Willie or won't he find a good coffee in the city
This week we give you tips for shopping, working or living in the CBD — using images taken by people who do just that.
But first things first. Time for a coffee.
The city would grind to a halt if it wasn’t for caffeine but if you’re getting your morning hit from the jumbo tin of Blend 43 in the office kitchenette, well, you’re not doing it right.
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Related: Four reasons to have another cup of coffee
These days, every decent java joint offers beans sourced from a single, exotic origin and cold drip or filter options but, using a combination of exhaustive personal research, reader feedback and online ratings, we’ve compiled a list of can’t-miss CBD coffee spots.
We only had room for six cafes but could easily think of another half dozen of similar quality – Perth, you’re spoilt for choice.
STANDING ROOM ONLY
Coffee rating app Beanhunter scores the coffee from this little Piccadilly Arcade cafe at nine out of 10 and we’d have to agree.
A no-frills approach puts the focus squarely on quality, with single origins rotating through the menu.
LOWDOWN
Lowdown coffee shop. Picture: Instagram
If you walk through the renovated Cloisters Arcade before 9am, expect to see a winding line of people disappearing into the dark confines of this tiny cafe.
These guys know what they are doing, from the coffee, which is consistently top-notch and well-priced, to the downbeat electronica playing in the background. It’s the real deal. Oh, and try the banana bread.
RISTRETTO
There has never been a better time to be a caffeine addict in the CBD, with dozens of specialist purveyors irrevocably changing our perceptions of what constitutes a good cup of coffee.
Ristretto owner Emanuele Muratore has witnessed the rise of Perth’s coffee culture since starting his business in 2007 and said he sampled at least 400 varieties of coffee a year, from all over the world, to satisfy his customers.
Muratore maintains a relationship with pioneering coffee growers from Sumatra to El Salvador to manage the entire process, including roasting the beans in Perth, and the results speak for themselves.
There are two outlets in the CBD and one in Northbridge.
DRIPHOUSE
It goes without saying that the coffee at this Hay Street cafe is great, so we want to draw your attention to another hot beverage at DripHouse you need in your life — Nutella mocha.
It’s so good you’ll be wondering why everyone doesn’t serve these.
MOANA COFFEE
Moana Cofee. Picture: Instagram
We almost didn’t include Moana but that’s only because we wanted to keep it as our little secret — it’s that sort of place.
Perched above the Hay Street Mall in Moana Chambers, a renovated heritage building, this cafe is a hidden gem that serves great coffee and food.
Worth climbing stairs for.
Walking up a few flights of stairs to get a coffee on the way to work might not suit everyone but it’s well worth the effort.
WILLIE WAGTAIL
Inside at Willie Wagtail. Picture: Instagram
A distinct trend emerged while perusing the online customer reviews of this cafe.
“I get such a warm, fuzzy feeling after I have visited Willie Wagtail and I leave the store with a spring in my step and a song in my heart,” a Yelp user posted last month.
“The staff couldn't get any friendlier if they tried,” an Urbanspoon user said.
It’s fitting that the cafe with possibly the cutest name in the CBD also has ridiculously friendly staff.
Owner Christina Hazelwood has a keen understanding of the role coffee shops play — the vital early-morning bridge between home and the office — and serving a genuine smile can be nearly as important as the caffeine.
Hazelwood hails from Melbourne’s famed cafe scene and offers options such as a cold drip brew with sparkling water, dubbed a Willie Tingle.
Check out the coffee demo on Thursday at 1pm and, while there, enjoy the food, all made in-house, in the rear courtyard.
We hear the pork belly roll last week was epic.
