Is Broome’s Roebuck Bay Hotel the best late-night venue in WA? AHA Hospitality Awards suggest so
Broome’s famous Roebuck Bay Hotel — which hosts weekly wet T-shirt competitions and an annual sex toy race dubbed the Buzz Regatta — has been announced as a finalist for an award celebrating the State’s best late-night venues.
The Roey — as the 132-year-old hotel is affectionately known — is embedded in the State’s history books, after being built by London jeweller E.W. Streeter to lure pearling crews to spend time in the North West town.
The hotel will go up against some of the most well-renowned spots, including Market Grounds and Universal Bar in Perth, and the Exchange Hotel in Kalgoorlie at the 2023 AHA Hospitality Awards for Excellence.
While the Australian Hotels Association has revealed the finalists across 39 categories spanning every aspect of restaurants, bars, cafes and other venues in the 2023 AHA-Aon Hospitality Awards for Excellence, The Roey was the only Kimberley finalist recognised.
It’s not the first time The Roey has been nominated for the awards, with the venue a finalist for the Responsible Service of Alcohol Award and the Regional Casual Pub Dining Award in 2018.
It was also recognised as a finalist for four awards in 2020 — the Community Service Award, the Outdoor Area Award, the Regional Casual Pub Dining Award and the Live Entertainment Venue Award.
Karratha’s Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant and their staff were the only other North-West business recognised, with the venue being named a finalist across three categories — Cocktail Bar Award, Small Bar Award and Wine List Award.
Fiorita’s head chef Tommy Noon was named finalist in the Head Chef Award, while their bartender, Brandon Debono, was listed among the finalists for the Cocktail Bartender Award.
Exmouth-owned brewer Froth was named a finalist in the new venue category for their Froth Craft Bunbrewery in Bunbury.
2023 AHA-Aon Hospitality Awards for Excellence finalists
Cocktail Bar Award
Bar Lafayette, Perth
Cypher at The Beaufort, Highgate
Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant, Karratha
Lucky Chan’s Laundry & Noodle Bar, Northbridge
Subiaco Hotel
Terrarium, Perth
The Peach Pit Scarborough
The Vasse Tavern, Busselton
The West Winds Distillery & Tavern, Cowaramup
Wolf Lane, Perth
Small Bar Award
Bertie, Bassendean
Caballitos, Perth
Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant, Karratha
Lucky Chan’s Laundry & Noodle Bar, Northbridge
Terrarium, Perth
The Claisebrook Bar, East Perth
Varnish on King, Perth
Wolf Lane, Perth
Redeveloped Venue Award
Arara, Perth
C.Y. O’Connor Village Pub, Piara Waters
Carrington’s Bar and Grill, Hamilton Hill
Flight Club, Fremantle
Mount Helena Tavern
Nikola Estate, Middle Swan
Shui, Subiaco
The Claremont Hotel
The Vasse Tavern, Busselton
Thorny Devil Brewery, Herron
New Venue Award
Froth Craft Bunbrewery, Bunbury
Oscar’s at Guildford Landing
Phat Brew Club, West Perth
Terrarium, Perth
The West Winds Distillery & Tavern, Cowaramup
Boutique Brewery Award
Bailey Brewing Co., Henley Brook
Beerland at Whitfords Brewing Company, Hillarys
Finlays Kalbarri
FOUND. Lab, Byford
Froth Craft Bunbrewery, Bunbury
Indian Ocean Brewing Co. The Marina Mindarie
Phat Brew Club, West Perth
Thorny Devil Brewery, Herron
Late Night Venue Award
Exchange Hotel, Kalgoorlie
Market Grounds, Perth
Roebuck Bay Hotel, Broome
Subiaco Hotel
Universal Bar, Perth
Restaurant Award
Dandelion, Karrinyup
Hadiqa, Perth
La Cabana, South Fremantle
Lotus at The Beaufort, Highgate
Odyssea, City Beach
Oscar’s at Guildford Landing
Post at State Buildings, Perth
Seven Sins Perth Hills, Roleystone
Shui, Subiaco
Stampa! at Print Hall, Perth
The Claremont Hotel
The Shorehouse, Swanbourne
Toma at Pirate Life Perth
Tonic + Ginger at The Old Synagogue, Fremantle
Woodcutters at Nikola Estate, Middle Swan
Superior Restaurant Award
Garum, The Westin Perth
Nobu, Crown Perth Burswood
Samuels on Mill, Parmelia Hilton Perth
Wildflower at State Buildings, Perth
Wine List Award
Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant, Karratha
Garum, The Westin Perth
Island Market, Trigg
Mayfair Lane Pub & Dining Room, West Perth
Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
Shui, Subiaco
Stampa! at Print Hall, Perth
The Claremont Hotel
The Shorehouse, Swanbourne
Wildflower at State Buildings, Perth
Family Dining Award
Bailey Brewing Co., Henley Brook
C.Y. O’Connor Village Pub, Piara Waters
Cobblers Tavern, Falcon
Finlay’s Kalbarri
Kailis Fishmarket Café, Fremantle
Mount Helena Tavern
Rustlers Steakhouse & Grill, Albany
The Amberton Beach Bar and Kitchen, Eglinton
The Boat, The Marina Mindarie
The Henley Brook
The Rose Hotel & Motel, Bunbury
Thorny Devil Brewery, Herron
Treendale Farm Hotel, Australind
Victoria Park Hotel
Head Chef Award
Ashish Gagneja, Chakra Restaurant
Tommy Noon, Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant
Bryan Jimenez, Optus Stadium
Ian Macintosh, Phat Brew Club
Jemma Hocking, Queens Tavern
Paul Beard, RAC Arena
Ross Booth, Rose & Crown Hotel
‘Bobby’ Sein Kim, Settlers Tavern
Leigh Power, Shui
Sundoo Kim, The Beaufort
Nick Trezise, The Claremont Hotel
Andre Nunes, Victoria Park Hotel
Nicole Finlay, Wanneroo Villa Tavern
Cocktail Bartender Award
Marco Manca, Bar Lafayette
Philip Jones, C.Y. O’Connor Village Pub
Brandon Debono, Fiorita Wine Bar & Restaurant
Samantha Hoare, La Cabana
Sujit KC, Lucky Chan’s Laundry & Noodle Bar
Samantha Broadbent, Mount Helena Tavern
Charles “Ziggy” Campbell, Shui
David Xander Stucken, Terrarium Perth
Sabrina Mill, The Amberton Beach Bar and Kitchen
Ryan Ingham, The Vasse Tavern
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