Perth Open House Part 2: Bar LaFayette, Connections Bar, Robert Muir Books and London House

Back here again - for part 2 of the Perth Open House series! Before I go on elaborating on the landmarks for today - one of the best parts about Perth Open House was that there was a piano right in the middle of the city - available for anyone to play on! Needless to say, I hopped onto the stool and had quite a nice time :)

Today's post features two distinctly different bars - Bar LaFayette and Connections Bar, as well as a well-established old bookstore (Robert Muir Books), and a commercial building right in the heart of the CBD (London House).

First up - Bar LaFayette. Situated on St Georges' Terrace, Bar LaFayette is a really nice, quaint place for unwinding at the end of the day. It has a whole range of cocktails - and the interior is really warm, cosy, and excellent for just sitting back and chilling. And there're also beautiful paintings on the walls for us to look at. I am not someone who goes to bars - but I was curious about this place as I had previously read about it prior to this event - and so I decided to head there for a look. Ended up relaxing for a bit in the bar, but didn't get a drink. I hope to go there for a drink someday...with company of course. 

Another bar/club I wandered into was Connections - situated in Northbridge. Connections is actually Perth's biggest LGBT nightclub, and has been around for quite some time. I can't imagine how vibrant it gets inside - when parties are being held. I noticed a massive stage for live shows in the club itself, as well as another bar on the second floor, with a rooftop deck for people to chill out on! It was late spring/early summer when I went, and so it wasn't too hot or too cold. Imagine how lovely it would be - to chill out with a drink under the clear skies! 

I ventured backstage too - and spotted lots of beautiful costumes (worn by the performers) all lined up nicely. And there were some props and disco-balls around too. The whole place was vibrant even though it was quiet and there were no parties...yet...

Jacarandas were in full bloom when I went for the Open House - and so I managed to get a picture of one of the jacaranda trees in full bloom while walking to my next destination.

Tried lunch at The Old Crow (Northbridge). I usually don't go to Northbridge for lunch, but I was really hungry that day. Headed off to my next destination after that.

Let's just say that Robert Muir Old and Rare Books (Muir Books) is one of my favourite bookstores in Perth, alongside Boffins Books (in the CBD). I had been searching for the novel "The Tamarind Seed" by Evelyn Anthony for around 4 years...but to no avail. For some reason (which I can't explain), my gut feeling told me that I might actually be able to get a copy of the book from Muir Books. And so I tried my luck...and mission accomplished! I am now a happy owner of "The Tamarind Seed", and the minute I got the book, I immediately started reading it! I am barely halfway through now due to work commitments, but I hope to finish it soon!

Apart from accomplishing my mission at Muir Books, I did have a nice time taking pics in there, and enjoying the atmosphere inside. I love being around books, and this bookstore was the perfect place for me! :) I'd definitely recommend Muir Books if you're looking for a good read - the staff are very friendly and resourceful, and the ambience within the bookstore itself is cosy, peaceful, and friendly.

I spotted a soft toy bookworm while on the way out - and had to take a pic of it. So adorable! To be honest - I do have one of these soft toys too!

Final destination for today (and also the final destination I visited for the Open House) - London House, a commercial building right in the heart of the CBD. I wanted to visit London House last year, but didn't get to do so. This time I managed to squeeze in some time to visit it, and although it was just a quick visit, it was a great experience. I had such a nice time taking pics of the beautiful lobby and also spotted a really interesting cello sculpture! :) Spot the beautiful ceiling details too, as well as the old grandfather's clock right at the end of the lobby. The lobby had a very vintage feel to it.

And that's it for today's post! I hope to post more sometime soon! :) More Open House photos coming up!

Perth Open House Part 1: Alex Hotel and new State Buildings

I went to the annual Perth Open House sometime last November (yes I know it has been a while!), and went to a number of different landmarks around the CBD. I think I visited a total of 18 landmarks.

Apart from the existing landmarks like His Majesty's Theatre, there were also other new landmarks which I got to explore. Two of the landmarks featured here include the new boutique Alex Hotel (in Northbridge), and the recently revamped Treasury Buildings. And - while I was exploring the new State Buildings, I discovered a small cafe which had EVERYTHING in pink! I have not been there for about six months now, but I hope to go back there again someday, just to be immersed in all that pink!

Before I go on about the pink cafe, let me first direct my attention towards Alex Hotel - here it is, in its full glory, right at the end of a street in Northbridge. It is about 5 minutes away from the State Library of Western Australia - which I visited after the Open House event. 

The weather was quite hot that day, so entering the Alex Hotel allowed me to cool off a bit, before heading back out to other destinations. I took a photo of the details on one of the facades too.

The interior of the hotel wasn't very big, but the place gave a very cosy and friendly vibe. I didn't get to see the hotel rooms (I think they were closed), but I managed to hang around some of the common areas, including the bar. I initially wanted to grab a bite from here, but decided against it in the end. Anyway - here are some photos of the inside. There was even an outdoor seating area for people to relax.

I'd love to hang out in Alex Hotel again someday - probably for a bite or something. It looks pretty classy and comfortable. And - I'd like to accumulate more photos of the inside and outside!

The Alex Hotel is pretty prominent in Northbridge - I spotted part of it while walking towards another destination in Northbridge. I'll be back there again, someday! Perhaps they will open it again for this year's Open House?! I hope to be able to gallivant around the city again - it was really worth it!

Next up - the newly revamped State Buildings. The State Buildings had been under restoration for some time, and it opened three weeks before the Perth Open House event. And of course, I was really curious to find out what was inside!

I was completely mind-blown and impressed by how beautiful and classy the inside is! Simple yet clean...and I really loved the colour scheme too! There were quite a number of new shops/cafes too, including some in the new basement. Here's the full listing of shops/cafes: http://statebuildings.com/)

First up - Telegram Coffee, a new coffee stall towards the back of the buildings. I didn't get to try any of the coffee, but I managed to sneak a photo of the booth.

There was also a florist opposite the coffee booth, and I took a couple of pics of some of the featured flowers...mainly because most of them were pink :)

Next stop - Petition Wine Bar and Merchant. They had an excellent selection of wines and other alcoholic beverages. I got to taste one of their house wines too. I was pretty impressed by their collection - they even had French wine from the Burgundy region - one of my favourite types of wine! 

Explored Ginger B next - I really loved the light fixtures in this little shop, as well as all the lovely gift ideas! Definitely a place I'd visit again - for gifts.

Perhaps the highlight of the day for me was the Sugarplum Sweets cafe, because it was pink-themed! Pink tissues, pink logo, pink decorations...even the staff wore baby pink - one of my favourite shades of pink! The staff even put up a pink Christmas tree (which I spotted while on my way to a concert a couple of weeks after the Open House event. The Sugarplum Sweets cafe had quite an extensive selection of pastries and merchandise. I was so tempted to buy the pink apron, but I'm hardly around in the kitchen, so I decided to take a picture of it instead.

The Sugarplum Sweets cafe was located near a Honeycake stall. All we had to do was - purchase coffee/tea from Sugarplum Sweets, grab a slice of Honey Cake...and we're all ready for an afternoon tea!

I was fully aware that there was a Honeycake shop in Fremantle Markets, but I didn't really get a chance to visit it. This time - I managed to get my hands on some Honey Cake, and it was so delicious! It was really filling though, and two small slices was enough to keep me going throughout the day. How amazing is that!

Next to the Honeycake stall? The Sue Lewis Chocolatier! I was so happy when I found this place - I had been targeting this place since I learnt about the Perth Open House event! And when I went there, I was really impressed by their collection of chocolate! I bought a small bag of chocolates home as a souvenir, and they're all gone now. They were really delicious...and addictive :)

I'm definitely going back to the State Buildings for more chocolate, Honey Cake...and pink cafe!

In the next post, I'll be sharing more Perth destinations - the Perth Open House was an excellent opportunity for me to accumulate new photos of the CBD's landmarks :) Stay tuned!