NOW EXPERIENCING:Edward & Ida’s
Drinks Directory|Perth|Recently opened|Casual catch-up

Edward & Ida’s

Tuesday: 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM
269 William Street, Northbridge, WA, 6003
Phone
No phone
Website
edwardnidas.com
Instagram
@edward.idas

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 26 Jan 2024

By
Max Veenhuyzen

This charming inner-city watering hole captures the spirit and fun of the old-school pub while employing modern-day barcraft to deliver sharp drinks and snacks that are big on nostalgia.

The entrance to Edward & Ida’s
Why you goIt’s a watering hole. It’s a dining room. It’s a beer garden. It’s a sit-down museum teeming with drinking memorabilia. It’s Edward & Ida’s, venue number three from go-getting bar operator Dimitri Rtshiladze. After opening a successful cocktail bar (hi, Foxtrot Unicorn) and wine bar (hi, Nieuw Ruin), Dimitri and co turned their attention to the corner pub, and the results are a win-win for all. Drinkers scored a warm, inviting den on William Street for bending the elbow and enjoying a modern-day counter meal, while our man has found another display home for his collection of antique mirrors, drinks trays and bottles of vintage brandies.
Why you stayFor anyone with a soft spot for the old-school pub, welcome to your new happy place. The handsome timber counter will likely be the first thing you see when you walk in. If you’re lucky, there’ll be an empty stool with your name on it. But even if it’s standing room only around the counter, high tables abound, and there’s the al fresco area and the basement bar to consider, too. Of course, period-appropriate furnishings alone don’t maketh a pub, so the service style is set to bright and easy-going, the drinks list covers a lot of ground and pub favourites form the cornerstone of the kitchen’s output.
The decor inside Edward and Ida's
Cocktails served at Edward and Ida's in Perth
What drink to orderWhile many pubs lean old-school, Edward & Ida’s stance is closer to old’s cool. Presenting exhibit A: a drinks menu big on nostalgia. The Midori Splice, for instance, is a fresh-faced, limy remake of that Australian cocktail classic the Japanese Slipper. Other blasts from the past include an Irish Coffee – cream and all – plus an invigorating Bloody Mary, thick and bitey in all the right places. The tap beers include blue-chip favourites (Swan Draught!) alongside more adventurous styles (raspberry sours and India pale lagers!), with smaller glass-sized beers being a cute nod to tradition. The wine selection, meanwhile, is mainly pinot noir and chardonnay – a typically Dimitri-y jolt of eccentricity.
What to pair it withSausage rolls, pies, chicken schnitzel – this isn’t food meant to surprise or challenge. Instead, kitchen can-do and unexpected flavours help distance chef Blaze Young’s cooking from the rest of the pub-grub set. So, naturally there’s a Scotch egg, only Edward & Ida’s version gets lifted by curry spice and an aïoli sharpened with pickled walnuts. The Filet-O-Fish-inspired burger gets a glam makeover thanks to flaky Patagonian toothfish, one of the fancier varieties your fishmonger might carry. And if more pubs served chips like these – yellow, waxy and big on potato flavour – the world would be a better, tastier place.
Dishes on offer at Edward and Ida's
The bar at Edward and Ida's
Why we love itEdward & Ida’s is one of those places that just feels right, you know? It captures the spirit and fun of the old-school pub without succumbing (entirely) to the clichés. There’s also something very The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe about walking straight into this retro paradise off Northbridge’s main street. Best of all, Edward & Ida’s is equally suited to hosting groups as it is solo drinkers and diners – snag a perch at the counter and get chatting with bartenders.
Don’t leave withoutYou have to ask: “Is downstairs open?” If the answer is yes – or if there’s no red-velvet rope blocking the staircase down – consider taking the party underground. A surprise discovery when management took over the space, this bunker is part time machine and part specialist cocktail bar, trading in expertly made cocktails, spirits served with care and other hallmarks of an intimate small bar. Other reasons to seek shelter in the basement include being able to enjoy the crisp sound system as well as swoon at the bar’s vintage French ‘Tabac’ sign and impressive haul of miniature bottles.
The ambience at Edward and Ida's
The busy courtyard at Edward and Ida's
Who to takeLike any self-respecting pub, Edward & Ida’s is an establishment happy to work in around your plans. If you’re just here for a drink, you’re in good hands. Need something to eat? Totally fine, not least on weekends when the bar opens from noon. Want to do a bit of both? You’ve made a great decision. While the pub isn’t quite in the CBD, it’s an easy walk from the city centre and close to Perth Arena and HBF Park – great news for those looking for a side quest between the office and home, or somewhere to go pre- or post-game.
Authour image
Max VeenhuyzenMax Veenhuyzen is a Perth food, drink and travel journalist who contributes to key Australian publications.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryPubCasual catch-upGood for groupsKiller cocktailsPet friendlyWheelchair accessibleRecently openedMeal and a bevPerthOutdoor areaA+ spirits listBarAfter work drinksDate night
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