The Hardware Cafe
This cute little café was once the Thrifty Link Hardware store based up in Quinns Rock, in Perth's northern suburbs. From its humble location within a local shopping precinct, you'd likely not be expecting much more than a coffee and cake type offering to be presented. However, this café punches above its weight to provide visitors with a true treat for the tastebuds and with a great range of options to suit your budget.
'Tools' are provided
Offering both inside and outside dining areas, the funky café is simply littered with reminders that this used to be a working hardware store. There's art work in the form of nuts and bolts around the restaurant in addition to subtle details in the design of the tables and décor.
Contemporary restaurant dining
The dining inside consists of a multitude of 'booths' in addition to stand alone tables. High chairs are provided for the family friendly dining experience.
Courtyard Dining
The outside dining area is in the form of a pretty courtyard that owners have jazzed up through planters and a pretty water feature. You'll also note that in the outside area there is a kids play box filled with toys for your kids to play with. You can also ask for colouring in sheets and pens for your child to keep them busy.
The Menu
The Hardware Café is open for breakfasts, lunches and dinners with a vast range of options to suit whatever you're in the mood for. For me, my favourite part of the menu are the breakfast options, in particular the DIY breakfast where you can pick and choose whatever you'd like to see on your bespoke breakfast plate, only paying for the items that you actually want. (prices start from $1.90 an item) That said, I can't mention the breakfast menu without also gushing over the delicious Eggs Benedict ($13.90) where the poached eggs are cooked to perfection, with oozing runny yolks and a healthy smothering of hollandaise sauce. Just delicious. A real bonus for the lazy folk amongst us, is that breakfast is served till a generous 2pm. Now you can have your lie in and a decent fry up all on the same day.
Moving on from breakfast, the lunch and dinner menu is equally thoughtful with a number of cuisines covered to provide you with lots of options to suit your mood. The vast contemporary menu includes Asian, Indian, Australian and Italian flavours all with fresh ingredients and with many healthy options available. Portion sizes are incredibly generous and you'll certainly not be going home hungry. Favourites so far include the Butter Chicken ($19.90) with a gentle spice and melt in your mouth slow cooked chicken, and anything from the burgers/tortillas section ($17.90)
Quality really seems to be the key at the Hardware Café. Coffee is provided by Fiori, Il Gelato is the ice cream of choice and fresh ingredients and flavours are in evidence throughout the menu.
You need to come hungry with these portions
Fresh and tasty
Kids have their own menu and it's not just chicken nuggets on offer. There's some healthy options too including the popular chicken stir fry, nachos and chicken fettuccine.
Information
Opening Hours are:
Monday: 7am - 5pm
Tuesday - Friday: 7am to 8.30pm (kitchen closes)
Saturday - Sunday: 7.30am to 8.30pm (kitchen closes)
BYO is welcome. I would recommend that you book for breakfast (especially at the weekend) to avoid disappointment.
