Perth

An Insider’s Guide to What’s New in Perth

Try something new every day.

Exterior view of The Beaufort in Highgate, WA. One of the best new restaurants and bars in Perth.

To borrow a classic line from pop star Kelly Clarkson, a lot has happened in Perth ‘Since U been gone’. And with the country reunited, it’s time to be brought up to speed with what’s new in Perth. A short answer: a lot.

With a slew of new rooftop spaces, entertainment precincts and a mega port brewery to quench the masses, a trip to Perth may be the refresher course you need in life.

To help plan your west coast getaway, we share our insider’s guide to what’s new in Perth.

AGWA Rooftop

Perth
Let’s start from the highs to the lows, shall we? No, we don’t mean best to worst places but the new star attraction of Perth’s skyline, AGWA Rooftop bar.

Located on the top of the Art Gallery of WA, it’s only fitting for the state’s largest rooftop bar to include an open-air sculpture walk with 360 views of the city. Besides the bar, the rooftop’s centrepiece is a massive 34-metre-long contemporary Aboriginal art mural by Minang/Wardani/Bibbulmun artist Christopher Pease. And that’s not the bar’s only impressive sighting; watching the sunset change the concrete jungle’s shade makes for another top-notch post art gallery viewing.

The Beaufort

Highgate
Keeping things elevated is the new multi-storey hospitality venue, The Beaufort.

The former furniture shop turned vertical laneway ushers a new era along the famed entertainment inner-city strip, Beaufort Street, in the trendy neighbourhood, Highgate.

It’s the place to be a lazy punter with the venue boasting a beer garden with a rooftop terrace, a contemporary Asian restaurant, a hidden speakeasy cocktail bar and a live music venue. So, if your mood changes, just switch levels. Easy. Book here.

READ MORE: The Best Things To Do In Western Australia

Gage Roads

Fremantle 
What Fremantle needs is more beer. Well, not really, but we aren’t complaining. Fremantle is WA’s unofficial beer capital, with countless waterholes serving up a local drop. But the biggest thirst trap of them all is the new Gage Roads.

WA’s largest brewery is housed in Fremantle’s historical B-shed along the inner harbour, just moments from the Indian Ocean. It’s got ample spaces to suit your drinking mood – inside, outside, kiddie’s playground or the adult’s game section (Cornhole, anyone?). You’ll soon discover it’s a real treat to live life in the slow lane, sipping a pint and watching cargo ships cruise by. Too easy – and breezy. No bookings.

FOMO

Fremantle
Sticking to Fremantle is the new FOMO entertainment precinct in the newly revamped King’s Square. It’s one of those rabbit-hole-like places where you can expect not to see the sun for a few hours, home to kitsch hole-in-wall-eateries, retail, mini-golf, bowling and arcade games bar. You’ll be forgiven for losing track of time going from one realm to the next, but just think of all the fun and no sunscreen required.

Electric Lane

Leederville
Get those electric feels going with a trip down Electric Lane.

An ode to Melbourne’s Guildford Lane, Leederville’s new and hidden entertainment strip is a hive of activity: morning, noon and night. Grab a morning cuppa, midday bite or choose to linger on in the all-day restaurant Servo oozing a relaxed ambience. The laneway sits behind the neighbourhood’s oldest pub so mix the old with the new. And when it’s time to call it a night, just hop back to Servo and visit its kebab window to take a hearty one for the road. 

Golden Boy & Jade Girl

Perth
Golden Boy & Jade Girl could very well be Perth’s hardest-working duo in the CBD. The venue operates in two sections; a restaurant (Golden Boy) exuding underground gambling den vibes and a rooftop bar (Jade Girl), an urban greenlit oasis. Besides its yin-yang mood offering, where the venue comes together is the flavour smack that it provides with its proudly proclaimed inauthentic bites. 

It offers a world of fusion with beef rendang rolly pollies with pineapple relish, beef tartare with pickled peach, and miso-glazed pork ribs, just some of its flavour mashups. Make sure to give both venues equal love, feast downstairs and head upstairs to grab a cocktail and enjoy the nightly views.

Book here.

Indigo Oscar

Cottesloe
Since WA is famed for its stunning ocean sunsets, why not cap this list by basking in one glorious view?

At the heart of Perth’s famed Cottesloe Beach foreshore is the sparkling new Indigo Oscar, a Latino-inspired pop-up bar residing in the former Indiana Tearooms. 

Instead of calling tea time, it’s bringing on the fiesta mood with its Latin flavours, from bites to booze. Kingfish ceviche, Shark Bay prawns arepas, and flank steak with chimichurri sauce are just some of the tastes you can feast on.

And suppose things start to get too hot in here, you can cool off with a speciality made piña colada sorbet, toasted coconut by local gelato connoisseurs, Gusto Gelato. Muy Bien!

Book here.

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