Change in Perth is a rarity. So when new liquor licencing laws allowed small bars to open, a wave of inner city bars breathed life into laneways and places in Perth that I never knew even existed. Yes, this idea came from Melbourne. But Perth’s small bars though are much easier to find and usually don’t involve walking up several flights of stairs…

In my current state of saving for travel I’ve attempted to cut back on the cocktails. Alas, this can be a difficult venture on a Friday evening in the city…

My five top bars for cocktail o’clock are as follows:

1. helvetica

Chandeliers light the path of Helvetica Lane off Howard Street in the CBD. Around the corner the nicest door bitch ever greets you – and actually apologises if you have to wait. Helvetica has style even before you step into the bar. The unique thing about Helvetica is that you can select a bottle of scotch and return to drink from it each time you visit. But this is a post about cocktails, not scotch.

Helvetica’s cocktails are rather masculine. The summer cocktail list features a number of gin or rum drinks which have sour notes. The Snake Eye is a stand-out…must be the maraschino liqueur!

2. 399

399 has no cocktail list. The bartenders will shake up any concoction you want. They’ll even give you a little umbrella if you’re really nice. On the night we visited though they were out of lychees. I love lychee martinis. That’s okay though, we requested a shake-up of pineapple juice and a dash of spirits. The end result was sweet and delicate and rather dark from the Chambord.

Regardless of the cocktails, 399′s blaring jazz music, cozy booths and a friendly crowd is sure to draw you back for another round of drinks and tapas.

3. Wolfe Lane

This bar attracts the suit set. Slick interiors and a New York City skyline mural exudes sophistication. Apparently the glasses here are made the old fashioned way. This doesn’t mean much to me, except that maybe the cocktails taste better in them. Cocktails are a little bit on the more expensive side here…They start at $17 and end at $35. A pomegranate martini set me back $18 – it was large, strong and had definite kick.

Despite the sophistication, Wolfe Lane is, for the most part, unpretentious and has cheerful lads and laddesses to chat to.

4. 1907

1907 is cool. Literally. The air conditioning is always on high in this basement level cocktail bar. Probably to keep the crowd from fogging up the mirrors. Dark and mysterious, 1907 is all Old Hollywood. A seasonal cocktail list presents classic options with contemporary twists. The service can be a bit hit-or-miss here, but the sugary sweet passionfruit cocktail is divine.

PS. Ladies, it would be wise to wear a frock.

5. Anadaluz

Anadaluz has a traditional cocktail menu but the real decisions lies in what to order from the tapas menu. My favourites are the melt in your mouth scallops and pork cheeks and the orange and vanilla marshmellows for dessert. I prefer to indulge in a smooth champagne based cocktail to complement the food and a bellini is a refreshing accompaniment. On the actual menu though, an apple and vanilla martini is a must.

Let me know if you have a favourite cocktail at one of these bars!