Perth
Perth's dive bars are the rooms locals defend hardest. Cheap, loud, exactly right. The dive bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Northbridge, Mount Lawley, Leederville, Fremantle all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
CBD · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Perth's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
CBD · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Speakeasy reached through a basement door with a password posted weekly on Instagram. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
CBD · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Underground cocktail bar with one of Australia's longest rum lists. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
NORTHBRIDGE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Brewpub-and-cocktail-bar hybrid in a converted warehouse. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
CBD · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Wine-bar-and-cocktail-room inside the State Buildings. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
CBD · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Rooftop cocktail bar over Hay Street. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
NORTHBRIDGE · $$ · SMALL BARS
Laneway room of verge furniture and candle light up a graffiti corridor off William Street. Order: the Negroni, the benchmark pour reviewers keep returning to. Best time: early evening midweek, before the couches go. Best for cocktail drinkers allergic to velvet rope speakeasies. Weekend queues move slowly; go Sunday instead.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Perth or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten dive bars that any serious drinker in Perth would tell you to put on the list.
Perth's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Speakeasy reached through a basement door with a password posted weekly on Instagram. Order: Sunset spritz with West Coast gin. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Perth? See our guide to the best dive bars worldwide, or compare dive bars city by city. Or find dive bars near you.