The Generous Squire Review

Review By Fiona Brewer

Welcome to beer Nirvana.

For all you keg-heads this is the beer lovers' Garden of Eden, where if you utter the words "Carlton Draught" or "VB" you will be immediately escorted from the venue. It's a place where if you ask for a jug you will be laughed at as people hoot at your lack of understanding about the alchemy of carbonation, fermentation, and general appreciation.

The Generous Squire is fairly new bar in the West end of the CBD on Murray street. It's got a very clean, linear and "no-nonsense" look about the place because rightly enough at the end of the day it's all about the pint.

For all you winos and spirit peeps, James Squire is an iconic symbol of not only good beer, but an excellent micro-brewery. For a quick history lesson/quiz night fact that may come in handy... James Squire was actually a convict who was the first person to successfully cultivate hops in Australia. The Generous Squire is all about the beer and you can chose from 6 delectable brews, (The Amber Ale, Sundown Lager, IPA, Porter, Pilsener and the Golden Ale).

The place is quite large with an alfresco drinking area out the front, (and yes, you can smoke out there), a smaller drinking area up stairs and the restaurant it at the back. The staff are fairly friendly and service is quick and efficient.

If you don't know a lot about beer, don't feel embarrassed. Going to a beer venue when you aren't really a beer drinker can be quite intimidating, but that's what staff are for! The guys and gals behind the bar do know their stuff, (and rightly so!) and they can explain and recommend the right brew for you. They do have a wine menu, Australian and imported bottled beers, and all the usual spirits.

There's something that's missing with this venue. With such good beer at fairly reasonable prices, (all between $8 and $10 per pint), a brand new venue there should be fireworks. There's something sterile and contrived about this place. It is filled with suits and a high-class cliental, (well they are dressed that way anyway!) so you have to watch how you behave! No ruckus laughing, no spilling or slurring, and no screaming! The beer, the service, and the venue are spot on its just missing a personality. The venue is only a few years old so its lack of atmosphere could hopefully just be put down to teething problems.

It was an enjoyable visit to The Generous Squire and the bar has a lot of potential. I would definitely go back there.



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A Second Review of The Generous Squire

Review by Justin Tatel

The first thing I noticed about The Generous Squire was the amount of bogans present. There were none. The bar, which I will from now on refer to as The Squire is at the northern end of Shafto Lane (397 Murray Street) located in the heart of the Perth’s west-end clubbing district.

The bar sits right next to Capitol and it's sister venue, Amplifier bar. Further down is Tiger Lil’s, and the Shack. This newly discovered nightclub district (for me, anyway!) is definitely head and shoulders above the old stalwarts in Northbridge.

When I say ‘bar’ I do mean it in the most casual way possible for The Squire has both a great bar atmosphere whilst maintaining a very warm Anglo-Celtic pub theme. And while the Squire could be classified a bar, there’s a quite decent DJ who spins tunes ranging from early house music to full on techno later in the night. Great ambience!

The bar is open-plan enough to be warm and inviting, but cosy enough that it truly brings people together.

I went to The Squire to celebrate my friend’s birthday and arrived quite early. The locals seemed to be friendly and not disturbed by my foreignness to the place. The celebrations took place in the more secluded second-floor bar, accessible by a single set of stairs.

If you were to ask me what type of crowd goes to The Squire, I would tell you that although all are welcome (save for those unfortunate enough to be wearing fluoro/high-visibility clothing and work boots), they prefer those who are gentleman-like and not prone to ‘toolie-like’ displays.

The prices? Around ten dollars for your ciders, beers and yes, they do have mixers! The beer I sampled was The Sundowner a classic mid-afternoon beer with a smooth texture and just enough bitterness to be well enjoyed. Great to relax after hard days yakka.

As the night wore on, I got thirsty for my second drink. Despite my promise not to become even the slightest bit tipsy, I chose to drink a scotch and cola. The drink wasn’t bad at all and helped me overcome my crippling inhibitions regarding dancing in a non-nightclub venue.

The pub food was awesome (although, in all honesty, I was already getting the beer-munchies). My friend had ordered around ten platters for the cost of $500, which the waiters/waitresses brought at timed intervals to the delight of all the guests.

Although the prices may seem excessive, the cost covers the level of service provided and the use of the facility itself. Chicken skewers, beef kebabs on a stick, California-roll sushi, mini slider hamburgers and the traditional all-beef party pies and sausage rolls. Truly a food-lover’s delight.

My third and final drink was Cointreau and lemonade mixed by our delightful bartendress Tina from Sweden. It had just the right amount of bight to smooth out the nights proceedings.

My final thoughts on The Generous Squire? Great atmosphere, excellent service and mad-decent ambience. Any hang-ups? No toilet on the second floor (although it does get your blood circulating, going up and down that flight of stairs).

The Squire is a great place to start a night out for some, or to finish a hard day for others. I highly recommend you try it. Unless you’re a bogan. Get changed, and have a great night out!

NB: The Generous Squire is the winner of the Australian Hotels Association (WA) AON Hotel Awards for Excellence 2010-2011.



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