In gold-leaf lettering across the windows of Northbridge’s newest bar, there’s a tantalising promise: cold drinks, warm service and hot bartenders.

Behind this offering are two of Perth’s most beloved bartenders, Pippa Canavan (one half of Mix Haus) and Murray Walsh. The two met at Mechanic’s Institute, where they worked as bar and venue managers.

The pair have transformed the formerly vacant Brisbane Street space, infusing the interior with a retro, maximalist, disco-dive bar aesthetic. Stripes of warm burgundy, bright tangerine and pale pink hug the walls, providing a backdrop to velvet love seats and ’70s bric-a-brac, the crowning jewel of which is a disco panther.

Never miss a Perth moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

“A friend of ours had one of those ceramic panther statues that you get in tattoo shops, but it’s covered in mirror balls. It’s basically a disco-ball panther,” Canavan tells Broadsheet.
“We’ve been collecting [decor pieces] over the past year. Every op shop that we go past, we’ve been nipping into and collecting weird sort of ‘art teacher’s living room’-inspired things. Both of us are quite loud, maximalist people, so we just wanted the bar to express that.”

The cocktail list – and cocktails are the bar’s priority – is similarly loud. A tight seasonal menu of creative cocktails as well as quality classics will sit alongside four taps pouring beer from Shelter. The bar also offers cocktails on tap from Idle Hands Co and other small-batch local producers, and a wine list that prioritises affordable crowd-pleasers.

Innovative cocktails include a peaches and cream Negroni, the (alleged) filthiest Martini in town (“Leaning into the maximalism, it’s going to be as filthy as possible”) mixed with a house blend of olive brine and jalapeno, and a Vamos Martini, the love child of the classic espresso Martini and the Tiktok-famous Mont Blanc layered coffee.

In keeping with the bar’s neighbourhood feel, customers can order food from Peasants Paradice just next door, and enjoy the modern African fare at Bar Love. Chef-owner Dwight Alexander is a friend of Canavan and Walsh, and welcomed the collaboration. Of Alexander’s dishes, Canavan’s favourite is the fish rillette. “It’s a beautiful, light, fresh, cold rillette with gorgeous pickle-y bits on it.”

Bar Love will open in spring at 195 Brisbane Street, Perth

www.barlove.com.au/
@barlovebar

This article was originally published on August 14, 2024 but was updated on September 26, 2024 to reflect delays in the openign timeline.