Parklands Hotel

Walk up St Leonard's Bank and you'll find yourself at the Parklands, a place that's been watching over Perth's riverfront for years. The bar has that comfortable lived-in quality—wood panelling, the kind of lighting that makes everyone look good, and enough regulars to prove it's where locals actually gather rather than somewhere tourists are funnelled into. The dining room overlooks the Tay, which doesn't hurt, and the kitchen takes itself seriously without pretending to be something it's not. It's the sort of place you'd bring your mum or take a date without worrying you've chosen somewhere trying too hard.