From Wednesday to Saturday, there is no shortage of hotspots to visit in Perth. The larger dance
clubs are concentrated in Northbridge, Subiaco and Fremantle.
Pubs tend to be open 1000-2400 Monday to Thursday, 1000-0100 Friday and Saturday and 1200-2200 Sunday. Bars and nightclubs have longer hours and
are licensed for the entire time that they are open. Most clubs stay open until 0500 or later/earlier on Friday and Saturday.
The minimum legal drinking age is 18 years. A spirit or premium beer costs in the region of A$5.50.
Free entertainment weekly XPress (website: www.xpressmag.com.au) is the best resource when planning a night on the town,
while Teknoscape (website: www.teknoscape.com.au) is a useful clubbing guide.
Bars
�Lounge bars� have taken off in Perth, with hip venues such as The Jazz Room in Mount Lawley. The
polished wooden floorboards of the Varga Lounge in Northbridge, continue to attract sophisticated drinkers,
while The Moon & Sixpence British Pub on Murray Street, is a kitsch but popular hangout serving a wide range of Australian and
international beers. The Duxton Bar offers civilised surroundings for a quiet cocktail. A crawl of
Fremantle pubs is de rigueur when visiting this port town.
Casinos
Located a short distance east of the city, the pyramid-shaped Burswood International Resort Casino, Great Eastern Highway
(website: www.burswood.com.au) has over 140 gaming tables, offering blackjack, craps, baccarat, roulette and the classic
Australian game of two-up. The complex also contains nine restaurants, six bars, free nightly entertainment, a five-star
luxury hotel and an 18-hole golf course. Normal casino dress standards apply, persons under 18 are not admitted and a
passport is required. A free shuttle bus conveys visitors between Burswood station (Armadale Line) and the casino.
Clubs
Seemingly in an effort to please everyone, Perth nightlife has lately crystallised into a number of
�entertainment complexes� combining discos, bars and live music venues. The Globe unites a pumping
techno area with a late-night bar featuring live bands. The Deen, in Northbridge, boasts no less than
six zones and four DJs, every night except Monday. When not featuring major international touring bands, Metropolis
Fremantle is a multi-level dance club. The Rosemount Hotel has
DJs from Wednesday to Saturday, playing Hard House, NRG and freeform. Rise, corner of Lake Street and James Street, N
orthbridge, is serious about dancing, with a massive dancefloor and state-of-the-art sound system. But gay perennial
Connections � 26 years young in 2002 � still offers the best music and light shows in town
and everyone, no matter what their orientation, seems to end up here.
Live music
The Universal Bar has live soul, funk or rock every night, as well as a suitably cool ambience. The Subiaco Hotel
hosts jazz on Wednesday and Saturday night and is also a great place to go on Sundays after a session at the Cott; patrons can listen while enjoying bistro meals. Local rock bands perform
Wednesday to Sunday at The Grosvenor, while a large �surfie� crowd converges on The Lookout, The Esplanade, Scarborough
Beach, for bigger Australian acts and rowdy good times. The American-themed Mustang Bar offers country and western,
rockabilly and big-band swing, while Freo�s Orient Hotel provides a salsa band on Sunday nights. The Perth Entertainment
Centre is Perth�s main venue for major rock groups and blockbuster shows.
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