Best Bars

The scope of what each of this year’s 20 best bars provides varies wildly, from deep cellars packed with classics to disco-era cocktails given new life. One thing that they all share, though, is that above everything, they’re places we unequivocally recommend to pull up to for a drink first. Where you go from there – even if it means staying put for excellent snacks or even dinner – is up to you. Join us in raising a glass (or two) to them all.

Astral Weeks

A Northbridge fixture for vinyl tracks and no-frills drinking with a Japanese edge.

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Price

Address
Shop 12, 66 Roe Street, Northbridge

Open
Tue-Sun

Website
astral-weeks.com.au

Bar Vino

A bar, coffee shop and restaurant all rolled into one, Bar Vino is a newcomer with serious credentials and a wine offer to back it up.

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Price

Address
181 Central Avenue, Mount Lawley

Open
Wed-Sun

Website
barvino.com.au

Bertie

Among the mélange of recently opened eurocentric bars, Bertie, a winebar-cum-bistro with a modern British menu, is a breath of fresh air.

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Price

Address
77 Old Perth Road, Bassendean

Open
Wed-Sun

Website
bertiewinebar.com.au

Cherubino City Cellar

There’s an impish, hedonistic urge that comes with being surrounded by shelves and fridges of wine – and you’ll feel it instantly at City Cellar.

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Price

Address
169-171 Rokeby Road (enter via Xanthis Lane), Subiaco

Open
Wed-Sat

Phone
08 6380 2414

Website
citycellar.com.au

Edward & Ida’s

For those who can spot the nondescript entrance, Edward and Ida’s offers an experience reminiscent of a Melbourne corner pub imbued with a few British sensibilities.

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Price

Address
269 William Street, Northbridge

Open
Wed-Mon

Website
edwardnidas.com

El Grotto

The El Grotto experience is a familiar one: there’s a light-hearted South American disposition, a backbar loaded with agave spirits and a menu featuring a smattering of tacos.

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Price

Address
5/148 The Esplanade, Scarborough

Open
Daily

Website
elgrotto.com

Foxtrot Unicorn

Though Foxtrot Unicorn’s exterior is unassuming, this basement bar still serves up drinks that are among the state’s best, while giving guests a glimpse into a slice of Perth history.

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Price

Address
Basement, 101 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Open
Mon-Sat

Website
foxtrotunicorn.com

Lady Lola

The food from Michelle Forbes’ kitchen – from burrata with jammy beetroot through pasta coated in charcuterie sauce – may be as enticing as ever, but what’s increasingly clear at Lady Lola, is that if you don’t have a drink in your hand, you’re doing it wrong.

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Price

Address
4/16 Cyrillean Way, Dunsborough

Open
Wed-Sat

Website
ladylola.com.au

Mechanics Institute

This veteran of Perth’s small bar scene still knows how to deliver good times to all who climb the stairs to its rooftop setting.

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Price

Address
Rear, 222 William Street, Northbridge

Open
Tue-Sun

Website
mechanicsinstitutebar.com.au

Patio Bar

Freo’s Patio Bar is familiar but refreshing, a setting fit for low-key afternoons that fade effortlessly into evenings with a drink in hand.

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Price

Address
4/3-13 Essex Street, Fremantle

Open
Wed-Sun

Website
@patio_freo

Pearl’s Bar

Pearl’s is that rare all-purpose bar that achieves more by doing less, lavishing attention on exactly what matters: bang-up classic cocktails, comfortable surroundings and genuine service that’s warm and inclusive

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Price

Address
1/151 Bussell Highway, Margaret River

Open
Thu-Mon

Website
pearlsbarmargaretriver.com.au

Republic of Fremantle

Cocktails, and entire lists of cocktails, don’t come much more polished than those at Republic of Fremantle.

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Price

Address
3 Pakenham Street, Fremantle

Open
Wed-Sun

Phone
08 9331 7222

Website
republicoffremantle.com

Rodney’s Bait ‘n Tackle

When it comes to good times, Rodney’s Bait ‘n Tackle sure can throw down.

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Price

Address
598 Stirling Highway, Mosman Park

Open
Tue-Sun

Website
rodneysbar.com.au

Strange Company

At first glance, the offering at Strange Company seems typical, but dig deeper and the details that set this Freo stalwart apart reveal themselves.

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Price

Address
5 Nairn Street, Fremantle

Open
Daily

Website
strangecompany.com.au

Terrarium

It’s easy to lose yourself in Terrarium’s cocktails.

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Price

Address
99 St Georges Terrace (enter via Howard Street), Perth

Open
Tue-Sat

Phone
08 9200 4846

Website
terrariumperth.com

Vinotto

Vinotto is so comfortable in its own skin, so firm a fixture in the Western Suburbs

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Price

Address
2/137 Claremont Crescent, Swanbourne

Open
Tue-Sat

Website
vinotto.com.au

Volare

Volare has effortlessly picked up where its predecessor, Swallow Bar, left off, delivering heartwarming late afternoon cocktails, savoury bites and on point small plates which often morph into full-on dinner.

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Price

Address
189 Whatley Crescent, Maylands

Open
Wed-Sun

Website
volarebar.com.au

Wild in the Street

The beachy, boho fit out at Wild in the Street suggests you’re enticingly close to the beach, but you’ll quickly forget you’re not quietly watching waves roll in as you sink into bold, colourful cocktails working in unison with small plates basted in smoke.

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Price

Address
2/388 South Terrace, Fremantle

Open
Wed-Sun

Phone
08 6118 7219 wildinthestreetfreo.com.au

Website
wildinthestreetfreo.com.au

Wines of While

It’s the ease of everything. There’s the space, little more than a cosy box of a room, with classic bentwood chairs, a blackboard, a communal table a wine fridge and some outdoor seating.

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Price

Address
458 William Street, Perth

Open
Wed-Sun

Website
winesofwhile.com