Freshwaters

Situated on the edge of the bay that gave this cafe its name, Freshwaters is a relatively new addition to the Peppermint Grove cafe scene. Open from 6am to 8pm, it’s the perfect spot for a bite to eat at any time of the day or night.

Dining at Freshwaters is as much about the location as it is the food. The expansive glass windows allow light to flood into the indoor dining space and offers diners a magnificent view out across the grass to the water beyond. The verandah dining space is the perfect spot to enjoy a meal if you have brought your furry friend along with you.

The building that the cafe occupies is a new addition to the foreshore and it replaces an old toilet block from the 1930s and a dated cafe from the 1960s. Finally, Perth’s wealthiest and most affluent suburb has a cafe that is befitting of its surrounds. Shellabears was lucky enough to speak with Paul Burnham, the architect that designed the building and it was great to get a first-hand account of the design philosophy that went into this project.

The entire design philosophy for this process was to be as complimentary and considerate of the natural environment as possible. By placing the building at the rear of the site it allows for the greatest amount of public space between the cafe and the river’s edge. The cafe building was also designed to be long and thing, allowing it to take full advantage of the northern orientation as well as ensuring it could fit in amongst the existing mature peppermint trees that dot the parkland.

It was these very peppermint trees that served as inspiration for this project. The gnarled and grey nature of the tree trunks is directly referenced by the Grey Ironbark wood that clads the entire building. This cladding will continue to naturally weather and age, allowing the Freshwaters cafe building to increasingly complement the natural environment it inhabits.

All design talk aside, this building still needed to operate as a fully functional and efficient commercial kitchen that could accommodate the wonderful Freshwaters cafe, something that it does very well.

The menu at Freshwaters is quite expansive, and it needs to be given it covers all meals from breakfast to dinner! The breakfast options include perennial favourites like the big brekky and the millennial favourite, smashed avo on toast.

The all-day menu has something for everyone on it, and I mean everyone. Options range from share plates and small nibbles, salads, burgers, seafood and sides. If you wander past and find yourself a little bit peckish then the doughnut and pastry display on the front counter will be impossible to ignore. The jam and cream scones, pastries, and filled and glazed doughnuts all pair perfectly with a cup of Freshwaters’ delicious coffee.

Dinner guests will be spoilt for choice when trying to decide what to order from the all-day menu or the dinner menu. With seafood, pasta, ribs and several pizzas all on the menu, Freshwaters will cater for even the fussiest of eaters.

If, after all that eating, you still have room for sweets you will be pleased to know that the dessert menu is just as good as the rest of the food. Freshwaters also has a small but well though-out drinks menu that includes beer, cider and a variety of different wines.

Freshwaters is a modern addition to the Peppermint Grove foreshore that is befitting of the prestigious land that it stands on. Not only does the cafe and restaurant serve up some amazing food and delicious coffee but it also happens to be located in one Perth’s coolest and funkiest new buildings.

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