Categories > Guides and Tips
This guide to Hyde Park shows everything you can do in this inner-city green oasis!
- Things to Know
- How to Get Here
- Where to Eat
- Meeting Place Kiosk - Hyde Park
- Chu Bakery
- BOOtoo
- 7 Grams Restaurant Perth
- Things to Do
- Stretch out amid greenery with Blooming Happy Yoga
- Unleash your kiddos at the Hyde Park Playground
- Join the Hyde Park Festival
- Check out the birdlife
- Have a picnic
- Jog around or cruise on a bike
- Tie the knot at the Hyde Park Wedding Gazebo
I think anyone who claims to hate green spaces has never been to 15-hectare Hyde Park yet. Though close to the CBD’s bustle, it remains lush and Insta-worthy.
And no, it’s not just a ‘stare at the grass’ type of park. Good food is just a hop away, there are facilities and events for working up a sweat, and you can always use it to reconnect with the past, given the land’s importance to the Whadjuk Noongar people.
For first-timers, there’s an article below to point you in the right direction. Consider it as a non-chatty tour guide that doesn’t cost a cent.
Things to Know
Address: Vincent St &, William St
Contact Details: +61 8 9273 6000
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Travel Time from the CBD: 7 mins (1.6 km) via Beaufort St/State Route 53
Website
How to Get Here
By Bus: One of the quickest ways to access Hyde Park from Perth is by taking Bus Line 980, which stops at the Beaufort St Museum. The ride will take you to William St after Glendower St, a 4-minute walk from the park’s heart.
By Car: You can park on the streets around the park for three hours without paying a dime. The options include Vincent St, Glendowers St, and William St.
By Taxi: For those planning to commute via taxi, the breakdown of potential fares below can help you budget well.
| Tariff 1 – 6 am to 5:59 pm | |||
| Flagfall | Distance Rate | Booking Fee | Waiting Time |
| $5.10 | 2.04/km | $1.80 | $58/hr |
| Tariff 2 – 6 pm to 5:59 am (including all day Saturday and Sunday) | |||
| Flagfall | Distance Rate | Booking Fee | Waiting Time |
| $7.30 | 2.04/km | $1.80 | $58/hr |
| Ultra Peak (12 am to 02:59 am on Friday and Saturday only) | |||
| Flagfall | Distance Rate | Booking Fee | Waiting Time |
| $7.30 + $4.30 | 2.04/km | $1.80 | $58/hr |
Where to Eat
Meeting Place Kiosk – Hyde Park
From meetingplacekiosk
Address: Throssell St
Operation Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 6:30 am to 3 pm
- Sat to Sun – 6:30 am to 4:30 pm
Pricing: $
Facebook
For me, Meeting Place Kiosk is the quintessential Hyde Park eatery. The name honours the area’s Aboriginal roots, and foodies get to devour healthy, cheap bites by the West Lake, under the shade of figs.
The offerings, while simple, are satisfying and rolled out fast. Herby filo parcels and nutty falafel wraps are the undeniable best-sellers, often washed down with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Chu Bakery
From chubakery
Address: 498 William St
Contact Details: +61 422 248 674
Operation Hours: Tue to Sun – 7 am to 4 pm
Pricing: $
If you catch someone tearing into an almond croissant or a passionfruit doughnut in Hyde Park, chances are, they queued up at Chu Bakery. Hard to find a soul who’s not into the boulangerie’s French-Asian treats.
Even our teammates who hate lining up frequent the spot, usually to relish in their inventive savoury toasts and classic sourdough. As for me, I’m obsessed with those “Chu” puffs, little treats filled with yuzu jelly.
BOOtoo
From bootoo_perth
Address: 274 Bulwer St
Contact Details: +61 421 491 870
Operation Hours:
- Mon to Tue – 7:30 am to 4 pm
- Wed to Sat – 7:30 am to 9:30 pm
- Sun – 7:30 am to 8:30 pm
Pricing: $$
The sunny BOOtoo suits Hyde Park perfectly, as its late closing time allows for no-rush stays and orders. Above all, soft-crust pizza is always on the menu, the Roman-Neapolitan kind, split between a selection of red and white bases.
You can play it safe by having their Margherita, made traditionally on a San Marzano tomato base that’s peppered with basil and fior di latte. The cherry on top is its budget-friendly tag.
That said, it’s best to go wild here, especially with their loaded range of creative, humorously-named slices, like Garlic Breath and Smoking Aces, both true to their titles.
7 Grams Restaurant Perth
From sevengrams__
Address: 212 Lake St
Contact Details: +61 406 133 331
Operation Hours:
- Mon, Wed to Thu – 12 pm to 9 pm
- Fri to Sat – 12 pm to 9:30 pm
- Sun – 12 pm to 9 pm
Pricing: $$
Website
Anyone who loves KFC will love it even more at 7 Grams. By KFC, we’re talking Korean Fried Chicken, specifically the free-range kind that can be enjoyed dry or saucy.
In our case, we like it crispy and smothered in a savoury-sweet chilli soy coating, usually with the bones removed. We also love spicing it up with Korean sides, mainly spring onion salad and kimchi dumplings (on pay days, we get the fish cakes in gochujang).
Their chicken burgers hit just as hard. Sure, the patties aren’t sauced up, but the addition of kimchi, fried eggs, veggies, and chilli sauce makes up for it.
Things to Do
Stretch out amid greenery with Blooming Happy Yoga
From bloominghappyyoga
Usual Schedule: Saturday and Sunday – 9 am to 10 am
Blooming Happy Yoga’s “Yoga in the Park” is one reason we’re a flexible crew (take it however you like) that always goes with the flow.
For starters, joining doesn’t mean filling out 5 pages of Google Forms; just rock up when they’re around. No bank-breaking costs either, as the events are totally donation-based, with free yoga towels and mats handed out to early birds who don’t have any.
Newbies are welcome as well. Vinyasa yoga (the class they teach) can be physically taxing, but you can breathe easy knowing the sessions in Hyde Park are meant for rookies.
Unleash your kiddos at the Hyde Park Playground
From serenainperth
Next to the West Lake, naturally covered, and not one-dimensional, the Hyde Park Playground is a hit among inner-city residents and families from the CBD. It’s even a hop from the Meeting Place Kiosk, ideal for parents wanting coffee and a view of their kids at play.
Facility-wise, the spot has the classics, such as toddler-friendly swings and twisting slides, though most spend their time scaling the climbing forts, logs, and spider tower.
The neat part is that a zero-depth water playground, which is just a 1-minute walk away, opens in summer. That means packing extra clothes is a must, as there’ll be tipping buckets, water cannons, and sprays galore.
Join the Hyde Park Festival
From hydeparkfestivalperth
Schedule: Early March
Did you know that Perth’s oldest free community event is the Hyde Park Festival? Yup, and if you ask us why the 2-day fair is still running, the answer is simple: it has something fun for everybody.
For instance, the little ones can hop on spinning rides, obstacle courses, inflatable forts, and even petting areas with goats. Once that gets dull, they can participate in arts and crafts workshops or ride ponies.
The adults, meanwhile (speaking from experience), will mostly spend their time checking the goods of the nearly 200 stalls and 50-plus food joints. If not, well, there are aerial shows and live music gigs to catch.
Check out the birdlife
From mazz.au
Hyde Park’s two lakes are a bird magnet, which is why it’s not rare to see birdwatchers flock here. That’s especially true when Perth’s other wetlands run dry in summer or when the birds start to mate in spring.
In terms of species, the usual suspects are ibises, swans, coots, pelicans, egrets, and cormorants. Some enthusiasts have also spotted singing honeyeaters, laughing kookaburras, and brown goshawks, though sightings are rare.
Have a picnic
From thehatchling
Hyde Park is one of the city’s picnic spots. The Aboriginal site is made for lazy afternoons, thanks to its twin lakes, bookable zones (got to be quick for this), chaos-free atmosphere, and the aforementioned birdlife and playground.
Anybody can grill up a storm as well. There are four BBQs by the playground, a golden perk for those who’d rather not buy from the nearby cafes.
Most importantly, the risk of ending up lobster-red is minimal. Port Jackson figs, Moreton Bay figs, jacarandas, pines, and many other trees cover the park’s traditional lands.
Jog around or cruise on a bike
From lj_milovanovic
Considering the park’s leafy cover and sights, it’s not shocking that folks, our teammates included, use it for strolls, jogs, or bike rides.
The path we typically follow is the TOV Wetlands Heritage trail, which, unsurprisingly, runs through Perth’s oldest and newest wetlands. It’s over 2 kilometres in length, though you can always shorten it by taking the Hyde Park detour and staying there.
You could also go with the 800-metre loop winding through West Lake and East Lake. While shorter, it sticks to the islands, giving you more time to appreciate the water, birdlife, and oblong turtles.
Tie the knot at the Hyde Park Wedding Gazebo
From perthweddingcollective
Contact Details: (08) 9273 6034
If you’re fast (or lucky) enough to book the Hyde Park Wedding Gazebo despite its popularity, expect your big day to be panoramic and dreamy. The structure sits among Moreton Bay figs and gardens, with both lakes in view.
When it comes to capacity, the intimate space can hold up to 50 guests, which is impressive given the hourly fee for weddings is just $54. Do note, however, that package costs are separate and will likely be on the steeper end.
