STM Hottest 100 restaurants, bars and cafes, part five: Bars and Bars with food STM has compiled its list of WA's best bars and now PerthNow wants to know what readers think. So far, we've looked at Breakfast, Sunday lunch, BYO and Cheap eats. It's hump day, so naturally today we're looking at bars. And bars with food. Did STM get it right or they have missed a favourite spot of yours? Lalla Rookh Wine Store 77 St Georges Tce (entry via Sherwood Ct), Perth, 9325 7077 No one shows Perth vino lovers a better time than these guys. Here, Italian and regionally expressive vino rules, with "natural" wines (made with minimal handling so they remain as representative of the vineyard as possible) a strength. As challenging as some of these drinks can be, personable service from sommelier Jeremy Prus and the rest of his crew ensures drinkers both novice and adventurous are in for a fine ride. Mechanics Institute, 222 William Street in Northbridge. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow Mechanics Institute 222 William St (entry via rear laneway), Northbridge, 9228 4189 Sure, the bar carries a solid selection of in-vogue beers and wines, but like the rest of Perth you're here for the cocktails. The classically minded drinks menu (more of the citrus and sharp, less of the creamy and sweet) changes regularly, but with one of the city's finest bartending teams at your service, an expertly made Sazerac, Martini or Paperplane is never far away. If your head is a little tender, the bar's infamous Sunday Bloody Mary (complete with cheeseburger garnishing and a swimming pool's worth of liquid) should fast-track your recovery. Bar Lafayette Brookfield Place, 125 St Georges Tce, Perth, 0416 816 355 The prices at this debonair den of drink might be up there, but so are the standards, starting with the fit-out. Granted, the former Perth Technical College makes for a wonderful set of bones, but they've been dressed exceedingly well. There's similar polish to bar manager Andrea Cardellini's menu of classic libations, too. Here's a Vieux Carre. There's a flight of martinis. If you like, really push the boat out with a $90 George T. Stagg Bourbon Old Fashioned. For something a little lower-proof but just as considered, the wine list showcases bottles chosen by former Rockpool sommelier Richard Healy. Defectors Bar, Mt Lawley. Defectors The Flying Scotsman, 639 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley, 9328 6200 While boho drinkers congregate down below at the Scotsman, the pub's vaguely olde worlde upstairs lounge attracts a different kind of patron. Following the recent arrival of Ben Willacy - formerly of Worship Street Whistling Shop and Callooh Callay in London (both rated by Drinks International among the world's 50 best bars) - the bar's cocktail program is back on track. Did someone say $12 Negronis and other classics? Having one of the city's finest booze libraries should offer plenty of spirited options. The Hula Bula Bar, 12 Victoria Ave in Perth. Hula Bula 12 Victoria Ave, Perth, 9225 4457 Aloha! That's the greeting you get at this crazy "Sixties inspired bar where they were drinking mai tais way before these new cool kids on the block were even born. They're so kitsch that they've turned the cool corner. If you like your cocktails to come with paper umbrellas and flashing lights, then this is the bar for you. 399 399 William St, Northbridge, 0417 388 257 It's Northbridge, but not as we know it. And we've got the likes of Bar 399 to thank for pioneering the precinct's new cosmopolitan groove. Despite the bar's age and change of ownership, this eclectic neighbourhood hangout remains a key figure in the area's bar scene. Part of its relevance is engaging bar manager Bill Bewsher and his understanding that the service is just as important as the shake. While the bar has scaled down its own food package, drinkers can, on selected days, order from nearby Dough Pizza and Vinh Hong Noodle House. The Sail and Anchor, 64 South Tce, Fremantle. Sail & Anchor 64 South Tce, Fremantle, 9431 1666 Though Australia's first brewery to open post-World War II no longer brews on-site, its commitment to good drinking remains steadfast. At the disposal of the venue's beer-loving staff are numerous spots from which to dispense their grain, hop and malt brews. Perhaps they'll pour from the venue's hefty armoury of taps. But to ignore the contents of "The Judge" - a hop-infusing machine that imparts the flowers" distinctive characters into various beers - would be a sin, as would not asking about the contents of the handsomely stocked beer fridge. Beer drinkers, can I get an Amen? Helvetica 101 St Georges Tce, Perth, 9321 4422 While whisk (e) y might be the ace up Helvetica's sleeve, the two-storey speakeasy ticks plenty of boxes for small-bar excellence. The wine list, for example, is small in size but big on interest, while the tightly chosen craft beers adopt a similar "less is more" credo. And if the bar's stockpile of 100-plus bottles of whisk (e) y - single malts, mostly - doesn't take your fancy, expertly mixed cocktails make a fine Plan B. Whatever their poison of choice, drinkers here can look forward to solid service and fun tunes in a space that's at once both modern and timeless. La Vie Crown Perth, Great Eastern Highway, Burswood, 9362 7551 Crown Perth still packs the know-how and skill set to open its own venue of note: Exhibit V, its luxe champagne bar, La Vie. Bottle-shaped stained-glass windows and parlour-style seating evoke a gothic luxe atmosphere. It's a perfect stage for France's famous fizz to shine. While guests are welcome to lash out on Dom Perignon by the glass and pricey four-figure icon drops, La Vie's list also sports other well-chosen wines, cocktails and swish snacks. Ezra Pound 189 William St, Northbridge, 0415 757 666 Ezra Pound: poet, critic, teacher, editor, father, small bar? There might be fancier places in Perth to wet one's whistle, but scruffy, street-smart Ezra Pound seems an apt homage to its controversial literary namesake. While there's more than a whisper of dive bar to Ezra Pound's laneway address, cash-only policy, ramshackle interiors and fondness for brown-bagged longnecks of beer, bartenders work hard to create a welcoming vibe for drinkers, right through to the offer of free popcorn. The Classroom, Charles St in North Perth. The Classroom 356 Charles St, North Perth, 9444 7729 There's more than a smidge of nostalgia to this school-themed bar, but the hospitality package is very of-the-moment. Measured service from staff and snappy drink choices across the board (bar manager Andrew Bennett has a nose for exciting booze) ensure the bar is equally at home serving the hipsters as it is their parents. The value-packed $15 dinner specials are as good an excuse as any to head out on a school night. The Precinct 834 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park, 9355 2880 Lucky you, Victoria Park. Not only do you have a rocking neighbourhood hangout like The Precinct in the "hood, you've also got veteran sommelier Daniel Morris calling the wine-list shots. From textural European vino to of-the-moment craft brews, expect deeply assured, value-packed drinking. The kitchen's contributions, meanwhile, are just as exciting. True, Albany Highway isn't exactly hard up for places to eat, but pterodactyl-sized turkey wings and salmon fish fingers offer a deliciously quirky alternative to the area's ethnic food riches. The Wine Store, East Fremantle. The Wine Store 48 George St, East Fremantle, 6424 9500 George St is another area on the up, thanks in no small part to the efforts of this fresh-faced corner store. Sure, The Wine Store's splendid beer, wine and spirit selections are a great way to stock the home cellar, but all the better to explore its boozy riches at the attached wine bar, ideally with something delicious from Suzie Foster's high-comfort menu. We're thinking Argentine pastries for brekkie and beef empanadas and charcuterie come nightfall. As adventurous as the vino selections might be, the experience is anchored by polished service under manager Kitty Usher and her knowledgeable crew. La Cholita 279 William St, Northbridge, 9227 9238 If the perpetual queue for tables is any indication, La Cholita has lost little of the verve that accompanied its opening in late 2011. Still, there are worse waiting rooms to be stuck in, and an abridged menu of La Cholita's full food and drink menu helps pass the time wonderfully. It's only once you get seated properly that the restaurant's entire inventory of tequilas, Latin wines and punchy dishes (love those beef tongue tacos) become available. It's loud, it's fun, it's a party in every sense of the word, and Perth can't get enough. Five Bar 560 Beaufort St, Mount Lawley, 0467 534 267 When it comes to pushing the food-and-beer-matching barrow, Five Bar head chef Mitch Mitchell works harder than most. In addition to overseeing the bar's menu of pub grub of a higher order (scotch eggs, say, and hefty Reuben sandwiches), he's also developed his own range of beer-enriched Beersine foodstuffs including cheeses and bacon. It's tasty, straight-for-the-flavour-jugular stuff, and a perfect match for Five and its unaffected attitude towards eating and drinking. Look out for monthly tap takeovers when local breweries come to town to share their wares with craft-beer fans. Greenhouse, 100 St Georges Tce, Perth. Picture: Matthew Poon Source: PerthNow Greenhouse 100 St Georges Tce, Perth, 9481 8333 Greenhouse makes a persuasive argument that sustainability and fun needn't be mutually exclusive, starting with polished cocktail and wine offerings. Executive chef Matt Stone and recently arrived head chef Dom Moldenhauer adopt a native-first, do-it-yourself approach. The result is wholesome breakfasts and lunches for one (cabbage and shiitake mushrooms, perhaps) and evening share plates that put local ingredients and cuts such as emu front and centre. El Publico 511 Beaufort St, Highgate, 0418 187 708 From one Gourmet Traveller best new talent winner (Matt Stone) to another, Sam Ward is doing his utmost to prove Mexican food is more than just jarred salsa. Against a staggering backdrop of tequila and mescal, Ward pleads his case with atypical wonders such as crunchy tostadas showered with juicy cuttlefish strips as well as balls of spiced beef brisket that are crunchy and juicy in all the right places. This is some of the most vigorous Mexican cooking in the state, if not the country. That it's served in a perpetually humming nightspot makes it all the more appealing. The Apple Daily Bar and Eating House, Level 1, Print Hall, Brookfield Place, Perth. The Apple Daily Bar & Eating House Print Hall, Brookfield Place, 125 St Georges Tce, Perth, 6282 0000 Apple Daily might be the most casual of Print Hall's dining rooms, but no one's taking any short cuts in the food and drink department. Sunny de Ocampo's menu draws extensively from South-East Asia's colourful repertoire of street food flavours: Filipino sausage served san choy bau style dovetails with tamarind pork ribs and a red curry of crisp pork and pineapple. Sweet-leaning cocktails are a fun way to put out the occasional chilli spot-fire, though the all-WA beer and wine selections (including riesling on tap) are equally deserving of your attention. Andaluz 21 Howard St, Perth, 9481 0092 Andaluz's brand of Iberian-informed hospitality has few peers in this town. For some customers, it's all about the depths of the wine list and the high-definition zing of the cocktails. Then you've got those who turn up solely to savour the gutsy, robust takes on Spanish tapas. Others, meanwhile, are here to get lost in conversation in the various hidey holes scattered through the room. Make no mistake, Andaluz is the complete glam and addictive package. And with word incoming chef Jonathan Pace - last seen cooking at two-Michelin-starred Baume in California - is settling in nicely in the kitchen, expect plenty more Spanish-accented culinary thrills. Ace Pizza, Highgate. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: PerthNow Ace Pizza 448 Beaufort St, Highgate, 0499 448 000 This is segue dining at its hippest, absolute buzzing best. You might start the night with a glass of prosecco at the bar, but a few glorious hours later you will find yourself holed up in a lime-green booth licking their signature soft serve. In between there's plenty of New York-style pizza coming your way from the wood-fired oven. This is the latest offering from the Bolshie Bar Brigade - Paul Aron, John Little, Alex Cuccovia and Michael Forde. Adding a certain cute kitsch is that the staff are decked out in T-shirts with giant letters spelling out "ACE." Yes, it is! STM Hottest 100, part four: Cheap eats