It Just Has To Be Delicious

Archive for the ‘Coffee shop review’ Category

Luna n Soul, Quinns Rocks

I do love a beach cafe, and when I spotted Luna n Soul in Quinn’s, I knew that I had to give it a try. It has an enviable position right on the coast road with great views of the ocean.

The breakfast menu has some classics as well as a few interesting items like Coconut brioche french toast. We ordered some coffee, and a banana bliss smoothie which was good. We chose smoky beef benny, and eggs with tomatoes for our meals.

Then we waited and waited and waited for our meals. It seemed to take an age. I noticed that the table of four next to us had received two meals which looked suspiciously like our order, but they had started eating them, so I assumed they were the right order. Eventually we asked the waitress and she confirmed that there had been a mix up. She was very sweet and offered us complementary drinks as well as some coffee vouchers to use on another visit. So we had more drinks and waited again. The second coffee strangely seemed bitter compared to the first. It was odd to have such a variation.

The food finally arrived. It was okay, but didn’t blow my mind. The eggs were nice, and the tomatoes were okay but not seasoned as well as they could have been.

My partner’s beef benny was okay but overly sweet as the beef seemed to be coated in a thick sweet sauce. The cornbread was nice. The eggs were good, but the Hollandaise a bit bland.

A week later we decided to give it another try and cash in our free coffee vouchers. When we arrived, they had just decided to close up early for they day and would only allow us to order takeaway coffees. We were also told that we couldn’t order anything in the cold cabinet (cakes, sandwiches etc) because they had been ‘wrapped up in cling film’ for the day. It was quite disappointing, so we waited for our coffees. We took our coffees outside, but there was nowhere to sit properly because the chairs had been cleared away and stacked up. It wouldn’t have mattered though – I took a few mouthfuls of coffee and threw it in the bin – it was strong and bitter and frankly not very nice. My partner did the same.

What makes this such a shame is that the cafe is really nicely decorated, the staff are friendly, and the views are amazing. Just a bit of love and care with the food, service and coffee would make this a great cafe instead of a lacklustre one.

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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review

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Coco Belle Espresso Bar, Mt Pleasant

Coco Belle sits on the corner of Reynolds Road and Queens Road in the leafy affluent suburb of Mount Pleasant. We met our friend Susie and her daughter Annabel here for a Sunday brunch/lunch. The staff are immediately friendly and welcoming and genuinely pleased to see you. The menu has plenty of options for everybody and some superb smoothie options. We were reliably informed by Susie that the decaf option is very nice too. It took some perusal of the menu before we finally decided.

I chose a smoothie with peanut, banana, cocoa and oat milk – this was silky and delicious.

Pete and Susie both chose coffee which is sourced from Osborne Park roastery Dark Star, and as promised the decaf was freshly ground, and delightfully smooth with soft citrus and dried fruit flavours.

Annabel chose a babycino – a nice amount of froth, with sprinkles as well as marshmallows.

There were several options on the menu that I liked, but I finally plumped for an omelette with caramelised onions, mushrooms and bacon. It was so tasty from start to finish and served with a lovely salad and some toast. A very generous serving.

Susie chose the smashed avocado on toast with eggs and a side of bacon, again a very tasty and plentiful dish.

Pete chose the shakshuka – roasted tomato, capsicum, garlic, chick peas with poached egg and toasted flatbread. A very enjoyable dish, maybe a little underseasoned, but with a little table salt it was perfect.

Annabel chose pancakes – Ice cream, chocolate, strawberries. What more could a girl want?

We found Coco Belle to be a very child friendly and welcoming venue with lots of good food options catering for a variety of dietary requirements. The food and drinks are good quality and this is definitely one of the best cafes in the area.

Last Visit – August 2021

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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review

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Dragonfly Cafe, Broome

Dragonfly is a popular cafe on Carnarvon Street in Broome with plenty of exciting menu options.

We visited for a quick brunch and were pleasantly surprised to see some vegan and vegetarian menu options.

Coffees were good and rich. We chose a flat white and a soy iced latte.

I chose the vegan pancakes. They were absolutely scrummy with berries and coconut ice cream, almonds and white chocolate, but not too sweet. A perfect amount too and I would definitely choose them again.

My partner chose the popcorn fritters with herb salad, jalpenos, pickled cabbage, smashed avocado and poached egg. He loved this dish, every element being tasty and well suited to the overall combination of flavours.

I would definitely return to Dragonfly, the service is good, the food is great quality, and it’s a great vibe.

Last Visit – November 2020

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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review

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The Zookeepers Store, Cable Beach, Broome

The Zookeepers Store is on the site of an old zoo and used to be called the Old Zoo cafe. It’s always been great, and again proved to be exceptional in providing quality coffees and muffins.

The are currently not serving meals due to Covid-19, but you can sit inside or out and order drinks from the counter and food items from the cold cabinet. They are also preparing some special orders freshly cooked, but they are presented takeaway style and it’s your choice whether you eat in or go.

Coffee is provided by Micrology coffee roasters, and nothing is too much trouble for the friendly staff. Happy to provide decaf and alternative milks as well as healthy juices, this cafe will suit everybody. Equipment is recyclable and sustainable, with recyclable coffee cups decorated in beautiful designs.

The muffins – oh my goodness – the muffins are amazing. Freshly baked in house, with delicious fruity flavours. Throughout our stay we tried peach, apple and berry flavours, always perfectly cooked and just the right amount of sugar and ripe fruit.

Well worth a visit if you are in Cable Beach and definitely a local gem.

Last Visit – November 2020

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Sayers, Leederville

Sayers in Leederville is one of Perth’s leading brunch and lunch cafes, delivering consistently good food for many years.

Situated in Carr Place, it’s a bit of an awkward but charming design with a mixture of chairs, armchairs, bench seats and high seats inside, and quaint wrought iron tables in the laneway.

Coffees are always great and Sayers are happy to provide decaf and alternative milks.

The menu is one of those menus where everything sounds delicious, so it’s hard to choose. My go to favourite here has always been the potato rosti with spinach, eggs, parmesan and bacon, but on this occasion I chose the kedgeree.

The kedgeree was excellent – hot smoked salmon amongst perfect rice with poached eggs, chilli jam and green papaya salad.

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My partner chose the vegan pumpkin, cauliflower, and lentil dhal with poppyseed naan. He loved it, every mouthful was delicious.

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If you visit Sayers at the weekend, it can be busy, noisy and an assault on the senses, but if you go midweek, it can be an oasis of calm. Some of the tables are a little small and you will end up rearranging your dishes and coffee cups to make everything fit, and sometimes the tables in the laneway can get very hot in the summer, but Sayers is all about quality food, consistently delivered. You really can’t go wrong with this Leederville legend.

Last Visit – July 2020

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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review, Vegan/Vegetarian

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CXpresso, Joondalup

This is just a short blog post about one of the better coffee outlets in Joondalup. CXpresso is on the ground floor near Woolworths and KMart. I have visited a few times and found the cakes and pastries to always be fresh (I hate it when cafes freeze muffins and then microwave them the next day to make them ‘seem’ fresh).

We ordered soy decaf, and as usual, this was no problem, we were presented with two very nice coffees.

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We shared a muffin, which was fresh as if it had just come out of the oven. Apple and cinnamon crumble – lovely texture, subtle cinnamon and a sweet hint of apple.

cx 2Definitely worth checking out as your coffee stop when shopping at Joondalup Lakeside.

Last Visit Date – July 2020

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Drift Cafe, Margaret River

Drift is in Willmott Avenue, Margaret River, and we noticed the previous day that customers were queuing to get in, so it seemed like a good option for a brunch.

Luckily we arrived at a quite time and were seated easily. It’s a lovely ambience, with artwork adorning the walls, a tasty looking cabinet, and some vegan menu options. Staff are very welcoming too.

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Coffee is offered with decaf and alternative milk options. My soy decaf cappuccino was a little on the strong/bitter side for my palate, but still a good cup.

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My partner chose the vegan burrito. This had beans, avocado, tomato and sauce. It was a crispy taco and maybe a softer one would have been better, but the filling was tasty.

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I chose scrambled egg on toast with mushrooms. This was absolutely delicious.

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Drift is a cool cafe and definitely worth a try.

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Last visit date – July 2020.

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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review, Vegan/Vegetarian

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Miller and Baker, Northbridge

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Miller and Baker is on Lake Street, not far from Sayer’s Sister, and always seems to have a crowd outside. It’s easy to see why – Miller and Baker have to be the best bakery around, milling their own flour and making superb loaves and pastries.

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As you walk in the bread smells amazing and the array of pastries, savouries makes you want to have one of each.

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Coffee is also really good – beans roasted by Five Senses and Offshoot – you can tell that the staff here make an artform of absolutely everything they sell.

I love Miller and Baker and regularly make the 40 minute car journey just to smell and savour the best baked goods in town.

Last Visit Date – June 2020

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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review

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The Little Pantry, Shenton Park

In a delightful leafy location on the edge of Shenton Park sits The Little Pantry. There is seating inside and out through the back conservatory, and it’s a peaceful homely space – ideal for a leisurely brunch.
The menu contained lots of yummy options and I started with a lovely spring smoothie while I browsed the menu.

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My partner chose a soy decaf flat white, which he says was tasty, smooth and delicious.

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After much deliberation over fried cauliflower, coconut panacotta, truffle scrambled eggs and the like, I opted for the patatas bravas with aioli, tomato, and poached eggs. The potatoes were a delight – wonderfully crispy, the eggs nicely gooey, and the tomatoes fresh and summery. This was a great dish and one that I would have again in a heartbeat.

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My partner chose the kimchi dashi rice bowl – an artwork of kimchi with fried eggs, radish, lotus root, gochujang (hot pepper paste), sesame and herbs. The kimchi was the star of the dish with great companion flavours from the other ingredients, making for a stellar combination.

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As we left, we perused the cake cabinet, and it looked very appetising. We’re already planning a return visit to this little oasis in Shenton Park. Fabulous food and a relaxed setting – highly recommended.

Last Visit Date – November 2019

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Dhal makhani bowl:
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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review, Vegan/Vegetarian

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Propeller, North Fremantle

Propeller is a great venue tucked away on Queen Victoria Street in North Fremantle. It’s a nicely designed building with a quaint sea container for a bar, and there is seating inside and outside. We came for brunch and were impressed by the range of options on the menu. We ordered coffees while we mused over the choices and coffee was delicious – beans provided by Twin Peaks.

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I was very tempted to try the rose rhubarb apple porridge, the chocolate, date and pear brik, or the mushrooms on toast with lentils, but I decided on the sardine brik for something a little different.

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This dish was packed with flavour. The slow roast tomatoes were rich, the sardines good quality, the egg was just oozy and the pickles added a nice piquancy. The brik pastry stuffed with potatoes had a nice texture, and herbs added another layer. These flavours were strong and punchy, but not so overwhelming that I couldn’t finish, and I loved the way that the dish set me up for the day. It was really delicious.

My partner chose the turkish spiced baked beans with duck egg, kale and grilled bread.

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The bread was absolutely delicious, the beans nicely cooked, again big rich flavours with the spices and kale adding depth. A citrus backdrop gave it freshness. We loved Propeller. It’s not your regular breakfast venue, and all of the flavours are great. We also chose a brownie and chocolate almond croissant for afternoon tea at home, and they were equally great quality. We’ll be back.

Visit Date – July 2019

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Coffee shop review, Restaurant review

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