Words by Lucy Bell Bird · Published on 26 Jun 2024
During the first six months of 2024 a diverse range of venues have opened across Perth. They include a luxe fine diner that’ll take its place among the best in country, an underground izakaya, a nostalgic luncheonette with fuss-free lunch options and bars fit for every occasion.
Here – in alphabetical order – are our picks of the best Perth venue openings of 2024 so far.
The 248-seat heritage venue opened by Joel Beresford, Daniel Sterpini and chef Stuart Laws bills itself as a tavern with a flame-fuelled menu alongside a strong drinks list, including one of the broadest collections of cellared beers in the country. Laws will change the menu seasonally to highlight the best from local producers such as Bathgate Farm in Albany and Butterfield Beef from the Stirling Ranges, Lake Janis Dairy Farm, and Futari Wagyu. It oozes vintage charm with old timber, exposed brick, original frescos, pressed tin, chandeliers and old-timey curios.
Credit: Gibney, Cottesloe | Photography: Tori Lill
All 10 venues on this list have earned their spot – but the Kailis Group’s Gibney is the most impressive. The luxe brasserie and grill offers views from South Cottesloe to Rottnest, waistcoated staff and a menu of classic French cooking from James Cole Bowen. The seafood bar serves Pacific oyster kilpatrick with preserved chilli and smoked lardo. And the grill cooks western rock lobster with curried buckwheat and vadouvan butter. The Gibney Caesar (served tableside) and Fremantle swordfish (300 grams) are knockouts. For dessert, there’s chocolate cake with olive oil gelato and strawberries and cream, with shaved red berry ice and strawberry consommé. The vast drinks menu includes Perth’s largest champagne selection. But the tableside cocktails, particularly the smoked Negroni, steal the show.
Credit: Lo, Highgate | Photography: Tori Lill
This Highgate opening from Tomas Bidios (Tommy Tacos) dishes up the comfort food of the American south. Think low-fuss dishes smoked in a woodfired oven with “no foams, no gels, no bullshit”, such as pull-apart beef short ribs with hot honey, Jerusalem artichokes and pecans. And a 400-gram Berkshire pork chop brined in a blend of tea and apple juice for six hours. Mains all come in well below $50. Desserts include hummingbird pecan pie served with peanut butter ice-cream and salted caramel, and a bourbon-spiked apple and cherry cobbler.
Papi Katsu, a subterranean izakaya from the Sesh Mafia Group and chef Chase Weber, opened earlier this month. Weber’s menu is seafood heavy and leans on generous large plates and smaller snacky shares. Signature drinks include the Papi Slipper, its take on the Japanese Slipper with yellow chartreuse instead of an orange liqueur. The beer offering includes local brews and Japanese labels Kirin, Sapporo and Yebisu.
While Smidge technically opened in December last year it missed our end of year cafe list, so we’re rectifying its omission here. Gen Walters’s Mayland spot serves what she calls “little treats”. She eschews trends towards laminated doughs and slow-risen sourdough and goes for approachability with toasties, cookies and cinnamon scrolls that sell out each afternoon.
Credit: Strolios Luncheonette, Tuart Hill | Photography: Danica Zuks
Strollios Luncheonette is a love letter to old-school Aussie delis – where you could buy bread and milk for mum and a little bag of red frogs for yourself. Couple and co-owners Nathan Alexander (ex-North Street Store, Bagel O’s) and Hannah Budge breathe new life into this concept with their nostalgic Tuart Hill space. There are booths made from upcycled bus seats; unfussy sandwiches; Vegemite scrolls; and nanna-approved sweets including lemon meringue key lime pie, crustless strawberry and cream sandwiches, and doughnuts. Shelves are stocked with toiletries, household essentials and lollies (of course).
The first WA outpost by Tasmanian-born brewery Fox Friday is a quintessential brewpub. The bar is in the former Blasta Brewing Co space in Burswood. It features 20 taps including eight beers brewed exclusively for WA. The menu is classic beer-y food with burgers, Nashville hot chicken and dry-aged beef.
In February this Freo drinking spot opened with the goal of bringing WA’s wine regions to the city’s doorstep. Calling the venue a “winery” isn’t just for show – WA-grown grapes are fermented and bottled on-site. Half of the terracotta-hued venue is dedicated to winemaking. The rest of the space, with its inviting arched windows and greenery, offers relaxed drinking and dining. The 59-strong wine list naturally offers drops from H&C and other WA wineries, as well as some options from interstate and overseas. The list leans towards up-and-coming varietals like picpoul and fiano. The menu ranges from snacks and charcuterie to larger share plates including beef tartare and herb-crumbed octopus. There are also comforting favourites like fried chicken, toasties and a double cheeseburger.
Shirley’s might just be the one-size-fits-all style of bar every neighbourhood needs. The younger sibling to nearby Manuka Woodfire Kitchen has a retro, uncluttered interior and a menu of nostalgic small plates. There’s an impressive wine list and craft beers, but the cocktails are the star here. With local and small-batch spirits and ingredients, the standout of the opening menu was The Myrtle. It’s a delicate blend of Old Youngs 1829 gin from the Swan Valley, Lillet Blanc and a house-made marmalade.
Credit: Spring, Perth CBD | Photography: Tori Lill
This sprawling spot from Sneakers and Jeans hospitality group and the team behind the Seasons festival pop-ups offers dining, drinking and dancing. Downstairs there’s a 120-seat restaurant with shareable dishes including lobster rolls, rigatoni alla vodka and Wagyu sirloin. But make no mistake, Spring’s star is its drinks. With 450-thirsty punters, cocktails can’t be too “bartendery” rather the focus is on creating fun, high-quality drinks at speed. The upstairs bar serves boozy slushies to cool you down after a stint on the 250-person dance floor. There are also glass teapots of shareable cocktails like pink strawberry gin and tropical spiced rum.
Additional reporting by Holly Bodeker-Smith, Jasmine Loda-Batey, Jono Outred, Clare Ryan, Tom de Souza and Madeline Wallman.
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