52 things to do in Northbridge, Western Australia
Northbridge is one of the main late night hubs in Perth, however there is more to its evening antics such as a local foodie and cultural scene. This blog post was originally posted in 2015 and today, 1 January 2020, I have added more content and photos which leads to now an impressive 52 places and experiences. This neighbourhood on the other side of the train tracks has much to offer all year round and if you are a local Perthite and looking for a bit of a fun challenge – how about one activity in Northbridge a week?
52 Experiences in Northbridge
Tasty meal options from Shanghai Food Court
Late night jazz at The Ellington Jazz Club
Sunday coffee in the lounge at Double Tree Northbridge or dine in the hotel at the James St Bar and Kitchen. Be sure to check out the Gin and Tonic selection.
Salsa dance night at The Mustang bar on Tuesday night.
Take away Pandan cake from Esther’s Cake Store
Fried chicken burgers, chips and a cold beer from Varsity Bar & Burgers
Wonderful street art through the laneways, grab a bicycle and cycle around the city
Karaoke on Fridays at Hotel Northbridge, also another place to buy West Australian Ale, Elsie!
Vintage shopping at Vinnies on William Street
Coffee outside in the fresh air from the cute Flora and Fauna cafe
Evening mini golf at Holey Moley Golf Club. Bar food and drinks available.
A place to squeeze in some early morning work over a big healthy, and sometimes colourful breakfast from Little Bird Café, Buckwheat pancakes my favourite
Pint of Elsie Ale beer from Rosie O’Grady’s (Little Creatures brew made only for Western Australia)
Deliciously creamy small batch gelato from Chicho Gelato
Lazy Sundays at The Standard
Happy hour ($2.00 off tap beer) at The William Street Bird
Bulk flour, grains and spices shopping from Kakulas Brothers
Breakfast wrap and decent coffee from Little Willys
Beer on tap and a place for family lunch at Northbridge Brewery
Visit Sauma for Indian street food, curries and Sauma’s scorpion punch
Asian grocery shopping along William Street, north of Newcastle Street
Sitting in the sun, free wifi internet at Northbridge Piazza, free yoga and movies during summer
Late night sundae and basically anything super indulgent from Whisk Creamery or San Churros
Head to James Street between William Street and Lake Street for quick meals
Slow cooked Beef redang from Hawker’s Cuisine
Buy a Big Issue Magazine, sold on the street by disadvantaged Perth people who can be homeless or living marginally.
Movie night at Cinema Paradiso
Steak Bento Box from IsDonburi
Strong long black coffee, homemade ravoli and continental Italian rolls from Re-store, a great place for European grocery shopping
All day breakfast from Pica Bar
Chilli Szechuan style meals from Szechwan Zen Chinese Restaurant
Entertaining antics at the yearly Fringe Festival
Rooftop movies in summer, also rooftop yoga and sometimes with a DJ
Midnight cheese toasties from the diner, The Moon Late Night Cafe.
Browsing books in Boffins Bookshop, open until 8pm
Pekking Duck pancakes from Good Fortune Roast Duck House
Late night Chinese cuisine in China Town from Billy Lees or Uncle Billy
Yum cha on Sundays from the place with the shortest line or the longest line
Jerk Chicken and flights of fancy at the home-style latino cook up bar, Panama Social
Delicious waffles from Superstar Waffles
Alex Hotel, stay in the heart of Northbridge
Lucky Chans laundry and noodle bar, noodle bar behind a laundromat
Wandering through the West Australian Museum
Seeing a show at the State Theatre of WA and interval drinks!
Corica Pastries, almond biscuits or the famous apple strudel in WA!
Donate food to the Salvation Army headquarters. Check out the Christmas Drive where you can donate toys to Western Australia kids doing it tough this year.
New to the town or have limited time, try these 3 tour operators – Oh Hey WA, Peddle Perth & Two Feet & a Heart Beat
Hit the town with Tequila and Tacos from La Cholita
Christmas Lights trail in December, a great time to be wandering the streets of Northbridge
Let the chefs take you on a mid east feast at the Hummus Club
Spanish lessons at Lot 20
Visit Australia’s one video game console museum – The Nostalgia Box
Getting into Northbridge
The traffic varies depending on events and sometimes the weather in Perth. Driving in during winter tends to be quieter than summer, same with weekend mornings. It can be gridlock on James and Roe Street for events including those running at the RAC Arena in Perth.
Northbridge is serviced by the free cat bus from the Barrack Street Jetty at Elizabeth Quay.
The train station and bus port is a short walk away.
Cycling is a fairly easy way of bypassing traffic and moving around the city. Traffic speeds are generally slower than the outer suburbs and most vehicle are used to cyclists -it is uber eats central in Northbridge!
Staying in the city or at Elizabeth Quay? Walk or cycle along Kings Street and cross Roe Street onto Lake Street. Or travel along William Street crossing through Yagan Square onto William Street in Northbridge.
Coming over from South Perth? Catch the ferry across to Elizabeth Quay and meander your way to Northbridge.