Review Swallow Bar - Maylands

Delightful small bar and restaurant. Beautiful wines , and food with a French flavour. Cheese board and cocktails on a Sunday afternoon is the perfect place to chill or catch up . Enjoy live music or a board game surrounded by art deco vintage ♥️

Food was good, though would have liked a fish option. Closing time on website is 10 but we kept being reminded from 8.30 that the kitchen was about to close. Our booking was for 8.15, so ... It was a hot night and water from jug was warm too.

How typical of me to discover the best bar in walking distance.......on their last night of trading. Literally the best expresso martini that has ever passed my lips 💋 😍 ❤ it was soooo good, $20 though. I am hoping to see it reopen. I'd 🧡 to be involved.... Great bones, my kinda cool. Damn!

Absolutely love this place! And so so happy they have a mostly gluten free menu. The chef was kind enough to explain what ingredients were in some dishes due to my dietary requirements. Squishy and loud but that’s all part of the experience. Will always bring friends here.

Enjoyed a drink there on Friday. Good atmosphere and vibe. Will go back when the opportunity presents itself.

This was an Italian wine tasting class or a wine appreciation class. It was hosed by Anja from Canny Grapes. It was a very informative afternoon, where I learnt a lot about the wines and the regions. The down side is that the room where this tastng happened was a bit uncomfortable to sit in. The bar itself is a bit quirky and the food that was served was very tasty. Its not my sort place.

Simply put, excellent. The vibe is small but cozy. The food is beyond exceptional, with perfect seasonings and interesting flavours. I would absolutely recommend the beinets. When I went the special cocktail was Turkish delight, and what a delight it was. Absolutely would recommend to anyone looking for a distinct dining experience.

Busy night but still decent service, cocktails were unique and the food was excellent.

Beef hot toast<br/>And beef involtini are giddy up good and bar is 2019 bar of year voted by the people. Get in early, get a booth and eat and drink yourself to happiness.

Tried the pissaladiere, spiced cauliflower and fish with brioche. I found that the portions were really small for the price.<br/><br/>The pissaladiere was delicious, I loved the saltiness of the anchovies with the crispy, cheesy bread. The spiced cauliflower was also nice, served with crispy pecans and a thick sauce. The fish was a letdown, I could barely taste the fish with the amount of sauce that was slathered on it.<br/><br/>Food-wise this place is actually a 4, but I cannot excuse the miniscule portion sizes for the price. Either the quality needs to increase massively or the portions do.<br/><br/>I loved the live jazz at the time we were there. It's a nice small bar and definitely good for a catch-up with some friends.

Excellent and friendly bar staff, great choices for drinks and very interesting share plates. The croquettes were a highlight, followed by the green beans and the involtini. I’ll be back for more soon.

As recommended, the omelette was fantastic. It's a bit on the pricey side, but this bar is very welcoming and with a talented bartender that can make almost any cocktail! If you've ordered it elsewhere, they've got the stuff to create your favourites!<br/><br/>My fussy self thinks the booth chairs sink a little too much, but there's plenty of other options for seating, such as a charming courtyard out the back and bar seating. If you're in the area, definitely take a stop here before venturing any further!

The decor, ambience and escape feeling factor are amazing with this Maylands small bar. The food is a little pricey but superbly executed. I could sit and drink in one of the booths all day. A little gem.

Great tasty food to go with any drink and lovely cosy atmosphere. I had the bloody mary which was probably one of the best ive had. Will definitely come again and have more from the menu.

Being a small bar, this place should be approached with restraint when on a night out with friends. Don't get me wrong, the food, service and atmosphere of the place is top-shelf but what would normally be a few drinks and a meal becomes some drinks, nibbles and a bill to rival the State’s deficit. Food highlights included the pate and garlic toast, the croquets and the beef involtinis. Next time I would drop in for a quick drink and a bite on the way to another restaurant but maybe that's working to the advantage of this small bar as there isn't much else in Maylands. I can't fault the quality of the food, the tap beer or the drink list, but my wallet began the night fuller than my stomach was when we left. Swallow with caution.

Great little spot. Small shopfront but it reaches a fair way back with booths as you walk in, a little dining room in the middle and an open courtyard in the back.<br/><br/>Nice for cocktails at night and for an afternoon coffee or drink.<br/><br/>The nibbles were really tasty too. Smoked salty almonds, arancini balls, bruschetta. All goes well with a cocktail or wine.<br/><br/>Definitely worth a visit!

Love this place! It's tiny and sometimes too crowded but that's part of it's charm. Music is great, food is delicious and drinks range quite varied. It's not cheap and a lazy Sunday sesh can easily end up costing abt $70 -$100 pp depending on what you get but it is delicious and good quality.

Random drop in Sat afternoon for coffee with my Friend, wow! great tasting coffee. Just what I needed thanks guys! Next time I will try the food.

Omg I loved this place. Feels like Paris. Small & quirky with great staff. Had some beautiful red wine and an assortment of bites. The rare beef involtini is out of this world. I could have eaten buckets of it. Cant wait to try it again.

Stepping into this quaint small bar in Maylands was like being transported to a charming bar in Paris, very European in style and brimming with warmth and energy. Swallow Bar in Maylands had been on my list for a while and I wish I had visited sooner. Situated in the middle of the Maylands cafe hub on Whatley Cres this small bar is definitely small and with a buzz in the air I was glad we were able to secure a table without a booking on this busy Thursday night. The bar has a lovely front room with train carriage booths, covered (and heated) courtyard out the back, live Jazz and Blues music on Thursday and Sunday nights and a fab weekend brunch.<br/> <br/>Seated and with a great bottle of Castlefeder Mont Mès Pinot Grigio cracked we made our menu choices. The menu is simple but full of luxe produce with a comfort food vibe. First up we had the mushroom, fontina and thyme croquettes, always something I love to order and these were some of the best I’ve had. They didn’t come with any type of sauce but didn’t need one, the the inside was soft, gooey and cheesy, super tasty and covered with a thin, crisp, golden outer layer.

I love this place. Yep, it is small, but they have recently knocked through to accommodate a few more, but nevertheless it is a jewel in the Maylands crown. Great service, nice small drinks menu but has an exceptional food offering. Music is sublime, with a relaxed feel. Always a pleasure 😄

A must go for those who love great seasonal food cooked with a massive amount of love, great selection of drinks and an ambiance that makes Swallow Bar one of my favorite locals!

Such a great little bar / restaurant! We shared a bottle of Pinot Noir with pâté, mushroom croquettes, artichoke gratin, spiced cauliflower and the special - roast lamb shoulder with a divine lentil & grain salad. Everything was close to perfect - absolutely delicious.

Have been a few times as am Maylander. Venue is very small and poorly organized. Too much room taken up by massive area surrounding single toilet, booths bulky and space wasting, band at door to already inaccessible space. Beer range abysmal, wine list okay but over priced. Level of service (minimal) does not match the cost of the product. Food tasty and quick but pretty pricey also. This venue will suffer when Henry the eighth opens and the Peninsula is redeveloped.

Positioned along the brunch central hub that is Whatley Crescent in Maylands, Swallow Bar is a small hole in a wall that you might miss and walk straight past during the day. By night it's the local bar with a thoughtful selection of drinks, great music and delicious food using local produce. But recently they've launched Sunday brunches, opening their doors to passersby with a simple and yet delicious sounding menu.

My lifestyle is soon to change as I will be moving to working a Monday to Friday week instead of one with weekend shifts. This has both merits and disadvantages in some ways. I will lose my regular Monday off, which I cannot deny is quite possibly THE best day to have off in the week. But in turn, I will finally be able to spend my weekends with the Boy who hasn’t worked a weekend in years. The first thing I am looking forward with this change is of course food related; I can now be a lady who does weekend brunch.

I like finding holes in the wall.<br/><br/>Well, Swallow is kinda easy to find. But when u go inside you'll find out why I call it one!<br/><br/>Pity there is not much space but that's the part I like about this place. Got a really cool retro feel. Opens late too so I guess you could get some late night drinks and hang out here too if u want.<br/><br/>But I always go for the food as I don't often enjoy alcohol. Tried the Elizabeth David Omelette. Man, I have not enjoyed one in a long time from anywhere. This place takes it further and uses good butter so that the outside caramelises, as you can see from the photos, but, the omelette is nice and soft and not rubbery at all. The Gruyere cheese melts perfectly and doesn't override anything at all. A nice iceberg/cos? lettuce and shallot salad is good to break through the oiliness. If I had a complaint, it would be the bread. Would have rather had it toasted as it was a bit too chewy when it got to me.<br/><br/>Had a mocktail as well. Mojito. Really refreshing and not too sweet, they really ramped up the citrus component in this drink. Not stingey with the mint either, good to see. . . And taste! Summers comin so bottoms up!<br/><br/>It's small and can get quite tight. Wouldn't recommend any bigger than a group of 4-5 unless you can score the tables right at the back.

Tucked away in a quiet section of the up and coming Eight Ave & Whatley Crescent shopping precinct, this funky small venue crafts a delightful menu of food and drinks not to be missed! Call in regularly to sample the changing menu and cocktail/wine/cheese specials.

A.W.E.S.O.M.E. <br/>hands down one of the best. <br/>Brilliant everything. Really. <br/>I could ramble on but why are you still reading?You simply just must go and experience it yourself.

There are so many cute little bars popping up around Perth. Walked past this one the other day and it looked very interesting. Went back to try it out with friends and it was a very pleasant experience. The place was full, the service was great, the wine and drinks list very good and the menu looked enticing and we will go back again to try out a bit of good food too. Love the name!!

Cute spot run by cute women. I love the inside of Swallow Bar despite its being very tiny. The train carriage like booths are lovely and the simple but effective food choice pleased me. The drinks are the highlight - made with love and with expertise. Swallow has a cute outdoor area also.

When this 2014 Small Bar of the Year was first opening, I remember my friends and I being so excited about a “trendy bar” in our shire. I mean the Peninsula Tavern is ok when you want to put a fiver each way on the doggies but they aren’t going to able to knock up a dirty martini that is worth writing home about.<br/><br/>Swallow Bar is small in size but big in character. There is a bright open court yard out the back and inside, booths made with old train seats and luggage racks sits opposite the long bar. Soothing sounds of the golden oldies flows from the speakers, making me want to put my hair in a scarf, whack on some red lipstick and drink gin.

From the train-chair booths to the laid-back tunes, live music and the decor which takes you to inner-city Paris - Swallow Bar has put Maylands on the map for Mr. Spittoon and me. From our first visit over a year ago we just keep going back to this European inspired small bar for that cosy neighbourhood feel, the delectable bites to eat and of course the wine and drinks. Seriously these guys do a rocking espresso martini guys and use some of the best glassware out there.

Amazing place with amazing food! Quince Bellini is to die for! If you get a chance to meet the girls say hi and let them treat you to a French experience right here in perth<br/>

Small bar suits this place well. Tighter that a pair of nuts in a squirrels mouth !! Nice people good food but over priced, wine is expensive and beer limited. They need competition to get better.

You know that scene in “A Christmas Carol” where Scrooge gazes  in the window at the people having such a jolly good time that he begins to realise what he is missing out on? That’s just how the Swallow Bar appeared to me whenever I strolled past in the evenings. Inviting, warm, a place where everybody knows your name. Well yes, I’m crossing the line between Dickens and the Cheers Bar but you can see the picture I’m trying to draw. Now that I’ve finally tasted Swallow’s hospitality, I wonder why I waited so long.

We didn't dine here but had the Pissaladière’ en croûte and Pate with toast. I have had better elsewhere but they were still nice. <br/>This place has a good atmosphere. Perfectly captures the vintage/retro feel of Maylands suburb. It offers a good range of spirits too.

I love this place!. I love Swallow Bar. It's cosy, has a small menu but everything I've tried has been good, nice drinks list, and nice atmosphere. The staff are really lovely too, had a couple of issues with drinks in the past but they've always sorted them out no dramas. It's definitly somewhere to get to early so you can get a seat but beware, you'll probably be stalked until you leave so someone can grab your table!

Great Bar. Chill Vibes.. A friend and I came here just for a chat and we absolutely fell in love. The place looks like it has been taken out of the 80's and it plays great music. We had pâté, which was AMAZING and I had a glass of the Two Brothers Sem Sauvignon Blanc, which also was delicious. Thank you for great service and a relaxing evening, will definitely be returning again soon.

The Food is over rates and over priced. This was our second time there. It has a nice feel about it.... but that's it......... portions basic and the deserts tasted like it was cooked in the same oil as the McDonald's style chips that were served earlier. We were charged twice for two items and the onus is always on the customer to demonstrate the mistake so i don't trouble them and I just won't return....

Worth the drive. Visited the Swallow Bar tonight food drink service music and atmosphere all A1

Perfect!. A friend took me here as a surprise for my birthday and what a lovely surprise it was!<br/>Although small it has a great vibe and not too overcrowded. The food is fantastic. The hot toast with roast beef fillets were to die for!<br/>Really couldn't fault this place.

Friday Night. Small cosy bar. Vintage feel to it. Has an outdoor area that is open to the sky.<br/><br/>Staff were very welcoming and friendly.<br/><br/>Beers were ~$10 mark.<br/><br/>Had french desert (donut balls), which consisted of 4 hollow donut balls for $15.00 Disappointed with the portion size for the cost though on the upside they were freshly made.

Can't wait to go back!. Went to this place for the first time last weekend - can't believe I have been missing out on this gem til now! Really well priced food and the drinks prices are in line with usual Perth prices. Lovely wine list. The decor is so cute, I loved the vintage feel. The food was amazing, couldnt get enough - the leek and gruyere croquets were to die for and the roast beef cheese toasts were incredible! Perfect spot for a casual catch up with a small group of friends, otherwise an ideal spot to go on a date - its quite an intimate venue given its a small bar. I imagine it would be lovely and cosy in winter.

Loved it!. Great service, beautiful food, well priced, amazing hot doughnuts very hip place toe catch up with friends over the w/e

Croquette crush. Ohhhh, sublime. Wonderful cocktails, fabulous food. A real pleasure. Thank you Swallow people. xxx

Slow service. I am so upset that the service was so disappointing and slow. I really wanted to have such a great time here and I was just let down by such a simple thing :(

Swallow bar. Very satisfying to see someone working hard and creating such an all round good experience. Superb food, cosy setting and a great little band<br/><br/>Opportunities to improve are typical Perth drink prices. Bathroom facilities basic

Amazing!. Amazing food. Amazing staff. Amazing cocktails. Just amazing!

Amazing food, friendly chef, good music, good vibe.... A ten!

Fabulous!. Swallow is amazing! I've been here probably around 10 - 15 times and it always blows me away. The food is obviously made with love - every morsel is a delight to eat. They have a great wine list, and have worked my way through quite a few of their selections. My all time favourite dish is the omelette, always a safe option, but their daily specials are amazing too.<br/><br/>Their food is very reasonably priced in my opinion, and while the wine is not cheap, this whole venue is class and I am happy to pay the price :)<br/><br/>Well done Ladies, look forward to a sneaky visit tonight!!

Flying high. We arrived early and got ourselves a booth. We were able to sit for a while waiting for our mate and easing into the place without being asked to order or do anything much... We felt relaxed reading the menu and looking at the specials board.<br/><br/>Our mate arrived, we ordered drinks and a pâté and toast plate. Delicious crisp wine, rich tasty and garlicky toast. The night was looking to be a goodie. <br/><br/>We enjoyed watching the punters arrive and change from very casual towards a more dressy crowd which I liked to see, some effort being taken by the customers somehow matched the effort taken behind the bar. Two of us ordered the fish special was a large helping and tasty and innovative. One of us ordered two small dishes, roasted cauliflower and a tomato salad. <br/><br/>After spending sometime in France it really felt like they hit the target right on - it was very french, simple ingredients treated beautifully. Thank you, we will definitely be back.

Beautiful Everything. Sometimes you just feel like a really special treat and this place delivers in so many ways. The atmosphere is fabulous, the staff are friendly and welcoming.... AND the food is just sensational... and I mean it! I haven't yet been disappointed with any of the dishes that have been placed in front of me. My favorite seat in the house is at the bar that looks into the kitchen. Watching the chef cook is a real treat and she is passionate about every detail of every dish. <br/>I love it at swallow...I love the food and so do all my friends who have shared the experience.

Went here on a Thursday night and couldn't believe how busy it was! Cool little place that makes great use of space. The buzz was fantastic - cant wait to go back

Expensive. Sadly typical of Perth...the customer gets very little change from $100 for a simple afternoon drink and a couple of nibbles. This is a quirky little place, I like it, but you need to donate a kidney in order to have a night out there. On my last visit we paid $26 for two glasses of cloudy, milky-looking pinot noir that came from two end bottles. When my partner approached the bar to question the appearance of our wine, she was told "it's just the way it comes". When my partner added "I've never seen a cloudy pinot before" (and she owns a bar so she does know a thing or two about alcohol) she was met with the response "Well does it taste ok?". Stupidly, we didn't demand a replacement, and sat down feeling like Swallow might be more interested in making a buck than ensuring the customer is satisfied. It's disappointing because this is a great addition to the area, but I doubt we will return.

I like the place, the fact that its close by but after 3 of us girls were drinking one afternoon and ordered 3x chips 2x bread and cheese 2x balls 1x pasta and were still hungry (and about $90 owing on food) we had to leave and order a pizza. Foods great but if you haven't ate prior don't bother I say!

Great omlette. We had a good evening at Swallow bar, friendly staff and good food. Wine list could be expanded to include a good Barossa red such as Kalleske or Pirathon. Decor is quirky and unique.

Hot, crowded, service was slow, my friend had to go back to the bar to ask for my cocktail which appeared to have been forgotten. Food slow, one course delivered and eaten before partner's food arrived. Probably won't bother again, I like at least a Modicom of comfort to drink my cocktail in. The Bloody Mary was good though.

You pay for the loveliness. Undoubtedly a gorgeous little bar in Maylands, but be prepared to pay for it. Two glasses of wine and a small tapas dish didn't give me much change from a $50. Lovely and cute but why do they have to charge so much ??

Cutie. I love this bar... it reminds me of Europe.... small, intimate and cosy. We ordered a few items from the menu which were good and the wine list although a little limited was very enjoyable. The staff are very friendly and the clientelle is mature and interesting - I will definitly be back - keep up the good work.

Now I am a chef and there is not many times in my life I go to the lengths of urban spooning anything but this chef knows her stuff !! The food here is wine /beer food at its best. Zoe we will be back again and again thanks for a great food experience !!

Way overpriced on food n drinks

Jen Hollingbery. Well we eagerly waited and waited for the Swallow Bar to open, and we are not disappointed.It's cool, funky, yes cramped, but hey they are trying and they did it. There is lots of negativity on this site, you can't please everyone. If you want space, go to one of the cattle room bars around town, if you want atmosphere, cool , and a bit of class go to Swallow. Prices are expensive, but hey we are young hip and have disposable income, it's not meant to attract the married with three kids crowd. So people, get over the negativity, these girls have put their heart and sole into this place, so support them , otherwise it will likely be the last time anyone attempts a small bar like this.

Was so excited to hear that a small wine bar was opening up near me. Finally after much anticipation went for a drink. Love the decor but very disappointed with the over priced wine list & food menu!! I refuse to continue to buy wine by the glass @ $15 a pop. Would rather head to the Precinct or the Scotsman for a reasonably priced glass of wine. What demographic is Swallows trying to attract as I'm a single, early 30's, no kids, earning a decent salary but can't justify those prices. Ps. It bothers me more as I've just returned from Europe so feel even more ripped off by these small Perth bars.

My new local. Finally, a decent bar near my house! Very friendly staff and really nice food too (it's a bit pricey, but very good quality). Nice beer on tap and a decent selection of whiskey too. Glad there's somewhere like this that I can ride my bike or walk to - directly across from Maylands train station too, so pretty handy location.

Mixed review. LOVED the concept, everything there was eclectic and fabulous. The music was very solemn though and food/beverage prices very expensive. Would be nicer to keep costs down so locals can continue to pop in.

Amazing decor with attention to detail, very friendly staff food was great especially the corned beef croquettes! Great to see more specialised venues doing what they love

What wonderful little bar the food was fantastic service great staff friendly and helpfull. The prices were good, we will be back .

This place is ridiculously tiny and uncomfortable. Every time someone passed me they brushed against me andi was squashed against the bar.

Swallow is quality. What a find..!! <br/>We went looking for a coffee last Thursday evening and nothing along this Maylands strip seemed to be open and then we stumbled onto Swallow. We loved everything about Swallow...the railway seats, the European wines, but most of all the service. We couldnt recall when we have had better and friendly service. ......This place is quality.

Likes!. Lovely small bar in Maylands, very nice staff, had a couple of beers and some frites and "hot things" - toasted bread with cheese, chillies and rosemary, which we enjoyed, but we really must go back and try more of the menu items, as we were only going for a drink before dinner! Nice ambience.

Nice setting, little bit of Melbourne in Perth. Very small but cosy. Finally a place to have a drink in Maylands.

Perth, you're doing it wrong... again. So, after a long awaited opening, i finally got to see my new local bar on sunday.<br/>first impressions were fairly negative unfortunately but it has some potential i guess.<br/><br/>as soon as you enter you are immediately moving side to side, around people, around staff, strafing side to side all the way to the back courtyard to get a breath. I know it is a new bar and this will settle down and that the bar is very very narrow and I am meant to think that is a cosy atmosphere but I think there are better ways to deal with limited space like they do in nordic and most european countries.<br/><br/>anyway, daydreams away and back to perth... the staff are friendly enough. hipsters and dated swallow tattoos and so forth that reeks of little 10 years too late Perth, however, they still do their job.<br/><br/>the drink prices are ridiculously expensive of course. I just got back from an overseas trip and could finally breathe in a sigh of relief when i got world class wine and beer for a reasonable price. Perth small bars shoot themselves in the foot by sheepishly following all the clarences and bar 5 prices because a regular client will only be able to afford 1 drink and then move on somewhere else. Cut the drink prices in half or another quarter and I would have stayed for 3 drinks instead of 1.<br/><br/>So.. I guess in summary, it is very typical of australia and especially perth to have over priced drinks in a 'trying too hard' to be a hipster cool bar when honesty would have prevailed. excluding every demographic except affluent found families or singles that want to gloat over expensively dressed LA clones makes for a very pretentious and uncomfortable experience.<br/><br/>I still think I'll spend most of my time at the Scotsman, who has drinks and food priced for everyone and one moment you can chat to an old homeless man and the next a billionaire who is funding a 50 million dollar film.<br/>You can mix with people who believe they are punks, yuppies, skaters, brogans, old, young ugly, attractive people at the scotsman. At the swallow you are limited to the only one demographic, you pay only one expensive price range and everyone will just describe the bar as similar to bar399/clarences/5bar.<br/><br/>it's like when the inglewood and brisbane etc bars yuppified there bars with all the same expensive decors, no life no soul just a stench of overpriced local beers and pretentious lovely looking people. no fun, no atmosphere, no chilled moods just aggro and guys prevuing on drunk whores stumbling around in high heels.<br/>the swallow bar is similar on a different level with a small isolated demographic stinking up the place with urban outfitters clothing and "don't talk to me i am too awesome in every way for you attitudes".<br/><br/>food? don't know. after spending close to 10 bucks on a local beer i didn't want to give them any more of my money.<br/><br/>shame to see the same.

Nice but pricey. A great little bar, just what Perth needs a lot more of.<br/>Very expensive though (a glass of wine set us back $15) which confirms what most people already believe, that Perth needs more competition in the hospitality industry. Also, it takes quite some time to buy drinks from the bar.<br/>Nice intimate setting though with friendly, hospitable staff.

It was apparently stormy out – as we settled into our seats I received a video text from my son in a more northerly suburb showing the hail and rain pelting down at his place. But in Maylands there had been a few intermittent heavy drops as we walked from the station to the bar and now we were comfortably ensconced inside. And when we left a couple of hours later, the storm was nowhere to be seen. We arrived just as Swallow was opening at 4PM on Saturday; the bar itself could be termed a micro rather than simply a small bar. It is quite tiny. Along one wall are a series of booths salvaged it seems from a train – with netting luggage racks and all. The pressed tin bar has a few stools at which you can perch, have a drink and watch the small kitchen at work, and at the rear is a small courtyard. It is all very cosy and inviting. The wine list has a good range of Australian and international choices, and a selection by the glass. There are a number of bottled beers and a changing draft selection. Cocktails and spirits as well, of course. We started with a German Riesling, 2013 50 Degrees Trocken, a lovely floral nose with lime notes on the palate, crisp and dry. Turning to the reds we were somewhat disappointed that there was no Cabernet available by the glass but troupers that we are we solved that by ordering a bottle of 2005 Pin Pin Cabernet from Margaret River. The wine was from Glenmore vineyard, which has supplied grapes to Moss Wood for their Amy’s blend, and is made by Ian Bell, long time assistant winemaker at Moss Wood until he left to further develop his own winery. Anyway, the wine itself was deep red, had abundant berry fruits and chocolate aromatics and rich fruit, coffee beans and firm tannins on the palate. The wine was decanted at the table – a nice touch, we thought. To accompany our wine choices we chose a couple of small dishes off the interesting menu – truffled leek and gruyère croquettes, and artichoke

This is a French themed small wine bar, that often has live music. They also serve some delicious looking food.

This cosy neighbourhood bar is as tiny as its namesake.  The fit-out has a quaint French feel, oozing warmth.  You can perch at the bar for a tipple or bask in the courtyard if the sun is shining.  If you get in early you can find an old tram bench booth with a wee group and settle in for the evening.   Peruse through the thoughtful selection of wines, boutique beers and liquors and you will find something that tickles your fancy.  The extensive menu of small eats is full of clever takes on the classics.  We tucked into a serve of olives and velvety chicken liver pate with crisp cornichons that was happily slathered on warm buttery toast.   Swallow is a lovely spot to enjoy with those you love.  

Blog contains only photos.

The much-anticipated and already much-loved Swallow Bar is now open and proud to be Maylands’ first small bar. And small it is, at just 90 square metres and with space for just 60 people. You have to squeeze to find space, but you won’t mind. Once a 1920’s shop, bar managers Zoe Roy and Meredith Bastian spent two years converting the Whatley Crescent address into a bar, doing their best to retain its heritage and giving it an old-world, Art Deco feel. Everything was considered, from the art hanging on the walls to the vintage light fixtures and even the booths, salvaged from a train carria

An exciting trait of our growing city is the abundance of small bars popping up around Perth. A and I love heading out for a drink and a few nibbles on a Sunday afternoon and small bars are the perfect venue. We recently ventured to Swallow Bar in Maylands, where we were fortunate enough to run into  Perth Munchkin and her husband GG. We joined them in their booth for an afternoon of drinking, nibbling and chatting. Swallow Bar features French-inspired food and an elaborate beverage menu that includes local and international wines. A and I ordered a Kir Royale ($14) to start with, as this aperitif is a favourite after visiting France a few years ago. Kir Royales consist of a glass of sparkling wine (in this case it was Simmonet Febvre Cremant de Bourgogne Brut) with crème de cassis (a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants). The end result is a sweet but tangy beverage that is the perfect drink for a lazy Sunday afternoon. For our nibbles, Perth Munchkin and GG ordered a chees

And given it is a perfect accompaniment to wine, we also ordered a serve of the soft cheese along with some of the blue, which came served with muscatels, some bread and my favourite addition the very tasty, boozy figs (2 cheeses were $25). It was a milder blue cheese but the creamy saltiness was still well matched with the sweetness of the liquored up figs. And the soft cheese was indulgently soft and had a slight blue taste to it also. It was an entirely pleasant cheese plate and was polished off quickly by the pair of us. A lovely way to round out our eating experience for the day as I suspected that we would not be needing dinner.

Tight but funky venue, there’s a bar, booth seating and an outdoor area. The corn beef croquettes were really tasty …by far the friendliest bar in Perth.