Elizabeth Quay is Perth's revamped waterfront precinct, opened in 2016 on a stretch of the Swan River foreshore just south of the CBD. The redevelopment created a inlet, a pedestrian bridge, public art installations, and a mix of restaurants, bars, and public open space that has genuinely given Perth residents a reason to spend time at the water's edge. Before the redevelopment, this section of foreshore was cut off from the city by a freeway and underused. Now it is one of the more pleasant places in Perth to have a drink and watch the sun set over the river.
The precinct has good cafes and bars, a small water park for children, and is the departure point for the ferry to South Perth, giving you a pleasant river crossing to reach Perth Zoo. The Swan Bells tower is just adjacent. Weekend mornings it fills with joggers and families; evenings it draws the after-work crowd from the CBD. The architecture of the surrounding development is mixed — some of the new towers are handsome, others less so — but the public realm at the water's edge is well-designed and the views across the river toward South Perth are genuinely beautiful in the evening light. Come at sunset if you can.