, Northbridge WA
Opening hours: Wednesday – Friday 4pm – late; Saturday & Sunday 12pm – til late
Best for: Aperitifs and grazing
Tom’s Providore is a Euro-inspired wine bar and shop, with a selection of food and wine sourced locally and from around the globe.
Graze on tasty cheeseboards, mushroom stuffed arancini, and spinach and ricotta lasagne.
And if you want to take some nibbles home, they offer a generous range of salads and homely ready-made meals have you sorted.
Address: 290 Beaufort Street, Perth
Opening hours: Tuesday & Wednesday 8am – 5pm; Thursday 8am – 10pm; Friday 8am – 11pm; Saturday 11am – 11pm
Best for: A taste of Italy
Fifteen minutes from the city, Volare is a small neighbourhood aperitivo bar that will whisk you away from Maylands, to the great coastal cities of Europe. Think Sardinia, Marseille, Amalfi, and Valencia – and all the delectable drinks and dishes in between.
Address: 198 Whatley Crescent, Maylands WA
Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 4pm – 11pm; Saturday 12pm – 11pm
Best for: Aperitif on a sunny afternoon
Vincent Wine Bar has a blackboard food and wine menu that leans towards French bistro cuisine.
The leafy green bricked courtyard space is an idyllic spot for an afternoon Italian or French wine alongside small bites such as chicken liver pate, cured meats, and cheese.
Address: 465 William Street, Perth WA
Opening hours: Wed & Thursday 4pm – late; Friday – Sunday 12pm – late
Best for: Date night
Vinotto is an intimate wine bar in the coastal suburb of Swanbourne, about 10 minutes from Perth CBD. The unique and interesting wine list is Mediterranean-leaning and sourced mostly from small producers. Swing by on a Wednesday for a glass of wine and the pasta of the week for just $30.
Address: 2/137 Claremont Crescent, Swanbourne, WA
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday 3pm – late
Best for: Natural wines
Wines of While is a small natural wine bar, restaurant, and wine store in the CBD. The team works with winemakers and farmers who prioritise sustainable land practices, curating a selection of wines primarily from Australia and Europe. Grab a coveted alfresco table on the sidewalk and tuck into Mediterranean-style bites such as dhufish, venus clams and chives, and ricotta and spinach rotolo.
Address: 458 William Street, Perth WA
Opening hours: Monday & Thursday 4pm – 10pm; Friday 4pm – 11pm; Saturday 12pm – 11pm; Sunday 12pm – 6pm
Discover the best cafes in Perth.
This list is very helpful for me right now that I am back to Perth. Will check some of these bar out, thanks for sharing!
Enjoy bar-hop exploring!