Perth Restaurants, Cafes and Cocktail Bars for Every Mood

The Australian city of Perth is a fascinating mix of creativity, free-flowing money (thanks to the mining boom) and a determined independence that arises from the fact that most of the nation’s other major cities are a five-hour flight away.

Visitors to Perth are in for a treat, with every kind of food and drink experience on offer, from five-star restaurants to seductive wine bars and cafés that make the most of the city’s outdoor climate.

The keynote here is how much you can enjoy life, in whatever individual, idiosyncratic, even anachronistic, way you want to.

Alfresco is a key phrase: getting out under that big Western sky as much as possible, day and night, is a given for locals. Although from October to April, everyone gets going early to beat the heat, then withdraws to wait for the ‘Fremantle doctor’, the cool wind that blows in from the ocean in the evening.

Do be patient with the service. The mining boom has sucked most of the hospitality talent out of the city (elsewhere in the state, where all that wealth is being dug out night and day, they can make triple or quadruple usual city pay rates.) But show appreciation to the darlings who stayed and you’ll be showered with great experiences in return.

Here are some of the best eating and drinking discoveries in the most interesting neighbourhoods:

For a bar you’ll never want to leave, put Must Winebar, in the foodie area of Highgate, on your list. It doesn’t put a foot wrong. There’s quality wine, well executed tapas, a relaxed yet cosmopolitan atmosphere and a very convivial crowd. What’s not to love?

If you’re looking for a café where sustainability matters, make a beeline for Source Foods in evolving Northbridge. The clean, contemporary lines of the décor are a perfect fit with the simple goodness on offer on the menu.

To see a master chef at work, go to Shige Sushi Bar in South Perth. The décor is basic, if authentic, but the food is sublime. Acclaimed Sydney restaurateur Tetsuya Wakuda is rumoured to rate it very highly and other sushi enthusiasts will happily concur. http://NeoNeighbourhood.com Chief Experience Officer, Verity Byth’s insider’s tip, is “sit up at the bar, offer Shige-san a glass of your wine, watch and learn. There’s nowhere else like it.”

For a great find even the locals don’t know about take your friends to Annalakshmi on the Swan at the Barrack Street Jetty. Few restaurants run completely on love, but this one does. They supply fabulous home-style Indian vegetarian food, you “eat as you want, give as you feel”, making a voluntary donation for the meal. The prime river views are a bonus.

To see the future of Perth’s café culture make the trip to Fremantle, where Tonic is a beacon of contemporary design and food, providing all-day breakfasts and great fair-trade coffee. The lovely hand-painted screens are by the owner, Vicky.

For more great experiences in Perth and other Australian and international cities, visit www.neoneighbourhood.com. There’s food, shopping (fashion, home, pantry, books and music), hotels, galleries and concert venues and much more.