Perth’s Best Pubs To Hit Up This Weekend
Maddie Wallman
Contributor | Urban List
There’s just something about pubs, isn’t there? The buzz of thirsty locals, the clink of pint glasses, the smell of chips wafting through the air—pure comfort. Perth’s pub scene is a glorious mix of heritage-listed haunts, zhuzhed-up locals and rowdy beer gardens that have seen more iconic Sunday sessions than anyone on the East Coast could possibly imagine.
For me personally, nothing hits quite like rolling into a proper old-school boozer, ordering a pint that’s colder than my ex’s heart and tucking into a parmi the size of my head, but there's a Perth pub for every mood and moment. From footy-friendly front bars to coastal icons and hidden gems with a bit of grit, I've rounded the best worth sinking a schooner (or three) in. Bottoms up.
The Leadlight
165 Beaufort St, Perth WA 6000
Image credit: The Leadlight | Instagram
The former Ruinbar got the glow-up of the century in early 2025, with the brothers behind Picabar and Percy Flint blowing out the backyard and jazzing up the interiors of the beloved Northbridge watering hole. The result is a neighbourhood pub with serious outdoor real estate: multiple garden areas, plenty of greenery, an outdoor fireplace and enough tables to make securing a sunny spot considerably less competitive. Inside, the Italian-American-inspired menu gives standard pub fare a proper shake-up, with White Rocks veal schnitty, dry-aged Black Onyx beef burgers, Nashville chicken, six kinds of pizza and the overstuffed panuzzo.
Insider Intel:
The panuzzo is available at lunchtime only, so don't rock up at dinner expecting to get your hands on one of these indulgent pizza sandwiches.
The Stirling Arms Hotel
117 James St, Guildford WA 6055
Image Credit: The Stirling Arms Hotel | Instagram
Pouring pints since 1852, The Stirling Arms Hotel is 173 years young and showing no signs of slowing down. Now under the guidance of publicans (and all-round legends) Jesse and Dave, this historic Guildford pub is well worth the half-hour trip from Perth, with plenty to keep you occupied once you arrive. Settle in with a woodfired pizza, grab a cold one at the breezy alfresco bar or work your way through the weekly pub specials, with local beers and live music adding to the easygoing atmosphere. The newly opened Percy's Playground means the little ones have their own agenda, too: a secure, nature-inspired play space with a dedicated toddler zone, kids' menu and baby-change facilities.
Insider Intel:
Can't decide who's doing the driving? Guildford train station is just a 10-minute walk away, meaning everyone can enjoy that second pint.
Johnny Fox's
205 James St, Northbridge WA 6003
Image credit: Johnny Fox's | Instagram
The shamrock green facade is your first clue that Johnny Fox's takes its Irish pub duties very seriously. There's craic in the air, Guinness on tap and live music filling the room with folk tunes, fiddles and foot-stomping songs seven nights a week. The food is equally committed to the cause, with a proper Sunday roast landing alongside bangers and mash, chicken and leek pie and a very good parmi. Open until 2am on weekends, this is Perth's only late-night Irish bar, with the live sessions continuing into the wee hours on Friday and Saturday nights.
Insider Intel:
The limited-time Yorkshire pudding wrap went viral for a reason. If it makes its way back onto the menu, consider that your cue to get involved
The Claremont
1 Bay View Terrace, Claremont WA 6010
Image credit: The Claremont Hotel | Instagram
The Claremont’s recent glow-up has given this old-school pub a few more tricks up its sleeve. Downstairs, the classic pub formula still holds strong with cold beers, casual meals and plenty of space for a catch-up with mates. Head upstairs and things take a turn for the more glamorous, with the open-air rooftop serving sunset drinks and live music while the wraparound balcony delivers some of Claremont’s best people-watching. For something more polished, settle into the Bay Lounge for full table service and seasonal dishes. Basically, there’s a different version of The Claremont for almost every mood.
Insider Intel:
Tuesday is parmi night, but forget the usual chicken-and-cheese situation. The $32 menu gets creative with toppings like blue cheese and pear piled high.
The Royal
531 Wellington St, Perth WA 6000
Image Credit: The Royal | Instagram
There’s something very satisfying about a pub that knows how to keep its history without getting stuck in it. The Royal occupies one of Perth’s grand old heritage buildings overlooking Yagan Square, with original architectural details restored and a polished new look that feels far removed from its former sticky-carpet days. The sprawling venue shifts easily from casual pub lunches and weekday meal deals to weekend feasts, with tap beers, cocktails, mocktails and a sizable wine list keeping the bar busy. It’s also a particularly handy pit stop before a gig at RAC Arena, or for the post-show crowd who aren’t quite ready to call it a night
Insider Intel:
Head upstairs to the Horseshoe Bar and take your drink to the balcony. It’s prime people-watching territory, with a front-row seat to the daily circus unfolding around Yagan Square
Guildford Hotel
159 James St, Guildford WA 6055
Image Credit: The Guildford Hotel | Instagram
The Guildford Hotel has literally risen from the ashes, and these days there’s considerably more smoke coming from the kitchen than the building. Reborn after a devastating fire in 2008, this heritage-listed pub has retained its original fireplaces, exposed brick and plenty of old-school character while adding a serious smoker to the mix. Brisket, ribs and other meaty numbers spend up to eight hours getting the low-and-slow treatment before landing on plates succulent, smoky and terrifically tender. There’s plenty happening beyond the barbecue too, from Sunday sessions and trivia nights to seasonal feasts and an upstairs bar with a retractable roof.
Insider Intel:
Bring reinforcements and order The Whole Damn Lot. It’s the full smoker spread and one very good reason to get the meat sweats.
The Quarter Acre Hotel
767 Canning Hwy, Applecross WA 6153
Image credit: The Quarter Acre Hotel | Instagram
A quarter of an acre is a decent amount of pub, and The Quarter Acre knows how to put it to work. The Applecross gastropub opens out into a sprawling beer garden shaded by those iconic yellow-and-white striped umbrellas, where the brief can be anything from a post-work spritz to a full-scale family operation. The bar keeps the spritzes, cocktail jugs and local beers coming, while the kitchen runs a sizeable menu designed to cover everything from picky eaters to plant-based and gluten-free diners. It’s bright, breezy and built for groups, with enough outdoor space to let the kids burn off some steam while the adults get properly stuck into their afternoon.
Insider Intel:
The kids’ sandpit is the real MVP here, giving little ones their own patch of real estate while the grown-ups get on with the important business of ordering another round.
Albion Hotel
535 Stirling Hwy, Cottesloe WA 6011
Image Credit: Albion Hotel | Instagram
Long before Stirling Highway was bumper-to-bumper, The Albion was pouring drinks for travellers making the journey between Perth and Fremantle by horse and cart. More than 130 years later, The Alby is still going strong, with restored heritage details giving the grand old building plenty of charm. These days, the clientele is more likely to arrive for a pub feed, a few beers and whatever’s playing on the big screens, with sprawling spaces making it particularly handy for groups. The menu keeps things comfortingly pubby, the atmosphere is resolutely unfussy, and there’s enough history tucked around the place to reward a wander between rounds.
Insider Intel:
There’s an actual old Melbourne tram parked inside the pub, because apparently a regular private dining room wasn’t interesting enough. You can book the carriage for your own group and dine aboard without travelling so much as a metre.
Mayfair Lane Pub And Dining Room
72 Outram St, West Perth WA 6005
Image Credit: Mayfair Lane | Instagram
Few pubs prioritise their plonk quite like West Perth’s Mayfair Lane. The award-winning wine list has over 400 bottles from every grape-growing corner of the globe, alongside 38 wines by the glass and almost two dozen taps pouring a mix of local and international beers. Fortunately, there’s plenty of top-tier English fare to eat while you work your way through the list, from fish and chips with mushy peas and Angus beef burgers to swanky snacks like steak tartare, freshly shucked oysters and chicken liver parfait. But for all its wine-world credentials, Mayfair Lane hasn’t forgotten it’s a pub, keeping the pomposity firmly corked and the pints flowing.
Insider Intel:
The wine list is not merely for browsing. Mayfair Lane regularly hosts wine tastings and Meet the Winemaker nights, so keep an eye on the events calendar to up your vino knowledge.
The Elford
639 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley WA 6050
Image credit: The Elford | Instagram
If you knew this Mount Lawley corner as the Flying Scotsman, the Elford may require a small mental reset. The old pub was given a much-needed new chapter in 2021, with a new name, leafy interiors, Art Deco details, a street-front deck and a rooftop that puts you in prime position for a sunset sip above the Beaufort Street bustle. The weekly specials are where The Elford really earns its local stripes, with a different excuse to drop by almost every night. Burger Monday, steak Tuesday, schnitty Wednesday and wings Thursday lead into a Sunday roast, while $10 Beer of the Month pints and a 5–6pm happy hour from Monday to Thursday. Cheers to that.
Insider Intel:
Wednesday is the night to know about, with pub trivia, a schnitty special and a rotating beer deal. Come armed with useless knowledge and an appetite.
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Paddington Ale House
141 Scarborough Beach Rd, Mount Hawthorn WA 6016
Image credit: Paddington Ale House | Website
The Paddo has been through a lot for a pub, from licence battles and name changes to America’s Cup fever, live-music glory days and enough Sunday sessions to fill a small memoir. The Art Deco-era building has been part of Mount Hawthorn since 1932, and while the crowd has changed considerably, the basic premise remains pleasingly simple: good pub food, cold drinks, loud music and live sport. The kitchen covers everything from seasonal grazing plates and burgers to steaks, fish and proper pub classics, while the sunny terrace is made for settling in when the weather plays nice. Add cheap eats, happy hour and a packed weekly calendar and you’ve got a local with plenty of reasons to keep coming back.
Insider Intel:
The Paddo has some serious music pedigree. Paul Kelly, Killing Heidi and You Am I have all played here, and these days, Friday and Saturday nights still come with a live band, so you can see what the next chapter sounds like.
Clancy’s Fish Pub Fremantle
51 Cantonment St, Fremantle WA 6160
Image credit: Clancy's Fremantle | Instagram
Though there’s a few Clancy’s around town, the original (and dare we say, the best) has been holding court on Cantonment Street for decades. This is a fish pub in the loosest, most enjoyable sense of the word: seafood platters arrive piled high, local beers dominate the taps and live bands provide the soundtrack. It’s got the wonderfully lived-in feel of a pub that’s seen a few things, while the enclosed yard out back gives the kids somewhere to run wild and parents a fighting chance at finishing their pint in peace.
Insider Intel:
For something completely different, swing by on the last Thursday of the month for Once Upon A Time In Fremantle, Clancy’s monthly poetry night hosted by local legend Patrick McCarthy
Queens Tavern
520 Beaufort St, Highgate WA 6003
Image credit: Queens Tarven | Website
Thirty years is a long run for any dish, let alone a salad. Yet the Queens’ Cajun Chicken Salad has been a menu fixture since the mid-’90s, surviving fashion cycles, Beaufort Street makeovers and more pub trends than we’d care to count. It’s now as woven into the fabric of the place as the timber verandah, beer garden and generations of regulars. The rest of the kitchen is considerably more eclectic, covering pizzas, parmies, steaks and generous bar snacks, while local beers and WA wines keep the drinks side suitably straightforward. Beaufort Street has changed plenty over the years, but the Queens has kept the beers cold and the tables full without showing any signs of slowing down.
Insider Intel:
The chicken parm comes with spaghetti and sugo rather than the usual chips, alongside prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella, rocket, basil and fresh parmesan. It’s a very convincing argument for putting pasta under your parmi instead of potato.
The Windsor Hotel
112 Mill Point Rd, South Perth WA 6151
Image credit: The Windsor Hotel | Instagram
The Windsor has been part of South Perth’s drinking, dining and general socialising scene since 1897, but there’s nothing dusty about this old girl. You can drop into Mends St Bar for a steak sanga, chicken parmi and live sport, upgrade to dinner at Charthouse or make a summer beeline for the Garden Bar, where Ogden’s own beer is brewed onsite and poured fresh from tank to tap, alongside DJs, live bands and cocktails. Food runs from proper pub fodder to more polished Charthouse fare, but Sunday is where things get serious. Beef, lamb and pork roasts arrive with all the trimmings and Yorkshire puddings that have earned some very strong reviews.
Insider Intel:
Coming from the city? Skip the traffic and catch the Transperth ferry from Elizabeth Quay to Mends Street. The pub is about a block from the jetty, making it one of Perth’s easiest pub outings that technically involves a boat.
Rosemount Hotel
459 Fitzgerald St, North Perth WA 6006
Image credit: The Rosemount | Instagram
Before they were headlining festivals, plenty of Australia’s biggest bands had a Rosemount story. Tame Impala, You Am I, Sarah Blasko and Dinosaur Jr are just some of the names to have passed through this North Perth stage, which remains one of the city’s best bets for catching the next big thing before everyone else does. The huge outdoor area gives you plenty of reason to visit without a ticket, with several levels of seating and sunny spots for settling in over a drink. The kitchen covers all bases, from properly loaded pizzas and burgers to fresh salads and fancier plates designed for sharing, while the bar rotates through craft beers and mixes its own cocktails.
Insider Intel:
Don’t wait for the weekend to catch a gig. The Rosemount runs live shows throughout the week, so check the calendar before you visit and you might discover your next favourite band on a Tuesday night.
Norfolk Hotel
47 South Terrace, Fremantle WA 6160
Image credit: Norfolk Hotel | Instagram
The Norfolk has been part of Fremantle’s social fabric since 1887, and while the crowd has changed considerably since then, the appeal of this limestone corner pub hasn’t. The breezy courtyard is the main event, drawing a wonderfully mixed bag of locals, market-goers, beachcombers and anyone else in need of a cold drink. Woodfired pizzas and generous pub fare keep the hunger at bay, while Odd Fellow tucked inside offers a moodier setting for cocktails when the afternoon starts morphing into evening. Open until midnight every day of the week, this is a favourite with Fremantle’s hospo crowd who know exactly where to head when their own shifts are finally done.
Insider Intel:
Make a beeline for Frankie’s when you’re ready to change gears. The basement bar hiding underneath the Norfolk hosts regular DJs from Perth and further afield, with late-night sets and a proper dancefloor keeping things going long after the upstairs courtyard winds down.
The Wembley Hotel
344 Cambridge St, Wembley WA 6014
Image credit: The Wembley Hotel | Instagram
Ninety-four years in, The Wembley has plenty more up its sleeve than a cold pint and a parmi. There’s the leafy beer garden with live music for long afternoons, the Stadium Sports Bar for wall-to-wall footy, and Ferment for anyone who takes their beer selection seriously enough to want control of the tap themselves. The WA-first self-serve beer wall puts 26 taps at your fingertips, with craft beers, wine and cocktails available to pour by volume. Load up a prepaid card, grab a glass and choose your own adventure, whether that means a tiny taste of something new or a full 500ml pour of an old favourite.
Insider Intel:
The Wembley is particularly good for away-game days, but book early if you want a table among the sea of purple or yellow and blue.
The Como
241 Canning HwySouth Perth WA 6151
Image credit: The Como Hotel | Instagram
The Como has pulled off the tricky business of giving a heritage pub a multimillion-dollar makeover without stripping away what made it worth visiting in the first place. The original Art Deco character remains, now sharpened up with polished interiors, comfortable lounges and a generous beer garden out back. The kitchen takes a similarly broad approach, dishing up everything from pumpkin arancini and calamari to bangers and mash, chicken parmy, wood-fired pizza and a rather flash surf ’n’ turf. There’s plenty for the picky, the plant-based and the rugrats, while margaritas, local beers, wine and cocktails cover the bar. It’s a handsome reboot with plenty of old-school pub spirit underneath.
Insider Intel:
Bring the dog. The beer garden is properly pooch-friendly, with reviews praising the staff for greeting four-legged guests with treats and toys.
South Beach Hotel
396 South Terrace, South Fremantle WA 6162
Image credit: South Beach Hotel | Instagram
Rain or shine, live music or lazy lunches, footy arvos or quiz nights, South Beach Hotel has all of the bases covered. There’s outdoor seating for sunny South Freo afternoons, a fireplace for when the weather turns, big screens for the sporting faithful and the beach just down the road for post-dip pints and pub feeds. Once you’re settled, there’s plenty of reason to stay put, with live music on the calendar, big screens for the sport and a menu that covers wood-fired pizzas, seafood, steak sandwiches and pub favourites.
Insider Intel:
Come straight from South Beach. The pub is close enough for a sandy-footed pit stop after a splash in the Indian Ocean, so make the most of it and go from ocean to outdoor table without bothering with a full outfit change.
Chasing something a little fancier? Work through Perth's best bars.
Image credit:Louise Coghill, Claremont Hotel (Shot By Thom), Quarter Acre Hotel, The Elford, Vic Park Hotel, Rosemount Hotel, Cottesloe Beach Hotel