The Aviary is one of Perth’s most popular rooftop bars, and for good reasons. Other than their rooftop bar, they also have indoor and outdoor dining options for lunch and dinner.

We recommend that you go there before 6 PM—right before the sun sets. By going at this time, you get to enjoy the city view and avoid the rush of people coming in for their evening drinks.

We’ve been here several times, and it’s lively no matter what day of the week you come to visit. The ambiance is perfect if you’re looking to wind down while still enjoying the nighttime energy from the crowd.

They do have a dress code of smart casual, which is strictly enforced. People in work wear, thongs, or any clothing with offensive words or imagery will not be allowed in.

While we think the dress code is fairly reasonable, we’ve unfortunately seen a few customers turned away for multiple reasons.

The most common reason we’ve seen among our visits is visible signs of intoxication. This has caused some disagreements with guests who claimed that others who were showing signs of being tipsy were let in.

This wouldn’t be a problem if you’re coming in for their bottomless brunch, where we enjoyed smashed avos, crepes, and a jug of rose sangria.

We strongly recommend going for their jugs if you’re with a group. You can get a jug for less than $40, while individual drinks are priced at around $22 each.

Rooftop at QT is situated on the 18th floor of the QT Hotel. The hotel has the image of being a hip and stylish establishment, and the same vibe permeates their bar.

What we like best about the bar is the premises itself. With an indoor and outdoor option—both of which I think are equally great—you can choose which one you prefer.

I do think the indoor option is slightly more relaxed, and I attribute that to the much more comfortable seats inside. You’ll find large cushioned seats with a backrest, while the seats outdoors are mostly high bar stools.

The seating arrangement outdoors—especially among the bar stools—is also a bit too cramped for our liking. However, it’s a good option if you’re having drinks with your mates.

And if you are drinking with your mates, the most cost-friendly option would be to go for a bottle of wine. Unfortunately, they stopped serving cocktail jugs a few years back, so you’ll each have to order a cocktail.

They do have shareable meals on their menu, such as oysters served by half a dozen or a dozen, pizza, and crudités. We like how it isn’t the traditional bar chow, and we’ve always been pleased by the quality of their food.

While most of our visits had excellent customer service, there were some visits that had slower service than what we’re used to. We did bring this up, and the staff told us they were understaffed on those days.

For a bar located in the Ritz Carlton, we expected nothing less from The Songbird Bar. Fortunately, we found that it was worth the experience, even with the heftier price tag.

You can choose to sit indoors or outdoors, but we strongly recommend the outdoor seats for an unobstructed view of the Swan River. There’s a roof to protect from the rain, light foliage for the ambiance, and cushioned seats.

If you’re lucky, you can even sit by their outdoor fire pit. We didn’t get that chance, but it’s the perfect spot if you’re coming with a small group to have drinks.

Each guest receives complimentary bar chow. While we were there, we got popcorn and chips, although we’ve heard from other guests that they received fried chickpeas for theirs.

All their cocktails are named after birds. I chose their signature cocktail, the Songbird, which had just the right amount of vodka and vermouth to have it come down smoothly.

Each cocktail is served in a bird-shaped glass, which definitely adds to the experience. However, each cocktail costs $26.50 per glass, with no jug options available.

They also have a limited choice in their cocktail menu. If you’re looking for other liquor, you can ask for what beer or wine they have available.

They also don’t accommodate reservations, but this isn’t a problem, as the place hardly gets full. To get the best seats, however, we suggest you come early.

18 Knots is our go-to rooftop bar if you prioritise the view above anything else. It’s located on the 18th floor of the Hilton Perth Waterfront, thus giving guests a 360-degree view of Perth.

Depending on where you’re seated, you can enjoy views of the CBD, Kings Park, Swan River, and South Perth.

Most of their seats are indoors, but this isn’t a problem since they have floor-to-ceiling windows. They do have an outdoor space, but the space is limited and only has narrow tables and bar stools.

They have a good mix of couches and bar stools indoors, but we recommend the former if you’re looking to be comfortable.

They have a wide drinks menu, offering any liquor you can possibly imagine from white wine, gin, to draught beer. They only list their signature cocktails on their menu, but you can request classic cocktails like a negroni or an old fashioned.

Their food menu isn’t as diverse, but we don’t recommend you come for the food. The food items—especially the seafood—are lacklustre at best, and it’s best to stick to safe options such as their burgers or signature fries.

The customer service can also be a hit or miss. Some members of the staff were a bit unfriendly, with one customer opposite our table raising their concerns about the service to the manager.

The Point Rooftop Bar & Restaurant is located on the banks of the Swan River, making them both a rooftop and waterfront bar!

They have plenty of outdoor seats, and we were pleased by how comfortable all the seats were. There were no uncomfortable bar stools, but instead, they had couches and cushioned chairs all around.

It can be a cosy bar if you come in for brunch or just before sundown, before shifting into a lively place at night. They have a DJ playing on weekends, which invites crowds looking to party.

Thus, if you’re looking for a relaxed setup, we don’t recommend you come on weekend nights because it can be noisy. But even without a DJ, the place quickly gets noisy when it’s full since the seats are not too far apart.

They do run a full restaurant along with the bar, which raised our expectations before our first visit. Unfortunately, the food was nothing extraordinary, and quality tends to go down when the place gets full.

They have two menus for food: the bar menu and the restaurant menu. They’re most popular for their buttermilk chicken, and while it was good enough, it’s not something that would make us come back for more.

Fortunately, their drinks were much better. We tried some of their cocktails like their Passionova and Old Young’s 1829, but you can opt for different kinds of wine or draught beer for a safer choice.

The quality of service is inconsistent as well, with some of our neighbours getting their orders mixed up. Again, service is slower with a large crowd dining in, but this was something we had anticipated.

But when the place only has a few tables seated, it’s a perfect place to unwind with a view like no other.