The Leadlight sees the team behind Percy Flints and Picabar breathe new life into a historic Northbridge space. With an expanded beer garden and a menu that takes inspiration from American Taverns, expect the vibes of a neighbourhood local, with a food offering that redefines ‘pub grub’.
German philosopher Friedrich Schiller once said “new life blossoms in the ruins”, which is exactly what The Leadlight — on the site of the former Ruinbar — achieves by transforming the beloved Northbridge spot. “We thought it had oodles of potential… and we just needed to ring that out of it”, says co-owner Brian Buckley. “It’s a lovely old building. There was scope for a big beer garden and that’s kind of our jam.”
The team behind The Leadlight certainly has a track record of atmospheric beer gardens, recently breathing new life into another favourite Northbridge spot, Picabar, and also running Fremantle pub Percy Flints. Buckley and his brother Conor, who is also a co-owner, tripled the size of the outdoor space at The Leadlight, creating different areas that can be sectioned off for functions.
The other major transformation has been turning what used to be the Pretty Good Pizza site next door into a commercial kitchen servicing The Leadlight. What this allows, according to Buckley, is for the food to punch above its weight — this is no pub grub and while Buckley despises the term ‘gastro-pub’, he admits it’s a fitting description for the food offering.
To weld the menu together at The Leadlight, the Buckley brothers brought George Maxwell over from Picabar. For inspiration, Maxwell says he looked to American taverns, rather than British pubs. As a result, there is an Italian lean, with dishes like bucatini with prawns and a baked vodka pasta with nduja and stracciatella. Pizza fans will also be relieved to know there are currently six different options on the menu, a nod to the former occupants of the kitchen space.
Leaning further into the American tavern style, diners will also find items like sirloin with curly fries and a cheeseburger on the menu, as well as a veal schnitzel. But Maxwell’s take on these classic dishes is elevated. The veal is what’s known as ‘white rocks’, an exclusive product from gourmet Perth butchers Mondo. “People who follow the food scene around Australia… [such as] Neil Perry and Anthony Puharich, both consider it to be one of the top five meat products coming out of Australia and I wanted to highlight what we had locally,” says Maxwell.
While the emphasis is on good produce, both Maxwell and Buckley ensure the menu is still approachable, aimed as much for a foodie heading there for dinner, as a local office worker popping out to grab a bite in their lunch break. Buckley anticipates lunch to be a big part of the trade, so a conti roll and fresh salads also feature on the menu. “We want to put things out that people are familiar with but go above their expectations”, Maxwell explains. “My goal is real cooking. We make all our own sauces, all the basics, and do them from scratch”.
This ‘elevated but accessible’ approach can also be seen in the drinks offering. Local WA wine and beer producers feature heavily, but while Ruinbar had an extensive craft beer list, Buckley also wanted to offer more “approachable” beers too. “We just want to be a neighbourhood pub for Northbridge. The thing I like about pubs is anyone can walk in, from 18 to 80, or older. So we want to have a broad appeal”, Buckley says.
The name The Leadlight is a nod to the building’s and area’s origins as the stained-glass manufacturing hub of Perth. It seems fitting that this new venue takes inspiration from the traditional while aiming to be a new shining light on the scene.
Looking for more drinking holes? Check out the best bars in Perth and WA.
