The long-awaited reopening of the Guildford Hotel earlier this year failed to soften the blow for Radio 6PR personality Karl Langdon when he found out what the bar was charging for a schooner.
Langdon visited the refurbished hotel on Wednesday, telling Radio 6PR presented Gary Adshead he liked the decor, but was surprised by the price-gouge after being charged $12 for a schooner of beer.
The hotel reopened in May after the heritage-listed building was destroyed by fire in 2008.
"They've used the burnt wood in the hotel with the unrendered walls so it's got that old style, new style feel... I liked what I saw from a decor perceptive," Langdon said.
"One thing that I found interesting is its casual dining at best, so there is no [table] service in the hotel, although you can sit in any area in the hotel."
The lack of table service, however, didn't seem to drop the menu and drink prices, with Langdon claiming the $12 schooner was the most he'd paid during his search for Perth's best pub this year.
"That's what you're paying for a schooner, not a pint, a schooner," he said.
"Then you've got your glasses of wine at $8 to $11 for a glass but the cheapest bottle of wine is $43.
"I ordered the Harvey beef brisket, it was $23. If I didn't order a side of chips, I would still be hungry, so it ended up being another $8 for a side of chips."
Adshead was audibly surprised when he heard the prices offered at the hotel.
"$8 for some chippies...?" he said.
"I know everyone's just happy to see The Guildford open again but at what cost, really... they can't charge people those sort of prices.
"Can we get our head out of our arses in this state and realise the boom is over, I mean, it's a joke."
Langdon's comments on the beer prices are in line with several stories WAtoday has written this year on pint prices around Perth, and the fact many pubs now only offer schooners but at pint prices, with beer at some venues cheaper by the middy instead of the pint.
Langdon scored The Guildford an 8/10, placing it mid-range in this year's Radio 6PR Pub of the Year competition.
"The food is better, the drinks are cheaper at a lot of other venues around town and so right now, with where they are measured in this competition, they get an 8/10," he said.
Front runners to take out the competition to date include last year's winner the Ashby Bar and Bistro, The Duke Bar & Bistro, the High Wycombe Tavern, The Whistling Kite, The Kewdale Tavern, and Odin Tavern and the Cornerstone Ale House.
