Caffissimo at the Gallery Review

Caffissimo at the Gallery, Northbridge

After visiting the new exhibition at the WA Art Gallery, we decided to try the cafe out front. It seemed like a nice place to sit and snack while watching people go by. There is no table service, you have to invariably line up for a while. The special soup that I ordered had just run out, so I chose another. It was a surprise when the original soup was served. That was good for us but a little confusing. The half size ‘soup and sarnie’ was a great idea, a bit like a sample plate. I never like to spend too much on the kids who often don’t appreciate it and don’t finish it, so I went for a short walk to Trackside Bakery went and got some extra snacks. Overall the food was OK, satisfying, but nothing exceptional. I hear that the coffee is good.

Other Things You Should Know

open Monday – Sunday 7:30am – 3/4pm, Friday 7:30am – 6:30pm.
there are at least another 20 Caffissimo cafes spread throughout Perth.

Location & Contact

address: James St Mall Perth Cultural Centre, Perth, WA 6000
phone: 08 9228 3100

Bakery Cafe Mernda Review

Mernda Bakery Cafe

We were very surprised and thankful to have found such a wonderful place. On this site a bakery first opened in 1892 and they have succeeded in recreating old world food, quality and service. On a cold day you can sit inside the old cottage, but we made the most of a sunny Autumn day in Melbourne and enjoyed the country ambience in the garden setting. There is a nice selection of home made pies and breads made in their original Scotch wood fired oven, though we went for a chicken schnitzel roll and a beef salad. The kids had a couple of mini pies. All the food was great. The kids had fun exploring the veggie and herb garden, and checking out the chickens out the back. The friendly owner even gave then a guided tour of the herbs. We’ll definitely be back (next time we are in Melbourne!).

Other Things You Should Know

closed Mondays
takeaway bread available

Location & Contact

address: 107 Schotters Rd Mernda, VIC 3754
phone: 03 9717 5834

Cultural Tastes Review (closed)

Cultural Tastes, Mount Hawthorn

Replacing on old favourite Kopi Tiam, Cultural Tastes tries hard to please a range of people. Reading the menu, there is an obvious attempt to sample cuisines form around the world, including Canadian pancakes and Spanish omeletes.

My wife went for the baked beans on crumpet, both freshly made, with a nice gooey poached egg on top, and I tried the cowboy breakfast, a mix of beans, omelete, chirizo, bacon, potato between two slices of toast, which surprisingly went together well (not so sure about the strawberries on the side!).

The coffees were too hot, but tasted OK once they cooled. It is much better than being served warm coffee though. We ate in garden area out the back – a very inviting and pleasant place to relax for breakfast away from the busy street. There are a couple of toys scattered around so you could happily bring along your kids. The bookshop and gift shop out front seems out of place. They should put more seating inside for dining, as the weather gets colder they may well do this anyway. The waitress was polite and efficient, though the lady taking orders, possibly the owner, was not. Overall the food and outdoor setting make this a worthwhile eating destination.

Other Things You Should Know

open for breakfast and lunch all days except Monday.
there are books and gifts available in the front of store
also does cooking classes

Location & Contact

address: 167 Scarborough Beach Rd, Mt Hawthorn, WA 6016
phone: 08 9242 1688

Munchies 2 Go Cafe Review

Munchies 2 Go, Mount Hawthorn

A large sign out the front has caught my eye every time I go past this little cafe on Scarborough Beach Rd in Mount Hawthorn. They say they have the best burger in Perth, so I had to give it a try. As you can see by the photo below, they give it a great shot. The first thing I noticed was that the burger was huge (there is no trick photography here).

They make the meat patty themselves. It was big but a bit moist, not sure what they have added to it. A good selection of salad has been added: beetroot (of course), cucumber, carrot, lettuce. If you are after a big burger, this is probably as big as you will get in Perth. There may be better tasting burgers, but this is up there too in taste.

Other Things You Should Know

open during the day, week days only
cheap coffee too

Location & Contact

address: 194a Scarborough Beach Rd, Mt Hawthorn, WA 6016
phone: 08 9444 3342

Fremantle Arts Centre Cafe Review

Fremantle Arts Centre Cafe, Fremantle

What a surprise find! At the last minute we were looking for a place to have lunch in Fremantle, and came across this interesting cafe located in the Fremantle Arts Centre. The cafe is hidden away in the corner of the large building. We sat in the shady courtyard, but there are also tables along the side of the building and inside if the weather is not great.

It was an interesting menu with obvious Spanish influences. My partner decided on the Spanish Coleslaw with chicken breast added, which I also went with chicken with the chicken burger. The burger was very generous with a tangy salsa, and lovely fries too. The side salad was very similar to the delicious Spanish Coleslaw on my partner’s plate. We even had the chef/cook come out and ask us if we enjoyed his dishes – he was very proud of his creations and he should be too.

Make sure you take the time to explore the Arts Centre, which is a magnificent old building (it was once the Lunatic Asylum) and always has some exhibitions and has a few artists in residence.

Other Things You Should Know

open 8.30am–4pm, 7 days
Kitchen closes at 2pm every day
takes Entertainment Book discount
Fremantle CAT bus goes right past the centre

Location & Contact

address: 1 Finnerty Street, Fremantle Western Australia.
phone: (08) 9432 9562
web: www.fac.org.au