Destination guides > Australia > Western Australia > Perth > Eating & drinking
Perth
Eating & drinking
Perth isn’t much of a food city and you won’t find the eclectic range of ethnic eateries that you’ll find in Melbourne, or even Adelaide. However this doesn’t mean that you’ll starve as there are plenty of affordable places to grab something to eat.
In the city centre there are plenty of food courts catering to office workers on their lunch break including the Metro Food Hall under the Hay Street Mall. Away from the city centre there is a good selection of places to eat in Northbridge, especially around James, Lake and William Streets. If you’re staying in Fremantle you’ll find plenty of places to eat around the Fremantle Markets and on South Terrace.
Travellers preparing their own food can find a Woolworths supermarket in the city centre (166 Murray Street, Perth). This is where most backpackers staying in Northbridge or the city centre buy their groceries. If you’re staying in Fremantle you have a better choice with a Coles in the Woolstores Shopping Centre (corner Cantonement & Goldborough Streets, Fremantle) and also a Woolworths (39 Adelaide Street, Fremantle).
Perth has some brilliant beachside pubs that are great places to spend a Sunday session. One of the best is the Ocean Beach Hotel (corner Eric Street & Marine Parade, Cottesloe) next to Ocean Beach Backpackers. It is right opposite the beach and you can sometimes see whales from the bar. Another good beachside pub is the Cottesloe Beach Hotel (104 Marine Parade, Cottesloe), aka the Cott, which is just a five minute walk south from the OBH.
Northbridge has a reputation as Perth’s centre of nightlife and although this neighbourhood does have a few bars and clubs it is hardly a happening spot compared with other cities. However Northbridge does have a lot of hostels and there is a good chance you will stay here and want to find somewhere to drink in the neighbourhood. The Brass Monkey (corner James & William Streets, Northbridge) is one of Northbridge’s main drinking spots. It’s a huge place with lots of different areas including a beer garden. The Bog (361 Newcastle Street, Northbridge) is a popular Irish pub that is convenient to many of Northbridge’s backpacker hostels. If you’re planning a big night out, The Deen (84 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge) is a great bar to start out at before heading to other clubs. The Deen has six bars, DJs and live music. Monday is backpacker night with happy hour starting at 6pm and a free barbecue around 7.30pm.
Leederville and Subiaco are two suburbs not far from Northbridge and they have some good places to eat and drink. The Hip-E Club (663 Newcastle Street, Leederville) is one of the most popular backpacker haunts, especially on Thursdays, which is backpacker and student night. There is also a good café scene on Oxford Street in Leederville.
Fremantle is perhaps Perth’s best neighbourhood for eating and drinking and it has a particularly good café scene along South Terrace. There are a lot of good pubs around Fremantle including another branch of the Bog (189 High Street, Fremantle) and Little Creatures Brewery (40 Mews Road, Fremantle), which is a microbrewery in an old boat shed near Fremantle’s harbour that also does excellent food.
