Beaufort Street is quite a long street in Perth that runs through several suburbs. My tour starts at the intersection of Walcott and Beaufort Street in the suburb of Mt Lawley, before heading south through the suburb of Highgate, and then Northbridge before we reach the end of the street at the Perth Railway station.
The part that I’m covering really forms a growing entertainment and retail spine. There is a mixture of architecture from the various eras of Perth’s development, and several new apartment developments are being built, along with the opening of lots of new bars, shops and restaurants in sections of the street that previously had little vibrancy.
Planet Video has a great variety of things to buy and hire, including a very good and often changing selection of Vinyl.
The Flying Scotsman used to have a really good vibe about it, attracting all sorts of crowds depending on the night. Since it was revamped a few years ago, it has become somewhat more wanky, attracting people who wish they were involved in the scenes of the people who used to hang out there before the revamp.
Exomod has ordinary coffee, but being open almost 24 hours a day is a luxury that is not offered by most cafes.
An example of a newish apartment development on the street.
In Australia, Burger King is called Hungry Jacks and the 1990s Burger King style logo is still used.
Clarences is one of the new small bars that has opened since I’ve been gone. I went on Friday and was impressed with the food and service, however feel that the cocktails, although not bad, could do with some tweaking.
There are a surprisingly large number of sites like this one, which used to house a small used car lot, that are slowly being converted into developments more fitting of an entertainment precinct.
A typical side street in the area.
I’ve never been to Must, but the food and wine selection is consistently voted as one of the best around.
The kebabs from here are great, and it’s always open late.
The Queens Hotel was originally built in 1889, and has been one of the constants in this changing street. It’s always full and popular.
Elmars has been around for a long time, and is an excellent quality butcher.
The Beaufort Street Merchant used to be primarily a boutique food store, with a small cafe at the front. Since I’ve been away, it’s expanded its menu and got a small bar license, and is now primarily focused on that side of things.
Jackson’s is another restaurant that is highly regarded in Perth.
The Luxe bar goes through good and bad phases. Supposedly it’s currently in a good phase courtesy of new owners and a revamped cocktail menu. They have quite a large and nice drinking area out the back.
Another side street.
There are a few of these on the street, but they are slowly giving way to the newer, more expensive developments.
There are also quite a few of these nice older homes around, although they are now used as offices and businesses rather than homes.
There are also a few of these old apartment complexes around.
The Brisbane Hotel is especially busy during the summer, owing to its large outdoor drinking area.
Another side street.
An example of the kinds of businesses that are slowly making way for apartments.
The Ellington opened a week after I left Perth originally and by all accounts is very good and has remained true to its ethos of hosting great jazz nights.
I had dinner at this new Korean BBQ restaurant tonight. It was a good feed and reasonably priced.
The Court is a popular gay bar.
The one story building on the left will be home to a very tall, landmark apartment tower with a mixture of retail, dining and drinking options at street level. An announcement is expected to be made within the coming months.
