The Best Pubs In Perth Right Now | Australian Traveller

Gather your mates at these top spots.

There’s something quietly brilliant about Perth’s pub scene. From riverside beer gardens and sun-drenched decks to reimagined heritage pubs with sommelier-level wine lists, the city has mastered the art of the modern public house.

Whether you’re after steak and trivia in Mount Lawley, oysters in West Perth, or a casual pint by the water, these are the venues that define pub culture in Perth.

In short

If you only visit one pub in Perth, make it The Camfield. It’s not just Australia’s largest pub – it’s a sprawling, sun-drenched destination next to Optus Stadium with multiple bars, a microbrewery and a sharp menu of crowd-pleasers like house-made pizzas and Wagyu beef burgers, plus a killer selection of local beers on tap.

1. Steve’s

people enjoying drinks al fresco at Steve’s, Perth — Laze away the afternoon with alfresco drinks by the Swan River. (Image: Steve’s)

A long-standing Nedlands institution reimagined for the discerning drinker, Steve’s offers the best of both cellar and kitchen. Wine lovers will be drawn to the boutique bottle shop, but linger for the menu of modern pub classics. Alfresco seating by the Swan River seals the deal. Head there on a Monday for steak night.

Address: 30 The Avenue, Nedlands

2. The Camfield

people enjoying beer at The Camfield pub in Perth — Immerse yourself in Perth’s elevated pub culture at The Camfield.

A giant with soul, The Camfield’s six bars, on-site microbrewery and prime riverside real estate make it a destination in its own right. The kitchen keeps things elevated yet accessible with pulled beef sliders, chicken parmis and steak sandwiches. It’s Perth pub culture at its most polished and most fun.

Address: 1 Roger Mackay Dr, Burswood

3. The Royal

the Billiard room at The Royal Perth — Dial up the good vibes at The Royal Perth.

A bright, breezy pub perched on the banks of Claisebrook Cove, The Royal mixes deco heritage with contemporary flair. The menu leans fresh and local, featuring pub classics as well as mod Aus dishes. Best enjoyed soaking up the sun on the waterfront terrace, with a WA sauv blanc in hand.

Address: 60 Royal St, East Perth

4. Subiaco Hotel

After a loving restoration, the Subi is back to its full swagger. It’s part heritage hotel, part sleek gastropub and all atmosphere. The menu is confident and crowd-pleasing, with a rotating specials menu for almost every day of the week. Wednesday is Parmi Day, with six different chicken parmigiana options to choose from.

Address: 465 Hay St, Subiaco

5. The Elford

a glass of cocktail at The Elford pub, Perth — The Elford crafts cocktails with a twist.

Mount Lawley’s newest old pub, The Elford has been artfully reimagined with leafy interiors, a rooftop deck and a firm commitment to craft beer. Visit on a Wednesday night for Perth’s best pub trivia night, with $20 chicken parmi specials and $9 pints of their rotating beer of the month.

Address: 639 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley

6. The Inglewood Hotel

This unpretentious local delivers on all fronts – heritage charm, a sprawling beer garden and a menu that swings from comfort food to contemporary fare. It also has arguably one of the best wine lists in Perth, featuring the who’s who of WA winemakers, with a peppering of other Australian labels.

Address: Cnr Fifth Avenue and Beaufort St, Mt Lawley

7. Mayfair Lane

a look inside the Mayfair Lane gastropub in Perth — Mayfair Lane is one of the best gastropubs in Perth. (Image: DZuks)

A Brit-accented gastropub with serious wine cred, Mayfair Lane is where you go for perfectly cooked steak frites, triple-cooked chips and oysters shucked to order. Their 250+ wine list is curated with sommelier precision, and the Thursday night steak special is worth planning your week around.

Address: 72 Outram St, West Perth

8. The Queens Tavern

This grand old dame of Highgate combines Federation-era charm with modern finesse. Built in the 1880s, it’s one of Perth’s oldest pubs, blending good food, great service and top service. On the plate, expect pub classics, fresh seafood and succulent steaks. The covered veranda is a prime perch come sundown.

Address: 520 Beaufort St, Highgate

9. The Belgian Beer Cafe

people enjoying drinks al fresco at The Belgian Beer Cafe, Perth — The Belgian Beer Cafe is a great spot to gather mates. (Image: The Belgian Beer Cafe)

Charming and a little cheeky, this Euro-style haunt offers more than just an encyclopaedic beer list. The alfresco tables under the shade of umbrellas are a great spot to pull up, cold one in hand, and watch the bustle of the CBD go by.

Address: Cnr Hay & King Streets, Perth

10. The Lucky Shag Waterfront Bar

The Lucky Shag Waterfront Bar, Perth — Secure a prime waterfront table for sunset drinks. (Image: Supplied)

One of Perth’s most laidback waterfront venues, The Lucky Shag is ideal for a casual session with mates. Expect jugs of beer, live music and an easygoing menu of burgers, seafood and pizzas. No frills, just good vibes by the water.

Address: Barrack Square, Perth (located in Old Perth Port)

11. Market Grounds

clinking wine glasses over dinner at Market Grounds, Perth — Settle in for a share-style plates complemented by wine. (Image: Market Grounds)

Once a fresh produce market, now a bustling bar and eatery, Market Grounds bridges the old and new with flair. Its food game is strong – freshly shucked oysters, beef skewers and ricotta gnocchi are favourites – while DJs and cocktail pitchers keep the party going.

Address: 10 Telethon Ave, Perth

12. Edward & Ida’s

pub grub at Edward & Ida’s, Perth — The extensive menu at Edward & Ida’s features much-loved pub grub.

A charming throwback with a modern twist, Edward & Ida’s is a charming small pub in the heart of Northbridge. In the tradition of great classic pubs, you’ll find a simple yet slick wine list, a good pint of beer on tap and nostalgic counter meals from the mind of esteemed chef Blaze Young.

Address: 269 William St, Northbridge

13. The Stables Bar

Hidden behind a laneway facade, The Stables Bar is a CBD favourite for date nights and after-work hangs alike. The menu is contemporary Australian – think pan-roasted barramundi,  crispy pork shoulder and scotch fillet – and the leafy courtyard is hard to beat on a balmy evening.

Address: 888 Hay St, Perth

14. The Shoe Bar

Set in the heart of Yagan Square, The Shoe is a versatile two-level venue that swings from breakfast to late-night. Expect pub staples like pizzas, burgers and chicken wings, plus a smart selection of local brews and a stellar all-star cast of WA wines.

Address: Yagan Square, 376-420 Wellington St, Perth

15. The Generous Squire

clinking glasses over dinner at The Generous Squire pub, Perth — The Generous Squire pairs hearty fare with house-made beer.

This James Squire flagship celebrates the brewer’s legacy with house-made beer, hearty fare and a warm, communal atmosphere. They pride themselves on their epic burger menu, which has an impressive 14 different pub-style burgers. The Sailor, featuring beer battered fish, pickles, lettuce, ranch dressing and burger sauce is a stand-out. Wash it down with a pint brewed metres away.

Address: 397 Murray St, Perth

Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

Aerial view of Mandurah. — Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

The best things to do in Mandurah

Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

Dolphins swimming in Mandurah. — Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah. — Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

Where to eat in Mandurah

Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops. — Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

Where to stay in Mandurah

With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river — Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.

The best pubs in Perth, according to a local