Story: Arylene Westlake
When you spend a lot of time in one place, you can sometimes overlook just how special it is. To help you rediscover the secrets of Perth, ARYLENE WESTLAKE has put on her walking shoes to unearth 55 things you need to know about the city in the fourth STM guide: City Secrets. The city has seen huge changes in the past few years with new businesses, cafes and restaurants popping up all over the place, so there’s something new to discover at every turn.
01 I’M BORED. WHAT CAN I DO IN THE CITY THAT WILL SURPRISE ME?
Don’t look now, but a little piece of Venice is bobbing about in Claisebrook Cove. Gondolas on the Swan offers hour-long cruises of the cove and the river in a gondola faithfully reproduced by master boat builders. For $830, eight people can be chauffeured in a limousine from anywhere in the metropolitan area to Claisebrook where your velvet-lined gondola, a bottle of Moet, hors d’oevres, chocolates and roses await your pleasure. Your gondolier will take you around the cove, past Burswood and into a hidden lagoon near Heirisson Island. Oh, and don’t worry, every moment of your experience will be captured on camera so you can relive the experience.
* Gondolas on the Swan, phone 9450 6500.
02 IT’S FRIDAY AND IT’S BEEN AN INSANE WEEK, WHERE DO I GO TO RELAX?
The George bar on St Georges Tce is a sophisticated watering hole that will soothe the shattered nerves and even get you pumped up and ready to kick on. The lively crowd that gets there on a Friday night makes the whole terrace buzz. The cream and black interior, with its Italian verve, is home to one of the best cocktail menus in the business district. Try the buttered martini, a double strained mix of Smirnoff Vanilla, Mozart Black, Kahlua and butterscotch schnapps shaken with a shot of espresso and sugar syrup. If that doesn’t get you partying, it’s time to pick up your briefcase and go home.
* The George, 216 St Georges Tce, Perth, phone 6161 6662.
03 WHAT’S GOING TO FLIP MY CORK?
OK, you’ve unearthed a rare treasure from the past. You’ve found a BYO restaurant in Northbridge but you’ve left the vino at home. Don’t give up now, duck into Grapeskin and discover one of the coolest bottle shops around. Grapeskin stocks old favourites as well as boutique wines alongside the usual spirits and cigars. But if the lure of the plush lounges and ottomans are hard to leave behind, grab a tapas plate of tempura whiting, seared kangaroo fillet and crispy coated prawn with ginger soy mayonnaise to share. It’s hard to walk out on that, so you might have to book the BYO for the next night.
* Grapeskin Bar, Corner James and William Sts, Northbridge, phone 9227 9596.
