Northbridge is a small area in Perth. It's a place to go for the independent end of shopping, art and eating.

Understand

Northbridge is close to the centre of Perth, the other side of the Perth railway station from the city shopping malls. It is being made even closer by a government project to sink the railway line and make it possible to walk between the city and Northbridge through a large development above the former railway yards.

After dark emerge a wide choice of restaurants and nightlife.

Though Northbridge is a small suburb its sphere of cultural influence blurs into neighbouring North Perth, Highgate and Mount Lawley.

Get in

• The easiest access is to walk from the railway or bus stations. If you drive in, it is always best to use the high rise car parks, rather than street parking.

See

Chinatown Perth

Northbridge is an ethnically diverse and culturally rich neighbourhood.

• 1 Perth Cultural Centre. Adjacent to the Perth Train Station on the Northbridge side, this is the hub of cultural activity in Perth. Including the Art gallery, Museum, State Library and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) (See listings below). In addition, the amphitheatre (under the video screen screening ongoing visual confectionery) is an excellent vantage point for watching people flow between Perth's railway station and places of work and play around Northbridge. A 2-min walk from the Perth Train Station. Blue CAT Stops 7 and 15 both service the Cultural Centre, as well as Yellow 24 and Red 31. 
• 2 Western Australian Museum, Perth Cultural Centre, ☏ +61 8 9212 3700, reception@museum.wa.gov.au. Daily 9AM-5PM. The museum has an interesting collection of social and natural history from WA and beyond. The main building has an extensive display of marine creatures, minerals, butterflies and birds, as well as the shrivelled taxidermed bodies of mammals familiar to generations of Perth residents plus the revitalised Katta Djinoong Aboriginal history display. The Old Gaol building at the rear houses colonial artefacts, displays of life from the different periods and a couple of meteorites. Make sure to look into the creepy eye of the rare Megamouth shark whose preserved body floats in a subterranean tank next to the Old Gaol. Free. (updated Jan 2021)
• 3 Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth Cultural Centre, ☏ +61 8 9492 6600, admin@artgallery.wa.gov.au. W-M 10AM-5PM, closed Tu. Rotating exhibitions of contemporary Australian, International and Indigenous art and design drawn from the state collection. Exhibitions can be a bit heavy on Indigenous art (though there are some fantastic Indigenous works represented) but you could easily fill a few hours here surveying 150 years of Australian Art. Free (except special exhibits).  
• 4 Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), Perth Cultural Centre, James St, ☏ +61 8 9228 6300, info@pica.org.au. 11AM-6PM (closed Mondays). Rotating exhibitions of local and international artists work that focuses toward the more experimental end of contemporary art. Free.  

• 5 Chinatown, 66 Roe St. Perth's little Chinatown, with its own Chinese gate, is a good spot for picking up Asian groceries and also the best place for late night dining in Perth. Most venues are BYO. Chinese businesses in Northbridge are not confined to Chinatown but can be found throughout Northbridge, and most visibly along William St.  

Do

• Daytime: visit the Cultural Centre. The library, the museum, and art gallery are adjacent to each other, and easy to access.
• Nighttime: visit the restaurants in the early evening, and much later on watch the clubbers lining up to go to the late night clubs.

• The William Street Collective, ☏ +61 8 6468 3879, hello@OnWilliam.com.au. An association of people involved in Northbridge's cultural and creative industries. The website has current news and events: there's always something happening! 

Buy

Northbridge is fast becoming the place to go for more alternative shopping. If you are bored of the same big clothing labels, you can find some really different, locally designed fashion, and some excellent vintage pieces. William Street has a variety of independently owned businesses where you can find punk, goth, rockabilly fashion, anime/manga collectables and other unique stores.

• 1 Kakulas Bros, 183 William St. A wide range of international spices, flours, peas, dried fruits straight from big cloth bags. 

Eat

There is an extensive array of restaurants in Northbridge. You will find a great selection of authentic cuisine that ranges from Southern European (Greek, Italian, etc.) to Asian (Hong Kong, Indonesian, Vietnamese, etc.)

• 1 Picabar, 51 James Street (exit Perth train station through the escalators and head north. Picabar is to the left of the big screen), ☏ +61 8 9228 8769. Daily 11AM-midnight. Attached to the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, this venue has dibs on an extremely central and pleasant location in Perth's cultural centre. In summertime you can sit outside and watch the big screen. Free. (updated Dec 2023)

Drink

Cafes

• 1 The Moon Cafe, On William St, Northbridge. Open till late. A staple for university students, gays and coffee-house intellectuals. It has off beat interior design, an assortment of quirky lamps, retro lounges and board games. Hosts a Jazz band every Thursday. Also serves great alcoholic beverages, light meals and snacks. 

Bars

• 2 The William Street Bird (The Bird), 181 William St, ☏ +08 5177 3377, info@williamstreetbird.com. 4PM-midnight. A major Perth venue for local and international acts of impeccable quality. Very reasonable drink prices on non-peak nights and intimate outdoor area with city views. (updated Dec 2023)
• 3 The Brass Monkey Hotel (The Brass), 209 William St (Cnr William and James St), ☏ +61 8 9227 9596, Brass.Monkey.Hotel@alhgroup.com.au. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-midnight, Su 11AM-11PM. A large venue with great comedy club on site and a good selection of beers and wines. Free. (updated Dec 2023)

Nightclubs

• 4 Connections, 81 James St, ☏ +61 8 9328 1870. W 8PM-4AM, Th 8PM-3AM, F 8PM-5AM, Sa 8PM-5AM, Su-Tu closed. Claims to be the oldest gay night club in Australia and possibly the world. 
• 5 Geisha Bar, 139 James St. Funky house and breaks fans will dig this one. 
• 6 Metro City, 146 Roe St. It hosts a weekly R&B/hip hop night but this enormous venue also hosts concerts and large dance music events. When heading into Perth by train from the west, Metro's is clearly visible from the window as its unique, palace-like exterior stands out amongst the multi-level carparks and other bland buildings which can be seen along Roe St. 

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Billabong Backpackers (Nomads Backpackers Hostel), 381 Beaufort St. Billabong Backpackers is relaxed and friendly, based in the heart of the Beaufort Street café district, a short walking distance from central Perth and the Northbridge nightlife. Beds from $28. 
• 2 The Emperor's Crown Backpackers, 85 Stirling St, ☏ +61 8 9227 1400. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. 5 minutes walk from the Perth city centre and the night life of Northbridge. From $32.