Royal on the Waterfront Review

Review by Tom Zaunmayr

Nestled into the Mediterranean style Claisebrook Cove, the Royal’s clear-walled front verandah glimmers with the reflection of 3-storey apartments, toy-town style walkways & greenery of Haig Park. As you walk into the bar through its paved verandah you get the typical ‘posh’ sense that elegance usually presents. Fortunately the Royal is not a bar where you feel out of place wearing thongs on a warm summers afternoon.

The place has a very relaxed, friendly atmosphere, a pleasant mix of class and casual. The Royal’s front verandah is a place you can sit for hours talking and bathing in the quiet surrounds. The water misters make a hot summers afternoon a lot more bearable too! There is a calming serenity around the place that is hard to find in all the busy inner city & suburban watering holes. It really is a place where anyone can go to feel accepted & comfortable amongst the finer side of life.

As you walk inside the Jarrah tables give way to leather seats and shimmering modern décor. The various TVs always have live sport ranging Tennis to AFL and everything in between to keep everyone happy. Inside you tend to find middle-aged workers in suits escaping the heat with a drink mingling with local residents catching up for lunch – speaking of which the food is very impressive & reasonably priced – in front of the footy. Younger generations are more than welcome too, as long as they’re sensible.

If you’re looking for a place to pre-drink the Royal probably isn’t the place for you: they don’t have the regular cheap drinks, and the crowd will look down upon you quickly if you cause commotion. Despite being reasonably close to the city, the customers and staff don’t seem too keen on young people drinking excessively and enforce the laws relating to this strictly. The Royal is definitely more a place for a relaxed catch ups, session drinks and meetings.

What really sets the Royal apart from other pubs is its partnership with Margaret River Micro-brewery Colonial. The Royal is one of the only places in WA where people can taste some of our states award winning craft beers, showcasing the full range of Colonial Beers. The drinks are priced between $9-$12 for a pint – reasonable considering whats on offer. For $40 you can also purchase a Colonial Growler – 2 Litres of fresh poured beer in a very nice re-sealable bottle that can be refilled for $20, a very nice touch indeed.

For all those that find it hard pressed to find a place to drink for weekend breakfasts The Royal caters to this too. Catch the train down to the Claisebrook station at 9am and you can have a drink with your bacon & eggs, pancakes, rolls or any other breakfast item on the menu. It is open until late everyday, although the front verandah closes around 10pm due to local laws.

The convenience of its proximity to the city & train stations is great considering all parking around the area is $2.80 per hour, and almost always full during the day. Overall the Royal on the Waterfront is a casual bar with an up-market contemporary feel. It is a great place to relax with your mates/co-workers over a long day of sensible drinking.



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