Small Bar Perth (Wolfe Lane)
It’s one of those places where you would go if you wanted to be seen.
That is, it has a VIP lounge, complete with red roped off barriers that overlook the ‘lower loft’ and bar. You would get to rub shoulders with the DJ on any given night and have first preference service. If you were lucky enough — Wolfe Lane has it for you.
Make no mistake about it. This bar is chic. Wolfe Lane echos a lofty ambition of New York – an air of exclusivity, dedecance and no expenses spared. It has high ceilings and modern low key furniture. For all the sparse decorations, the ceiling roses call the strongest from black lacquered candelabras. Less is more in this case.
The wines are a hotchpotch collection of left off centre – the beers also mimic that seam. Spirits are top shelf, and presented as you would expect. It’s a given for a bar who’s focus is on cocktails. For grumbling bellys there is a small tapas menu on offer.
Rumor has it that the Perth Fashion Festival 2009 will wind down there.
Wolf Lane, off Murray St Perth
Phone 93224671
Wednesday – Saturday 2pm – 12am
Sunday 2pm – 10pm
Relax your purse strings and you’ll have a good time.
Tags: Bar, CBD, Loft, Perth, Small Bar, Wolf Lane, Wolfe Lane
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
Hard to believe that this is a bar in Perth. If my son was still here I’m sure he would go and check it out. He is flirting with Europe. He promised not to come back for a few years.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:38 am
Wow – amazing for perth, I think I would make the place look somewhat less chic by my mere presence!
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Finally a bar that might just remind me of my home NYC….
September 4th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Here ar kid. This is proper posh like and jus my cuppa tea. You can even park yer bike outside.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
is there a contact no for wolfe lane?
September 6th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Just got home.
Epic drinks. Great staff. Amazing atmosphere.
Will definitely be going back!
September 6th, 2009 at 4:19 am
Contact Number is 93224671.
September 6th, 2009 at 10:42 am
thanks Mel, I added it to the post!
September 6th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
I went there last night it was fantastic , drinks were reasonably priced , freindly bar staff , fantastic security staff , and the DJ was playing great music!
I’m in love.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
sooo very very Melbourne…. VIP’s galore, I hear Basil Zempalis even goes here…
September 10th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Nothing NEW about it. We’ve seen it all before. Over priced drinks ($10 for a bottle of beer… Disgusting), cliche interior design (bear brick and a slighty unfinished look with an old fashioned meets modern sort of thing… where have I seen that before? 10,000 times!) Basically, hype bullshit. Don’t bother… Unless you’re a complete posser and just want to be there because other people tell you it’s the place to be seen. F**king sad.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Sorry you feel that way JC.
You can always go across the road to the Moon and Sixpence for something more proletariat.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Haha, awesome reply. Don’t forget your fluro vest if going to the Moon and Six JC. And you’ll probably need about $8 for a bottle of beer – wow, what a saving!
September 13th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
im with you jc. outnumbered by chumps here in perth man. people who’s idea of a compliment is to call it european or melbournian or nycish. no personal identity and forever aspiring to be like someone/where else. they are the reason perth feels so faceless and have the nerve to use the word proletariat in defence of their underdeveloped opinions.
JW doesnt seem to understand how big a chunk 20% is. its not about the 2 dollars in your pocket, its about everyone in the room deciding to give the bar manager a rim job because they want to be in the same room as basil zempilas.
still, if it keeps them off the streets.
man jason. if george orwell was here and he asked me to headbutt you to death, i’d be obliged to do so. the suckers in the party were far more hopeless than the proles. go away you stinky pantsed nugget.
September 14th, 2009 at 12:45 am
So now that you’ve finished on your soapbox Mike, I’d like to point out that I enjoy reviewing such places and provide that insight for the greater public.
You’re not in anyway required to attend such a fine soiree and possibly catch a glimpse of Mr. Zempilas’s nose. But if you do, you’ll be holding a boutique imported beer for the princely sum of $10 and dressed to the nines (this time hopefully without a high visibility vest).
Perth is, at the end of the day, an overgrown mining town. You echo that myopic sentiment carrying a posy of cut(down) poppies. Xenophobic vilification at its best.
It’s called globalisation – get with the times. The fluidity of ideas and information in today’s world make is hard to grasp what locale something is, and, from where. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
Surly you have a nice coffee, go out for Chinese and enjoy a good kebab now and then Mike? It’s the integration of exoticism that has made Australia what it is today. Multicultural. To say Perth has no face, is to be viewing so though the prism of colonial anglo-celtic diaspora.
I’m sure if Mr Orwell ever owned a coal mine in Lancashire you’d be most welcome to work for him. He would have provided better working conditions, including hot baths.
And unlike the coal miners who had the privilege of bathing every few weeks, I do so on a twice daily basis. Thus Mike, my pantaloons are rather odour free.
September 14th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
GOLD reply there jason.
Although I am praying for the day when there is enough competition in the Perth small bar scene so that we can get a few more grungy, dirty places where the beer is served from a crate and you pay a princely sum of $7 for it. Something like Shithouse Bar in Melbs… and yes, Ezra Pound is one step closer.
September 15th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
you still leave yourself wide open to the final aspect of the accusation i made. the word nugget.
September 19th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Honestly as the bar has only been open 3 weeks, I doubt its all that exclusive yet! I personally haven’t head the Basil Zemplas rumour, but even so, the mans only a man! Personally my view on the exclusivity factor; its capacity is 120, including those whom who work there etc, drinks being $10 each (premium spirits) its a bar for people who don’t want to be squashed and just want a place to chill and wind down. Its something people in perth don’t understand, sometimes you want a small crowd!
September 20th, 2009 at 10:57 am
I found this online banter hilarious! i think its important to remember that perth is in desperate need of everything! i think its great that there is an influx of small bars opening up in the central city, whatever style they may be. Its great to have choice for once!
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I like the armchairs………very comfortable.
Who’s Basil Zampilas?
September 25th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Paul,
Very funny. Love it!
October 7th, 2009 at 8:53 am
I’d just like to say that being labelled a nugget needn’t necessarily be a bad thing… The Hyde Park Nuggets are the pool team for the Hyde park Hotel (a seedy establishment that I still often frequent) and this year they won the Champion of Champions match. Being a Nugget? Not so bad.
Thank you Tannic Teeth for pointing out and reviewing the new watering holes. I was beginning to despair that, outside of Melbourne, there were no cool bars (aspiring to Melbs- also not such a bad thing)
October 8th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Perth hasn’t had the balls or the backing to have a ‘face’ for a very long time. It’s got something to do with business and government being paranoid with being left behind and becoming irrelevant on the international stage. Unfortunately because we are an overgrown mining town, culture has taken a back seat, in fact it was tossed into the trailer with the tree clippings for the dump. Culture impacts the nightlife and social options the people in Perth have. But if you look hard enough there are mini-entrepreneurs (like the owner of Wolfe Lane) everywhere taking the initiative to create unique and exciting social occasions for every kind of sub-culture in Perth. Finally Perth’s ‘face’ is emerging from the wrank fog of mining dollars and conservative state politics.
And bosshog is right – “perth is in desperate need of everything!” so that the wankers can stand in their bar and gossip about Basil and that time they were in NY and the bogans can drink their cheap beer at the m&s down the road without people clashing. Because that is the real mark of a successful multicultural, unique, metropolitan city – all sub-cultures living in a city without feeling the need to spit abuse at each other for existing because they have their own holes to climb into. We’re getting there…
October 9th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Nice little bar with a great selection of drinks served by friendly and helpful staff who don’t mind the occasional odd request.
I think the only thing it has to fear is if the “exclusive” theme is pushed too hard to point it becomes contrived and people begin to only turn up to be seen. That’s when it becomes a novelty, and we all know what happens to novelties, particularly in a fickle town like Perth. In bar terms, think the Raffles – enough said.
As long as they just keep doing what they do and let the function create the form, it should be a long term fixture on Perth’s bar scene.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Personally I think the banter is pretty disappointing to see. We are Perth people – we are nice & friendly people & we are all different. Lets not look down our noses at anyone that wears a high-vis vest or anyone that thinks being near Basil Zemplis is cool (yikes!).
Absolutely love the new little bars popping up – Perth finally has something to offer – but try it & if you dont like it – dont buy it! The establishment has set its prices – you dont like it, you dont go!
Even this website is great – its giving Perth a voice, but Jason I was pretty disappointed to see a level of snobbery through the cracks in your response – that to me is one of the most annoying things about the culture in Perth and one reason for everyone why it will continue to be divided.
Anyway great site & hopefully one day soon we will have more to say about Perth than “but it has great weather”.
P.s. – I cant wait to check out Wolf Lane this weekend!! =)
October 17th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
“It’s one of those places where you would go if you wanted to be seen”
- if you decode that it says “It’s one of those places where you would go if you’re a pretentious w*nker”
October 28th, 2009 at 11:24 am
More contact details here: http://www.wolfelane.com.au
November 1st, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Went in friday to check out what all the hype was about…. this bar is AWESOME!! Had a great time and even with about 100 people inside could still get to the bar and stand around without feeling like I was stuck in a london metro during peak hour. The space is massive for small bar and deco really impressive. Great selection of beers, peroni, tiger truma pils and asahi and spirits are all top shelf, grey goose etc not the crap other small bars serve and charge the same. Have read all the blogs and to be honest, I was pretty impressed with the mix of the crowd. It was an eclectic mix of people who were all clearly enjoying themselves….oh and some pretty hot girls as well. Definately worth a visit for a drink and I think it will be my new friday watering hole.
November 7th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
I went in last night with my wife and mate. Was there something else going on in Perth (ha, sometimes I crack myself up) as I felt it was dead.The only atmosphere was the one we breathe. There seemed to be a few unhappy souls hanging around too, which helped to bring down the general feel of the pub – unhappy, frowning people don’t really add to the ambiance of the place.
The decor / fit out is new, fresh and funky, but I cant help but think it’s contrived. The choice of Barcelona chair’s, the hanging cloth, the exposed brick has all been deliberately selected to try and add an air of sophistication. Unfortunately sophistication can not be purchased. Why try and be a Melbourne or a NYC styled bar? What is so wrong with developing your own style? It’s not hard – It’s called being unique.
In it’s defense, it’s still finding it’s feet, the drink list was quite good – I quite enjoyed the 05 shiraz. The guitar / DJ combo was brilliant, it’s something I have not seen before – I think that was the highlight of the night. And although quiet, it was nice to be able to have an in depth conversation with good wine and great company.
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I’m loving the new set of small bars in Perth. It makes Perth life a lot easier after living in London for a few years! However, I have to agree with Mike and JC on this one- this place tries way too hard. Skip it and stick with Ezra Pound, The Stanley, The Cabin or your local. Wherever you might be- if you see Basil there make the chump buy you a drink.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Stop the press i completely agree…
its fantastic that we are getting these new venues and i will be going to wolfe lane soon to try it out..
but its concerning that people want to be seen with Bazil Zempilis…! and feel the need to consider themselves superior to someone that drinks at the Moon and Sixpence…
December 16th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Here, here to Stop the Press.
I too will check out Wolf Lane this Saturday and if I like it then I will be back if not good bye and good luck to you….
February 24th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Wow what a heated political (yet slightly off topic) debate. Havent been to to this place yet but after just reading how FLo Rida attended that rich russian guys birthday recently i have a feeling it may soon become the new Perth W*nk spot. How unfortunate.
March 19th, 2010 at 11:22 am
I saw Basil there last night. And he was really cool.
I heard that Di Bauwens is a regular. I so want to go there again now…
==
Seriously, sounds like a nice place. Will have to pop in soon, although $10 for a bottle of beer is taking the piss – anywhere. In fact, $8 is taking the piss too. Stupid boomtown pricing…
March 25th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Just wondering if anyone can advise whether or not this place would be good for a 21st party function (in the VIP area I’m assuming). I’m definitely gonna check it out before hand (as I haven’t been there yet) but was just wondering if anyone can give a general idea if it seems like a good place for a 21st (30-50ppl)… at least to start at (seeing as though it closes at 12am).
What’s the music like?
Demographics?
etc.
Any recommendations/thoughts ?
Thanks in advance.
March 26th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Hi Sam,
If its any help, I went there for a 21st 3 weeks ago and it was awesome, such a great bar for a party!! My friend had exculsive use of the bar from 7 until 9pm, but she needed 50 guests. DJ’s were great and bar staff really helpful and friendly!!
Cheers
July 11th, 2010 at 12:03 am
cool bar!
August 28th, 2010 at 9:32 am
[...] in Northbridge. It is apparent from the interior design that the same creative hands also drew up Wolfe Lane. The polished-stainless-steel-meets-exposed-brick-work gives a feeling of rawness, which appears to [...]
October 8th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Frenchy: “Because that is the real mark of a successful multicultural, unique, metropolitan city – all sub-cultures living in a city without feeling the need to spit abuse at each other for existing because they have their own holes to climb into”. your idea of a successful multicultural city is one where all the sub-cultures have their own defined areas and get on because they never mix. Are you sure you’re not from South Africa?
Jason: “you’ll be holding a boutique imported beer for the princely sum of $10 and dressed to the nines (this time hopefully without a high visibility vest)” What’s clothing got to do with your ability to enjoy a good night out or anything else for that matter? Sounds like all people are equal but some (the ones in the Armani suits presumably) are more equal than others
December 14th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
A great bar with a great list of beers.
I’ll happily pay that $2 more for a beer that won’t leave me feeling like I’ve just drunk cat piss.
August 5th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
And that, DJ, is precisely the problem.
It’s got nothing to do with premium beer vs. cat piss, around here the cat-piss is just as fucking pricey. It’s the fucking boomtown mentality of paying top dollar for everything, everywhere you go, regardless of the quality. And the propensity of the local population to carry on paying it, with nary a cry raised in protest (other than these here piddling little forum whinges), means that in fact everyone’s paying that $2 more per beer, whether or not it tastes like cat piss, and whether it’s served out of a crate under a sheet of fucking corrugated iron by the roadside, or by Captain Trendoid behind the bar of Wolfe Lane.
Thanks to the notion that WA is populated entirely by cashed-up bogans living large on the mining dollar – though to be fair, there are far more of them in the Westralian Police State than any peace-loving, non-ute-driving beer guzzler would like – the “regular wage” sector get’s fucked.
But that’s in no way particular to Wolfe Lane. At the end of the day, if anyone doesn’t like hanging out in fish-bowls, where everyone is checking out exactly how cool everyone else is – which is, naturally, not as cool as they themselves – then just go somewhere else, and stop having a go at the people who do. We all know they’re wankers, but calling them so to their face doesn’t do anyone any favours – better off buying them a one-way ticket to Sydney, where they can go and live it up amongst the beautiful people.