The late, late eats
If New York is the city that never sleeps, then Perth is the city that never eats—past midnight that is—if the lack of late-night dining options is any guide. Try ordering a light meal after a show or a good curry to soak up a few too many beers under a sinking moon. While Perth can never be a London or Paris, according to University of WA research there is a greater proportion of people aged 15-34 in Perth than in Melbourne or Seattle and reportedly more cafes and restaurants per capita than anywhere in Australia. The question is: where are the late-night eating venues? Theories abound, from lack of public transport to unsafe streets to apathy. Lynda Dorrington, executive director of FORM, an organisation pushing for a more vibrant city, suggested planning laws have prevented a “whole-of-night” culture from developing. “What people want to do is take a long approach to their evening, get a drink, maybe see a show, then go on to their meal. But because we dont have the venues to accommodate this we’ve got into a bad habit of acting like old people,” she said. “We haven’t yet built a community that likes to be on the street, enjoying itself.” But Ms Dorrington feels that change is coming. “Once the (new) liquor licensing laws start to encourage micro business activity, were going to find people starting to adjust because most of the people who are coming to WA are coming from a broader experience and they will demand it over time,” she said. The West Australian, February 7.
