Heritage pub Queen's Arms makes Broadsheet's Perth best new bars

Hospitality group Nokturnl bought the building rather than leasing it. Co-founder Drew Flanagan told Australian Hotelier that purchasing “means we can take a long-term view of both the building and the venue.” That is a landlord-operator model, and it matters for owners of vacant CBD heritage buildings, because it shows a buyer prepared to take the freehold of a listed asset.

The numbers

Australian Hotelier reported the following about the Queen’s Arms in August: three levels, two bars with more than 30 taps, a beer garden overlooking Raine Square, a rooftop terrace, capacity for 500 patrons and 50 new hospitality jobs. The article gave no investment figure and did not name an architect or designer. It slated the opening for September 2026.

Broadsheet says Reuben’s Supper Club comes from the team behind Bread in Common and keeps original stained glass and wallpaper, exposed brick, an ornate timber bar and a balcony overlooking Fremantle’s West End. The kitchen stays open until 11.30pm. Broadsheet does not give a heritage listing or an opening date for the venue.

What’s next

Broadsheet’s listing treats the Queen’s Arms as an open venue, so the story moves from planning to performance. Watch whether other vacant CBD heritage buildings change hands to hospitality operators. This story rests on two published sources, and neither discloses what Nokturnl paid.