Doing the Postal Walk

BY Lisa O'Neill

spend time helping you choose the best cut for your recipe, and will order something in for you if they don’t have it.

WHEN YOU’RE A very busy bee, there’s nothing like a sweet hive where you can do all the things you want in one spot. Surrounding Subiaco Post Office at the top of the Rokeby strip is an excellent selection of businesses where the most challenging aspect is sticking to the five-minute parking bays out front. Let’s hope the parking inspector is at The Red Chair for lunch.

If you’re looking for an obscure grocery item, you’ll find it at Farmer Jack’s, alongside all the usual suspects on shopping list. Local artisan producers fill the fridges and shelves (the cheese selection is superb), and its fruit and vegetables are always the freshest in town. It also has an entire aisle dedicated to those with dietary requirements, from keto to coeliac, which is worth a browse.

It’s hard to compete with supermarket prices, but you absolutely get what you pay for when visiting the Meat Safe with its extraordinary selection of beef, pork and lamb. Plus, the friendly staff will

Is there anything better than a perfectly iced finger bun after a busy day at school? Baker’s Delight Subiaco has all the bready treats you could dream up, from a huge variety of loaves to a plethora of afternoon tea options. For savoury, nothing hits the spot like Baker’s Delight pizzas or feed a family of sweet tooths with the epic custard and almond teatime log.

This red-brick institution has been slinging good coffee since the beginning of time. With a cosy indoor space and the sprawling outdoor area in Postal Walk, Brew Ha is a place the Subiaco community loves to gather. It’s also the ideal spot for a post-cycle coffee and pastry, with plenty of lycra-clad athletes enjoying their first brew of the day here.

Speaking of athletes, Renata and Gerry love looking after the macro needs of sporty types. With a wide range of hydrating iced teas, nutrient-dense smoothies and iced protein coffees, you’re spoilt for choice for your post-workout needs.

Tucked above Brew Ha, Bespoke Blends offers both ready-made, hand-poured candles or the opportunity to make your own at one of its workshops. Owner Jane only uses the best, natural ingredients and sources divine vintage vessels to contain the non-toxic wax. Open by appointment, the Bespoke studio is filled with natural light and inspiration for you to choose or create a deliciously fragranced candle for your home.

It’s hard to resist using superlatives here, because Subi Fish and Chips dish up the best and most delicious grilled Spanish Mackerel in Perth. They do everything well, to be honest, sourcing fresh, line-caught fish from WA fishermen only, which makes the fish here both yummy and sustainable. If you’re there just for the chips (no judgement), they’re also top-notch and made from locally produced potatoes, too.

If there’s one thing I could change at The Red Chair, it would be to erase ‘probably’ from its signage. “Probably the best laksa I’ve ever had,” says the quoted customer. Let’s go ahead and crown The Red Chair simply ‘the best’, because the bowl of plump prawns swimming in creamy, spicy broth is dang delicious. Alongside the laksa is a raft of fresh lunch options, from made-to-order Asian dishes to a cabinet full of daily salads and rolls.

OUR LEAFY SUBURB of Subiaco has been stockpiling excellent places to eat the first meal of the day. Whether you like to start light with a liquid breakfast or begin the day with ‘the lot’, if you prefer traditional options or you’d rather rocket launch your tastebuds into the day, here’s my list of top Subi haunts for all the breakfasts. Bon appetit!

When you’re easing your tummy into the day, there’s nothing like a big, colourful nutrient hit in a tall glass. Clean Food Store offers a large list of carefully curated juices and smoothies, with the Immune Boosting juice (ginger, lemon, beetroot, carrot, apple and coconut water) and the Berry Breakfast smoothie (blueberries, strawberries, rolled oats, chia seeds, banana, cinnamon and almond milk) the crowd favourites, according to its owner Angela.

If you want to hit your macros, fuel up at Pupa with 32g protein squeezed into the Post Workout peanut butter smoothie or drink your salad with dried leafy greens, vegetables and seaweed, the key ingredients of the Super Greens smoothie. Make the most of the delightful Pupa owners Renata and Gerry, who are winding up their healthy drink business end of May.

You’ll walk out of Be Free Organics a healthier person, guaranteed that every menu item is organic and nutritious. We love the charcoal sourdough base, Be Free’s chilli garlic sauce that spices up the Avo on Toast, and the Acai Bowl loaded with seasonal fruit and house-made nutty granola. Founder Caillan recommends the Eggs Labneh, with the creamy labneh and eggs contrasting with marinated vegetables and his “unreal” crunchy chilli.

Clean Food Store, 214A Nicholson Road, Subiaco.

Pupa, 162 Rokeby Road, Subiaco. Be Free Organics, 9d/531 Hay Street Subiaco.

Whether you crave the Full English or something lighter, the cafes of Subiaco can deliver the perfect breakfast.

When you have time to spread out the newspapers or settle in for a lengthy bestie catch up, you need a proper plate of sustenance with your latte. The Little Pantry's seasonally rotating breakfast menu always features an interesting take on the smashed avo. We insist someone has the heaven-sent truffle scrambled eggs, a permanent fixture on the menu.

If you like your eggs with a European twist, roll into the charming Boucla which has new owners but the same fabulous menu and cabinet stacked with goodies (yes, the souffra is staying!). Poached eggs here come nicely doused in garlic yoghurt with a thick wedge of Turkish bread ready for dipping, and the sweet option of orange meringue brioche French toast with rose petal mascarpone is sinfully delicious.

Best known for its extra cheesy jaffles and small bar vibes, Bark has a new chef Ellie who loves breakfast and convinced owner Mitchell to feed the masses from early o’clock.

“Our mornings have become busier and busier with the coffee trade, so we were excited to add some honest and delicious breakfast options from 7 til 10.30am Monday to Friday,” says Mitchell. “Our brekky burger has been a bit hit with fluffy scrambled eggs, house-made chutney and melted cheese on a potato bun – and if you’re feeling cheeky, you can add thick-cut bacon.”

The Little Pantry, 206 Nicholson Road, Subiaco.

Boucla, 349 Rokeby Road, Subiaco. Bark, 502 Hay Street, Subiaco.

When breakfast is a big deal for you, the ideal way to celebrate anything (baby shower, birthday, Tuesday?) is with a bottomless brunch. Mimosa has been a pioneer in Subi - its twohour bottomless brunch is composed of an appetiser, a wide choice of mains (the Brunch Gnocchi with its spicy shakshuka ragu and soft eggs will nicely line the stomach) and freeflowing beverages that include their namesake mimosas in jugs.

New to the scene is Bar Amelie, branching out from its evening tapas to include a weekend brunch, ideally accompanied by the 90-minute drinks package of mimosas, spritzes and Prosecco. Bar Amelie is for you if you like big and bold breakfast flavours, and tapas-style dining with plates designed to be shared, such as sauteed duck fat potatoes with chorizo, spinach, sugo, truffle pecorino on charred sourdough, and baked harissa pumpkin topped with grilled haloumi and honey drizzle.

Subiaco institution, the Subiaco Hotel also dishes up a spectacular bottomless brunch on Saturdays with a small but mighty menu of just five items, including Belgian waffles and breakfast tacos, all washed down with free-flowing spritzes, peach bellinis and espresso martinis.

Mimosa, 1 Forrest Street, Subiaco. Bar Amelie, 118 Rokeby Road, Subiaco. Subiaco Hotel, 465 Hay Street, Subiaco.

If you need brekky on the go, make the morning commute so much sweeter with a takeaway coffee (bring your reusable cup, ploise) and breakfast treat.

Wholefood Circus

Bursting with on-the-run treats, we especially love owner Rachael Torre’s gluten-free muffins, which are hot out of the oven around 7am most mornings. It’s an extra special morning when she’s made dark chocolate and mixed berry. 107 Nicholson Road, Subiaco.

Community Coffee Co

Tucked behind Growth Realty, you’ll froth over Community if you were good at hide and seek as a kid. It’s worth the hunt, with some of the best coffee in Perth (they roast their own) and pots of freshly made bircher with seasonal fruit and nutty granola. 292a Barker Road, Subiaco.

Blacklist Coffee Roasters

Those who appreciate an exceptional coffee must grab a brew from Blacklist’s Subiaco concept store (and then make plans to return on the weekend for the tasting experience). 439d Hay Street, Subiaco.

Yours Truly

Super fresh and cute, Yours Truly was new to the Subi scene in 2022, and its breakfast bagels are on point, made with the Holy Bagel Company bagels and stuffed with bacon, egg, cheese, spinach, tomato relish and a hash brown. Or go New York-style with a simple smear of cream cheese. 284 Hay Street, Subiaco.