Tannic Teeth

Shit coffee gives me the shits. Well not literally.

It’s because I know I can do it at home—better, that, and the fact I just forked out $3.50 to pay some chump at a machine to immolate my long macchiato.

On the other hand, good coffee is like a bolt from the blue.

It sends filamentous sparks across my brain, and somehow the waxing misanthropy is abated. I want to hug people.

So it’s reassuring to know that there are more and more boutique cafes poking up-and-out of our sunny pavemented city.

What is so special about boutique cafes I hear you ask? They are focused on delivering good coffee, in unique surroundings. Just think. If a boutique cafe made terrible coffee it wouldn’t last long. It too would suffer from a (fiscally) fiery death.

Mooba in Subiaco is not a place where beans are sacrificed. It is a place to get coffee that delivers that blue–bolt with precision.

Curving to the street corners of Outridge and Railway Road, Moodba is a cafe that makes clever use of light, space and glass.

The ceilings are high and the network of upstair’s plumbing is unapologetically contrasted in red. Polished glass meets structural steel that is cool and airy. This meets the warm brown decor echoed in Mooba’s signage. Artist prints hang from the walls. The coffee just looks that little bit browner…

But enough about the space.

How is the coffee? Top-notch.

The long macc I had, was a double ristretto pour. A Mooba house-blend by 5 Senses, it was piquant and pure, rounded by the soft-sweet milk froth. (Abstract Gourmet said he’d hurt me if I used my wine terms for coffee, so I’m taking self-defence classes)

It’s what I would expect for a small business that is switched on. Facebook. Twitter. Blog. They’re there.

You need coffee on the run? SMS your order to the cafe’s dedicated number and pick it up as you breeze though.

Now that’s using the old noggin. And it the old noggin works best when it’s had a good cuppa.

Enjoy.

(Mooba also holds a small bar liquor licence)

If I were to tell you there’s a small bar where you can take a burger or pizza from next door, plonk yourself down on plump sofa, order a sinister bottle of red and the staff would be cool with that, you would think I’m telling a porky pie.

But there is. It’s approachable, friendly and fosters a sense of community. It’s called The Stanley.

A relatively new small bar situated next to the Flipside burger bar, The Stanley offers a casual yet classy approach to the small bar scene. There is no socialite premise here, of course if you want to mingle so be it, but it’s also nice to just sit on the plush array of sofas and chairs (there is even a chaise longue) and soak up the house party like atmosphere. Rearrange the small chairs to your group’s liking. It’s no biggie.

If you’re coming here, don’t think about cocktails. There is not a Boston Shaker to be seen. You will however find rows of Riedel O (funky stemless wine glasses) and a well considered rack of Reds and Whites; with all but two wines offered by the glass. Generally speaking the focal points of wines fall into WA for whites, and South Australia for Red. There are some international runners and I’m sure this will change over time. There are some usual suspects for an international beer list and cider drinkers are not left out in the cold.

The intention for this small bar to be a place where locals can swan down, have a leisurely glass of whatever for whatever, is not far off the mark. It reveals the Irish flare by the management, for something reminiscent of home, seen by the blinged up Jesus and the patron saint of The Stanley. It’s all very cheeky. The Sunday morning priests would be getting hot around the collar. Oh, and check out the toilet door signs. I LOL’D.

It’s a little bit of cheeky ecclesiastical wholesome fun.

Catha-holic.

The Stanely

Wednesday – Thursday 4pm – 11pm

Friday and Saturday 3pm-12pm

Sunday 2pm-10pm

294 Cambridge St, Wembley

08 93474481