Lil’s Rooftop & Bar: Out are the sticky floors and lanterns, in is elevated pub dining and a fresh fit-out

For those who came of age in Perth, your Saturday nights likely followed a tried-and-tested formula.

First, you’d cross your fingers that the taxi you ordered using your precious phone credit rocked up, and that the driver wouldn’t notice the clinking of the cruiser bottle poorly concealed behind your handbag.

Next it was onto whatever CBD bar boasted a cocktail special or your friend’s crush. Our group favoured Amplifier or Capitol, but perhaps your watering hole of choice was Carnegies or The Aviary.

And then of course there was the obligatory stint at Tiger Lil’s tapped onto the start or end.

In case you similarly missed the news between your new routine of a 6pm dinner and 9pm sharp bedtime, Tiger Lil’s is not the dark, sticky-floored haunt of our past. In 2024 it was reimagined as Lil’s Rooftop& Bar after — like a fellow slew of Perth’s nostalgic bars and pubs — many millions were thrown its way to spruce up the fit-out.

Past me would be horrified to know that I drove there for an early lunch on a Sunday, but impressed that I didn’t have to check my bank balance before pretending I wanted the cheapest item on the menu.

The place is unrecognisable from days of old. Lanterns and red mood lighting are out, light and bright Mediterranean inspired interiors are in. It’s buzzy on a Sunday afternoon with mostly large groups, and a few dotted with kids ahead of a Fever game.

The menu leans into elevated pub dishes that diners have come to expect of these revamped mega-venues. This might sound like an dig — it’s not, there is comfort in knowing what you’re in for.

We start with the confit garlic and white bean dip ($16) which is rich and moreish with a hit of salt from the nduja on top and nicely charred wedges of focaccia for scooping. Half-shell scallops ($24) arrive perfectly cooked, resting on a bed of sweet corn puree with a buttery drizzle that rounds it all out.

For mains, we stick to the pub classics. A grain-fed sirloin ($43), cooked medium-rare, comes with a punchy pink peppercorn sauce and a slightly underwhelming house salad. The barramundi ($39), though, is a standout — crispy-skinned, flaky beneath, and brought to life with a zippy salsa verde, cannellini beans, and a crisp shard of Tuscan kale.

Service was friendly, our meals though took a little longer than expected, around 40 minutes.

It’s not the wild night it once was, but Lil’s still knows how to show you a good time . . . just with less Jager bombs.

The verdict: 13/20

Not the Tiger Lil’s of old. Lil’s 2.0 is fresh, refined and perfect for an easy lunch with friends.

Lil’s Rooftop & Bar

437 Murray St, Perth

OPEN

Sunday-Thursday, 11.30am to late, Friday-Saturday, 11.30am to 2am

BOOKINGS

Yes

CONTACT

6285 1115

lilsrooftopbar.com.au