How to spend 24 hours in Northbridge
If long-haul international travel is feeling beyond reach right now, there's no better time to play tourist in your own city.
And Northbridge may just be the ideal destination for a winter staycation, with a series of arts and culture events, dining specials, new openings and old favourites to warm the bones and awaken the mind.
Inspired by Black Swan's explosive new play Never Have I Ever, we have put together a 24-hour itinerary for those eager to shake off the mid-year blues with an impromptu mini break in the heart of Perth.
Check into the Alex Hotel, which sits pretty in the heart of Northbridge. The boutique hotspot celebrates its 10th year of business in 2015, and yet its design-forward aesthetic still feels just as current, not to mention the location within easy walking distance to all the area's best bars and restaurants.
At 5pm, pop a coat on and head across the road to new watering hole Winston, which is from the same crew as The Bird, Ezra Pound and South Bird Hot Chicken. The New Orleans-style speakeasy has a fun handwritten menu of cocktails that change every week — a sweet, a sour, a stiff and a surprise — plus nightly specials and often a DJ spinning blues and jazz on the decks.
Now it's back over to Shadow Wine Bar to try out its pre-theatre menu. This first-time collaboration with Black Swan State Theatre Company is exclusive for ticket holders and represents superb value at $35 for pasta and wine, with options including linguine with blue swimmer crab, bottarga, tomato and chilli, pan-fried ricotta gnocchi with king oyster mushrooms and burnt butter or rigatoni with lamb ragu, olives, chilli and pecorino.
Time for the main event at the State Theatre Centre: the raucous play Never Have I Ever, penned by Deborah Frances-White of The Guilty Feminist fame. Based around a dinner party that swiftly descends into chaos, the show explores identity and sexual politics and will likely leave guests buzzing with conversation points long after walking out of the Heath Ledger Theatre. Never Have I Ever runs until July 6.
For a sweet treat post-show, Chicho Gelato has a decadent hot chocolate menu. It's a hard choice whether to opt for the Euro with its whipped cream, house-made crostoli and cocoa dust, the Chocomallow topped with a slab of house-made marshmallow and torched to order or the Chocogato, a riff on the classic affogato ice-cream dessert.
After breakfast at the hotel, wander over to The Art Gallery of WA to see the celebration of creativity that is the West Australian Pulse 2025. With 61 works by 2024 Year 12 Visual Arts graduates from 37 schools across WA, it is equal parts engaging, thought-provoking and smile-inducing. And even better, entry is free.
To round out the staycation, a hearty lunch at multi-level tavern Fallow is in order. This restaurant just rung in one year of operation and feels primed for winter with its warm interior and indulgent menu. Friday has a Steak Frites special from 12pm-3pm — chargrilled minute steak, Fallow fries, cafe de paris butter and a glass of house wine or middy of swan for $25 — or Sunday visitors can go all-out with a classic roast for $33.
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Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Perth Now
Neighbourhood bar and diner is better than sliced bread
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The stunning Blue Mountains location, just two hours from Sydney by train or road, made it an ideal destination for interstate visitors. Who doesn't get a romantic primary-school memory of Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth's famous 1813 crossing when they approach the blue haze blanketing the mountains? Who doesn't get a bit misty-eyed when they hear the story about these mountains being home to the rare Wollemi pines, which thrived 91 million years ago and were thought to be extinct until 1994, when an off-duty ranger stumbled across a grove of them hidden among the steep cliffs and eucalyptus canopy. All the more reason to base ourselves in Blackheath, one of four key charming villages known for its part in history along with pristine natural beauty and clean air, making it a popular destination for early pioneers seeking health and wellness in the fresh mountain air. For around $2500 per person (not including airfares) our package included accommodation, two dinners, three breakfasts, a high tea at the famous Hydro Majestic hotel, free-flowing local wines, tours of Leura and Wentworth Falls, walks in the Blue Mountains and — the icing on the literary cake — a dinner with celebrated author and Weekend Australian columnist Nikki Gemmell. Each Fright was also given a gift bag of six newly released novels. But amid the laughter, gossip, singing, jumping on couches, birdsong and music, one sound was strangely absent — that of turning pages in books. Instead, the women unleashed their inner Catherine and Heathcliff on unsuspecting locals when the mountain mist lifted to reveal stunning views and a mix of forest and cliff-top scenery, the perfect setting for a group which named itself after Emily Bronte's classic — and only — novel, Wuthering Heights. 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And then there is the novel which inspired the Frights' name, Wuthering Heights, the haunting gothic tale centred on the cruelty and bad male behaviour of Heathcliff. Did we discuss such things with Gemmell when we had her captive at the table? You bet we did. Along with subjects like private-school parents, whether pockets are part of the patriarchy, the Archibald Prize, the fallout from Gemmell's earlier novel, The Bride Stripped Bare — published anonymously in 2003— teal political candidates, newspaper ownership, whether she reads reviews on her novels, menopause, Adolescence and a host of other questions from the fan-girl Frights. The dinner, held at Glenella in the vast dining room, was over way too soon. But, as the Frights discovered, the Blue Mountains are not just for literary hounds. There were plenty of other options for weekend visitors. Here's just a few. There are markets at every turn for enthusiasts, ranging from organic foods and collectables to local arts and crafts. 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The beauty of travel is stumbling across the unexpected. And that's what the Frights did when wandering around Blackheath on a Saturday morning. Peering through the window of this cute little cocktail bar we discovered a heap of vinyl among the mid-century decor and vowed to come back later when the bar was open. Owner Michael O'Brien was behind the bar overseeing a live jazz trio and said there was no room at the inn. But some friendly locals let the Frights share their table and, two negronis later, we emerged with a couple of new mates and warm fuzzies all round. At an altitude of 1000m, these gardens, specialising in cool-climate plants, are the highest in Australia and the only ones in the world located within a World Heritage-listed area. Take the Gondwana Walk on the south-east edge of the gardens and you'll not only get spectacular views and, maybe, a peek at 150 bird species, but it's also one of the few places to see the Wollemi pines which were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The Wollemi pine is one of the world's rarest and oldest tree species and was presumed extinct until 1994 when it was rediscovered in a rugged canyon in the Wollemi National Park. The exact location of these wild pines with dark green foliage and bubbly black bark remain a closely guarded secret, but the species has been successfully propagated, with the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden playing a crucial role in saving this 'living fossil' from extinction. Definitely one for the bucket list. Almost as exhilarating as the Wollemi pines story is the discovery of the little known fact that Chris Darwin, the great-great-grandson of British naturalist Charles Darwin, is a Blue Mountains resident and a passionate guide of the area. Sydney Bespoke Tours offers the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the 'father of the theory of evolution' with Chris Darwin in a guided tour through the Wentworth Falls trail with a two-course lunch included. Chris and his wife Jacqui and their three children live in Glenbrook and founded the not-for-profit charity The Darwin Challenge, with the vision to help humanity adapt to the realities of the 21st century, and have created a mobile app to encourage people to eat a meat-free diet. Chris is available to take groups on a half-day or full-day walk in which he weaves the story of Charles and wife Emma's Blue Mountains visit in 1836 as part of the HMS Beagle journey. This labyrinthine store is a warm, welcoming haven stocking fiction, non-fiction and second-hand books. It's also a safe place for anyone regardless of gender, sexuality, religion and politics. Dogs, too, are welcome. Echo, the 16-year-old Labrador of owners Zac and Cath, thumps his tail to anyone browsing for a treasure such as Ronnie Wood's biography or Gough Whitlam sayings — both of which were snapped up by the Frights. There is also a section devoted to books written by refugees so their plight is never forgotten and the bookstore donates 50 per cent of profits to charities supporting refugees. There's much, much more to explore in the Blue Mountains and the Frights vowed to be back soon. But we'll do it a bit sooner than for our 60th anniversary when we'll all be approaching 100. But beware the Fret Buzz band. We will still be rocking the dance floor. + Expect to pay $2300 per night to book the whole Glenella house with 15 bedrooms on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It has a policy of a two-night minimum and there are seven en-suite bedrooms on the main floor. + Reading Retreats Australia has another retreat coming up at a luxurious country estate in the Yass River Valley for two nights on September 12-13, which starts at $1499 per person.
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
‘It was insane': Wild money reality behind viral flashing stunt
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