Perth’s rooftop bar scene has gone through a good shake up – much more shaken up and sweeter than your next cocktail round.
Perth is Mother Nature’s spoilt child. After all, its weather all year round is as almost as good as gold. So it was only a matter of time that the people of Perth looked beyond its famed beaches, lush green wide-open spaces to enjoy Perth from a new angle – a rooftop.
Perth’s skyline has gone through an urban metamorphosis of late, becoming a city full of life with its ever-growing bar and restaurant scene now flourishing across Perth’s rooftops – cheers to that! It is certainly on the right track to give Melbourne a run for its money for its innovative rooftop spaces.
Here I share with you my favourite spots in Perth to enjoy a sneaky beverage from a bird’s eye view.
Lucky Chan’s
Think you are walking into a laundromat? Think again. The only washing you would be doing is brushing the teeth after a decent session at the industrially chic Lucky Chan’s Laundry and Noodle Bar. Lucky Chan’s takes pointers from Sydney’s Soda Factory (one of my Sydney favourites) with its mock entrance to create of what could have been the most fashionable inner city laundromat.
Lucky Chan’s first opened its doors in 2015 after a successful crowdfunding campaign which saw it becoming Australia’s first permanent crowd-funded restaurant. Keeping true to its neighbourhood heritage, this three-storey William Street haunt also pays homage to the Asian migration and culture of Northbridge with its fun noodle-themed interior. I recommend heading up to the cosy and intimate open-air rooftop area to chow down a cheap bowl of freshly made in-house ramen. After all, they don’t have a showstopper $30,000 noodle making machine in the building for nothing.
It doesn’t just stop with a bowl of noodles or bubble tea cocktails either (all sounds too glorious right?) as pow-wow flavour fusions dumplings and baos are also on the menu; get into those miso and sweet potato dumplings stat!
Lucky Chan’s, 311 William St, Northbridge WA 6003
The Aviary
Hear the birds chirp and the shoppers bustle below from the confines of the (very) comfortable The Aviary’s rooftop bar, The Nest. This is Perth’s largest rooftop bar and one of its most loved. You would be forgiven for wanting to be perched here for hours on end as Perth’s largest rooftop bar is playfully decked out with astroturf, colourful seating and lush trees giving off cheerful, relaxed vibes. Perch yourself with a drink at the bar or head a few floors down to its intimate lounge area that overlooks the Murray Street Mall and William Street.
In the summer, things get even more glorious The Nest has the DJ decks spinning with its immensely popular (and free) Summer Rooftop Sessions.
The Aviary, 140 William St, Perth WA 6000
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Mechanics Institute Bar
This should come with a disclaimer; this is my favourite hidden bar in Perth and I hope you love it just as much as I!
If you think that burger and pint go hand in hand, so does good times and the Mechanics Institute Bar. Not only did this industrial chic, tiered small bar accelerate Perth’s rooftop bar movement, it acts as the perfect pit stop for an afternoon session – especially with its savage Bloody Mary topped off with a mini burger. If you are wanting a full on feed that will leave you in a carb comatose, try one of its boutique beers on tap paired with a lip-smacking burger from its friend below, Flipside Burgers.
Mechanics Institute Bar, 222 William St, Northbridge WA 6000
Connections Bar
Perth’s legendary gay nightspot, Connections Bar had undergone a revamp to look fabulous as ever. This James Street glitter-filled institution is the perfect setting for that much-needed disco dance floor breather under the stars. Its open-air rooftop area may make you feel like you are in Brooklyn with its red bricks, wooden flooring and larger-than-life globe fairy lights overlooking Perth’s multi-million dollar views.
Connections Bar, 81 James St, Northbridge WA 6003