Hinata Cafe
Alberta’s
Hinata Cafe
After a Covid-induced slowdown, Perth is now experiencing a rush of new cafes. This year’s best newcomers include holes-in-the-wall, bakeries and more conventional cafes, alongside coffee-roasting debutants. Food-wise, we’ve noticed a move towards sandwiches, bagels and pastries as core menu offerings, perhaps a knock-on effect of challenges business owners are facing in a post-Covid world, such as staffing issues. Here, in alphabetical order, are 10 of the most notable new cafes in Perth that have turned our heads this past year.
3.8 Baysie, Bayswater
Although this opened late in the year, it’s a welcome addition to Perth’s flatlining breakfast scene. Dishes include savoury mince on toast with a slow-cooked egg, breakfast tacos, and bacon-smoked miso and mushroom broth over soba noodles. Coffee beans are from Leftfield and there are plenty of in-house baked goods to go with it. Once word gets out, this place will become more than just a spot for locals. Oh, and the name refers to the height of the infamous Bayswater Bridge, which has been known to fight back against the four-metre-plus trucks that foolishly try to scoot under its threshold.
Alberta’s Kitchen & Store, Busselton
You might have seen Alberta’s Kitchen & Store on our best restaurants of 2022 list, but because this out-of-towner blurs the line between cafe and restaurant, we thought we’d pop it here too. Of course, you can’t talk about the Busselton beauty without mentioning Noma. The two owners worked at Copenhagen’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant – Kirsty Marchant was Noma’s head gardener and Ben Ing was the head chef – and their menu is concise and constantly evolving. There’s plenty of Danish hygge in the beautiful whitewashed space, which includes a turntable and a slick undercounter Modbar coffee machine, out of which comes excellent Five Senses coffee.
Bagel O’s, Mount Lawley Bagel O’s might be long-awaited, but it’s worthy of the hype. In fact, we reckon this slick operation and its generously filled in-house baked bagels are worth a spot on any brunching bucket list, and once the hysteria dies off, we expect Bagel O’s to stay at the top of the local sandwich tree. Don’t think of Bagel O’s as a place to get traditional fillings – a recent special was this dripping honey butter fried chicken number with kimchi and slaw, for example – although there is a bagel with lox (smoked salmon) and capers on it, and you can get them smeared with cream cheese. Sandwiches, such as a hot pastrami and a hefty turkey one, round out the menu. The coffee is made with beans from Micrology, and there’s a barista to keep the quality up. Don’t be discouraged by the length of the lines – in our experience it usually takes less time to get your excellent breaded things than they often indicate.
Deli’s Continental, Inglewood
Carb-loading is rarely as enjoyable as it is at this fresh-faced deli in Inglewood. After testing the waters as a pop-up, Aldo Putzu and Stev Makhlouta opened their shop in March, much to the delight of local sandwich fanciers. Their specialities? Mighty conti rolls and doorstopper-like filled focaccias. Best of all, Deli’s opening doesn’t just mean full-time access to the boys’ benchmark contis, but also opportunities to feast on their Roman and Neapolitan-style pizzas, toasties and other top-tier baked goods.
Falafel Omisi, Yokine
Staying on the topic of good sandwiches, Falafel Omisi is another deli/kiosk that needs to be on your radar, at least if you’re saddened by the fact that falafels in Perth are all too often an afterthought. Here, they are not. Made in-house according to a Yemeni grandmother’s recipe and fried to order, they’re available in myriad ways including tucked into fluffy pita, as part of a falafel platter, or as a crunchy accent on plates of hummus (also made in-house).
Giant Coffee, Northbridge Giant Coffee is so small that it’s officially in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it territory. Despite being small and a little tricky to find – the entrance is tucked away on Nicks Lane – you’ll be rewarded with Northbridge’s best coffee. It’s using Daylight Coffee Roasters as its house blend with Twin Peaks on batch. Beyond its use of locally roasted coffee, Giant Coffee stands out for its einspanner. A Viennese specialty, einspanner is a two-shot espresso crowned with a thick dollop of cream. On the food front, pastries are from Layers Bakery in Subiaco and there’s bagels and fillings courtesy Holy Bagel. Find a handy milk crate to sit on and watch the world go by.
Goods Bakery, West Leederville Technically the central bakery for Modus Coffee’s group of cafes, Goods is a great cafe in its own right. Light and bright with plenty of white and timber touches, its stark fit-out is very Modus, and of course the coffee is some of Perth’s best. The pastries are fresh – the coffee cruller is a highlight – and there are plenty of sandwiches and pantry items. Don’t be fooled by the relatively minimal experience; expect to see Goods raise the bar for bakeries and coffee shops over the next year.
Hank’s Corner, North Perth In a lovingly restored motorcycle repair and tyre shop, Hank’s is the kind of delightful, quirky cafe Perth needs more of. Serving coffee from Darkstar and an ever-increasing food selection (our pick is the Welsh rarebit), it’s a great place for a chilled breakfast or lunch, eat-in or takeaway. The staff are friendly and there’s a thoughtful kids’ area that’s particularly good for the Lego inclined.
Hinata Cafe, Fremantle Hinata is an utterly charming Japanese cafe that opened on the outskirts of Freo in February. It’s a pitch-perfect homage to Japanese kissatens (coffee shops) serving homely curries, soups, hotpot, okonomiyaki (a savoury pancake) and desserts like matcha cheesecake. It’s also offering a rare thing in Perth: Japanese breakfast, a nutritious, wondrous all-in of grilled fish, pickles, vegetables, soup and rice. Owner Tomoe Echo does not consider herself a chef. “I’m a shufu, which is the Japanese word for housewife. A shufu knows how to make a lot of good things,” she told Broadsheet. Hinata is a space awash in warmth, hospitality and tasty food.
Obi Coffee, Subiaco Technically still a pop-up – get in before it closes on Christmas Eve – West Perth newcomer Obi is the second recent high-profile opening serving Micrology (see Bagel O’s above). With experienced operators at the helm, and strong support on social media, Obi promises a transition to full cafe in the new year so it’s one to watch. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to pop in for a takeaway coffee, bagel or a toastie by one of the city’s best, Toastface Grillah.
Parkside Coffee, Perth Parkside Coffee is a collaboration between local coffee roasters Daylight and outstanding bakery Miller & Baker, which won our hearts by being one of the only bakeries in Australia to mill their own flour (we’ve been obsessed ever since). A hole-in-the-wall spot in leafy Stuart Street Reserve, Parkside has transformed this usually quiet park into a bustling meeting place. The coffee is fantastic, the toasties are creative and pastries from Miller & Baker are always on-point. Our hot tip? Ask for an off-menu marshmallow affogato.
And, in case you missed it, here is our list of the best Perth restaurant openings of 2022.
19 Jul 2023
18 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023