Caffissimo, West Perth

Post

Subscribe

If you have ever walked through West Perth early on a weekday morning and smelt the delicious aroma of fresh roasting coffee, you have Caffissimo to thank. The only café in Perth to roast their own beans, owners Michael and Alida not only have a busy café that caters to the breakfast and lunch crowd in West Perth, they also have a roasting room where you can purchase from a range of freshly roasted beans or loose leaf teas.



Now, the things I don't know about coffee could fill several tomes. Like wine, people either 'know' their coffee or they just drink it. I just drink coffee, I don't know anything about it. Some might also say that the sheer amount of sugar and milk I add to my coffee voids the pure nature of it anyway, so I really have no right to write about it.

But today I learnt a little bit about coffee from Michael at Caffissimo in West Perth.

Did you know that raw coffee beans are actually green; and like popcorn, when coffee is roasted it pops its outer shell and expands in size? You do now.



Did you know that the more you roast the beans the less caffeine remains? You do now.

Located in the 'West End' of West Perth, Caffissimo, although part of a national chain, is an independently owned franchise. Owners Michael and Alida have owned three cafes and are well practiced at good old fashioned service. They can tell who wants a chat and who just wants to eat in peace. Catering to a predominantly male business crowd (Hey ladies! when I was there, my mum and I were the only women there - just an interesting side note) service is prompt and friendly.



The space, set back from Colin Street is pleasant and casual, with an outside open air area, as well as bright coloured arm chairs inside, a bit like a comfy lounge room. It's not just a concrete jungle either, but the outdoor area has actually green plants, which makes a nice change. It was a bit squeezy with a pram, but admittedly we were not their typical crowd. There is separate roasting room where you can buy from the range of coffee beans and loose-leaf teas, but unfortunately most people probably walk past without realising it is there. Michael offers coffee appreciation courses for coffee ignoramuses like me, check out their website for more details. You can also order from an enormous range of tea and coffees online.



There is a variety of food on offer, including a case of freshly made rolls and panninis ($8-$9.50) which look really tasty. They would be perfect to take away if you don't have a long lunch break. We tried the home-made chicken pie ($9.50), which had a nice flaky pastry, although the filling was a little uneven: I got all the chicken, mum got all the sauce. We also had the mango chicken burger ($10.50), which had a sweet mango sauce, fresh salad and a crumbed chicken patty. Both came with a generous serve of salad (or you can have chips) and considering the number of expensive restaurants in the area, I thought the prices were very reasonable.



Caffissimo is open for breakfast on weekdays with a menu that includes avocado, lime and bacon on sourdough rye ($9), organic croissants and fruit/nut toast ($5.50-$7.50), eggs on toast ($8.50) and a range of sweet and savoury muffins ($4-$5.50).

Check out their website for a lot of fun and informative bits and pieces about tea and coffee - such as how coffee is made and the origins of Indian tea.

#cafes
#food_wine
#courses
#restaurants
#coffee
#perth_city
#west_perth
%wnperth