Bassendean, originally named West Guildford, is a northeastern suburb of Perth. The name used to imply a very working class area and seemed so far out from the rest of Perth!
Not any more - as Perth has grown in population, Bassendean is now an up and coming "trendy" suburb and has somehow become not so far away from Perth. There are beautiful old houses near and along the river, and because of this, many cafes have sprung up in the main commercial street, Old Perth Road.
One that has been there about a year is To the Wood. This was formerly a shop and was converted to a small cafe. The name, To the Woods was inspired by Henry David Thoreau, who was an American poet, philosopher and historian, and it is one of his quotes that is on the wall of this cafe.
To The Woods - a quote by Henry Thoreau
Situated near the Railway at Old Perth Road, this cafe has some seating outside as well as on the footpath.
Right opposite the Railway station
They do breakfast up until 11.30 am and then have a lunch menu with mainly hamburgers as well as soup, quiches and various other light lunches on display in the showcase.
Light lunch and cake display
The staff are friendly and it is a casual place serving good food with an adequate variety including gluten free breads, raw biscuits and a very inviting selection of cakes.
Nicely decorated
We had a very early lunch and when we arrived, it was packed and we got the last table, however this cleared quickly as lunch time approached when a new wave of people entered.
They have a cute bunny which acts as a table number and this is a nice change from the normal number you get!
Cute bunny numbering method
My friend chose the carrot soup at $10, including a lightly toasted roll. This was beautifully presented and was a thick, rich soup with a hint of nutmeg.
Thick, hearty carrot soup
I, of course, chose the larger meal and had a Tahitian Honey Burger which was grilled chicken thigh with tasty cheddar, grilled pineapple, bacon (well done at my request), roast garlic, and BBQ sauce with a bit of lettuce, and this was a very reasonable $14. The bun was nice and crispy on the outside while still being soft inside, which was another plus for this cafe.
Well stacked chicken burger
This was almost too much to eat on my own, however, having the good appetite that I have, I did finish it. I went to order a coffee to round off the meal and of course, having absolutely no willpower, ordered a sweet to go with it. I ordered a salted caramel raw ball and at $6.50 this was a very small but delicious way to end the meal. I'm not sure what was in it apart from coconut and a slight topping of caramel, however, it was very dense and filling even though it was about as big as a rum ball.
Raw, salted caramel ball
We had to park round the corner as parking on Old Perth Road is only for one hour, however as we were so early, this was not a problem as there were several spaces in the vicinity. If you are just going for a coffee and cake, and will be less than an hour there are several parking spots also on the main street.
To the Woods is an unassuming cafe which seems very popular and by the time we left at about 1.15 pm, it was already full again.
They have a blackboard menu, as well as several dishes on display in the cake display and all the dishes being served looked very interesting.
Part of the menu
It was one of the only cafes open on a Monday in the Bassendean area as I am finding more small, family run cafes have Monday as their one day off.
To the Woods has a nice atmosphere, with little pretentiousness - a simple cafe with good food and coffee.
Outside blackboard menu
