Perth’s Must-Visit Wine Bars
Wine connoisseurs have it good out west. Whether you’re after cutting-edge local releases or hunting down trophy cuvees from around the world, the wine glass is most definitely half-full in the western capital.
Lalla Rookh Bar & Eating House
Take a cosy, timeless room in Perth’s white-collar heartland. Fill it with great wines (minimalist intervention and deeply Old World in style – mostly), bold Italian cooking and cheery sommeliers and you’ve got the makings of a model modern enoteca. Lalla Rookh is still Perth’s premier destination for wine drinkers.
77 St Georges Terrace, Perth
Il Lido Italian Canteen
Wine has always been a strength at this beachside restaurant-slash-bar and, under the guidance of former Quay and Print Hall sommelier Dan Wegener, Il Lido is now one of Perth’s best places to drink wine. Italy is the name of the game and a zealous commitment to sourcing wines and styles from around that country ensures drinkers are the big winners.
88 Marine Parade, Cottesloe
Shadow Wine Bar
If only all hotel bars were this personable. Following the boutique approach of the Alex Hotel in which it resides, Shadow’s wine list is big on small-scale producers, with offerings available by the glass, carafe or bottle. And a Euro-leaning bar menu (porchetta rolls) provides valuable sustenance.
214 William Street, Northbridge
Petition Wine Bar & Merchant
Depending on your level of self-control, knowing that everything at State Buildings’ in-house wine bar is also available to take home will either be very good or very dangerous. Engaging staff are on hand to guide guests through the (literal) wall of wine before them.
State Buildings, corner St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street, Perth
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No Mafia
As far as positioning statements go, “Southern Italian-themed wine bar” is fairly specific but No Mafia delivers. Vino from Basilicata, Sicily, Campania and the rest of Italy’s southern vales dominates the cellar, while bright, summery tastes are a recurring theme on the menu.
189 William Street, Northbridge
Lamont’s Wine Store
John Jens drinks, breathes and lives wine. As one of the city’s more experienced wine merchants, he brings plenty of experience and perspective to the Lamont family’s Wine Store, a smart-casual wine bar/bistro. The recent expansion into (keenly priced) European imports is further reason to set course for Cottesloe.
12 Station Street, Cottesloe
Budburst
Although not exclusively a wine bar, Budburst has an emphasis on grape-based refreshment (to wit: its name comes from an integral part of the grape-growing process). In owner and sommelier Rachael Niall’s world, up-and-coming producers rub shoulders with established names in an environment free of pomp and pretension.
406 Oxford Street, Mount Hawthorn
Billie H
After running some of Perth’s best-loved venues (Il Lido, Balthazar, Duende), hospitality veteran Dan Goodsell is finally out on his own. Between the bold cooking of young gun Alia Glorie and Goodsell’s wine list of left-field local and European drops, good times are assured at this fresh-faced suburban hangout.
34 St Quentin Avenue, Claremont
Image: Billie H
Must
Little has changed at this wine bar since it opened in 2001, largely because Must got it so right from the get-go. The unstuffy approach to wine, the benchmark-worthy charcuterie and the focus on imports all remain calling cards of this Beaufort Street veteran.
519 Beaufort Street, Highgate
Rockpool Bar & Grill
While many associate the name Rockpool with big-night-out excess, Neil Perry’s west-coast outpost is equally suited to (slightly) less hedonistic outings. Pull up a seat at the bar and start exploring one of Perth’s finest cellars. From big-ticket imports to exclusive house wines, Rockpool Bar & Grill has much to attract wine drinkers.
Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood
Top image: Lalla Rookh
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