The owners of Perth’s upcoming small bar, The Classroom, are on a mission to remind us all of our long lost school days.

The Classroom is one part time-capsule and one part trendy small bar. Thanks to donations by local schools and some lucky finds on Ebay, the design pays tribute to school-day memories from the 70s and 80s: the walls are lined with dusty chalkboards, retro lunchboxes, gold embossed encyclopaedia sets, rusty pencil sharpeners and faded school satchels. Recycled wooden school desks and benches make for quirky tables, and the bar’s collection of spirits reside in a row of repurposed gym lockers. A one-of-a-kind mural by celebrated local graffiti artist Stormie Mills shows a sheepish-looking schoolchild under the repeated phrase “I must not draw on the walls”.

But while the bar’s unique fit out is a major draw card, the food and drinks on offer demonstrate the Classroom’s true creative strength. The drinks menu is divided into three “subjects”. The History drinks comprise old school cocktails with decidedly new school flair. For those who love experiments, the Science drinks come bubbling, smoking or aflame. And the Art cocktails are a marriage of colour, flavour and imagination. Naturally, wine and beer are also available. The food menu, on the other hand, is a cheeky – yet gourmet – spin on the canteen classics like mac and cheese, meat pie and the toastie.

Consider this a cheat sheet on the Classroom’s ordering process, which we think is half the fun:

Step #1: Sharpen your no. 2 pencil using the sharpener bolted to your desk
Step #2: Complete the multiple-choice “test” of your order
Step #3: Hand it in to one of the teachers (otherwise known as bartenders) who will give you a pencil case containing your order’s pager in return
Step #4: Bide your time by having a go at the ancient headphones playing beginner lessons in German and Italian
Step #5: Pick up your food from the canteen – don’t forget the tray!
Step #6: Reminisce about your long forgotten school days…. maybe they weren’t so bad after all.

Due to open mid-February it’s a little while off opening, but much like going back to school, we know you’ll need some time to prepare!

Where: 356 Charles Street, North Perth
Hours: Wed – Sun, 11am – late
Details: theclassroom.com.au