WEST COAST CALLING
Perth's beaches and food scene are pulling in visitors, writes Karen Sweeney.
Sydney has long lauded its beaches as the best in Australia, and Melbourne brags about its laneway art and cafe culture. But Perth is proving travellers can have the best of both.
The west coast capital is a bit of a trek for Kiwis — with more than seven hours flying time from Auckland — but it’s a perfect getaway, especially for those craving warmer climes and an alternative to Sydney and Melbourne.
Space on the sand at the beautiful Cottesloe Beach is easy to come by and the perfect spot to watch the sun setting. Across the road, the Cottesloe Beach Hotel (cottesloebeachhotel.com.au) has something for everyone, with its sports bar, cocktail bar and outdoor beach club. The hotel has perfected the art of the novelty pop-up, drawing in crowds with everything from a taco stand to a gin garden.
For something more substantial The Shorehouse restaurant (shorehouse.com.au), nestled between Cottesloe and the Swanbourne Reserve, is proving a popular new dining addition.
From the outside it looks like a portable school building plonked by the beach, but the inside has a cool, fresh Hampton’s feel. At one end the dining area opens on to a large al fresco deck offering stunning views of the Indian Ocean and Rottnest Island, famous for its smiling quokkas.
The food, by Oliver Gould (formerly of Melbourne’s Stokehouse), showcases local produce including cuttlefish, scallops and prawns from Shark Bay and blue swimmer crab. Honey cake tops the dessert menu.
Further south at Fremantle the water is warm and the sand is uncrowded and there are plenty of dining options, including the fresh food selection at Fremantle Markets (fremantlemarkets.com.au), The Raw Kitchen (therawkitchen.com.au) and Bread in Common (breadincommon.com.au).
But if you’re looking for somewhere for an
Instagram-worthy brunch, it’s hard to go past Bib & Tucker (bibandtucker.net.au). From simple homemade jam on toast to the picture-perfect buttermilk banana pancakes with salted caramel and pecans to the Middle Eastern baked eggs, the worst part is having to choose.
At night it offers perfect views of the sunset as gold as the Olympic medals its owners, swimmer Eamon Sullivan, pole vaulter Steve Hooks and hockeyroo Jamie Dwyer, once vied for.
As the beachside suburbs effortlessly attract visitors wanting to relax, the city is a hub for those wanting to try multiple venues throughout the evening. The suburb of Northbridge, once mocked as “Knifebridge”, has shed its rough image in favour of a fresh, modern vibe.
The Brass Monkey (thebrassmonkey.com.au) serves as a meeting point for locals and travellers. It’s also where Food Loose Tours (foodloosetours.com.au) greet guests for a foodie adventure in the suburb’s arty laneways and hidden bars.
A true speakeasy at The Dominion League (dominionleague.com.au) is the first stop, where bartending is treated as the art form it is. There’s a lengthy process that passionate staff members go through in serving their whiskey cocktails, including putting the alcohol through fat washes and making their own honeycomb.
From there it’s only a short walk to The Standard (thestandardperth.com.au) for a selection of tapas including kimchi cauliflower, fava bites, caramelised squid, beef carpaccio and a melt-in-your-mouth blue goats cheese.
But don’t fill up too much, because the next stop is for dinner at Sauma (sauma.com.au), which offers a rustic Indian street-food experience including Bombay bonda, Goan sausage, and wagyu beef samosas. There’s also a selection of authentic curries, mountain-style goat curry and spicy lamb ribs.
The final stop on the tour is dessert at Livingstone’s Urban Jungle (livingstonesurbanjungle.com.au) where chocolate-filled doughnuts, chocolate orange tarts and icecream are squeezed in.