Sandro loves the coast; it’s where he spent his formative years, where he currently works and he really relishes the sights and sounds of the ocean. Lee does not. A lover of the concrete jungle and fake sunlight, Lee was a little out of his comfort zone this month. However, we did explore a small sample of the many, many places to dine and have made our picks – for breakfast, lunch and dinner; some good and some not so.

Breakfast

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Bluewaters – 110 Marine Parade, Cottesloe

People-watching through our oversized eyewear is always fun and this little spot is a sure fave of ours for breakfast – it’s where we can watch and eat all at the same time! You can generally find us smiling contently and soaking in the sights while enjoying our breakfast –Lee, armed with a cigarette in one hand, a Mimosa in the other and Sandro with his Bloody Mary with spicy celery salt sprinkled on top –at Bluewaters. This little cafe exudes beach chic from every pore, with its minimalist interior decor, white walls and iconic Aussie art by Jos Myers. During winter the large glass windows give you the feel of being part of the coastline outside without the impact of the weather so we can enjoy our breakfast all year round. You may be thinking to yourself…it’s just breakfast? Wrong! It’s more than that, the freshness and quality is apparent on the plate, and, however basic cooking a breakfast is, as a chef it’s all about how well you know your fundamentals in cooking in order to cook it.

Crispy bacon, not over-cooked and crunchy, tomatoes which are seared and seasoned well and not warmed and left under the heat lamp, mushrooms that are freshly sautéed, and yes… fluffy and moist scrambled eggs… OiP readers you have no idea how many places do breakfast wrong, but here at Bluewaters, breakfast is of an outstanding level. With home-made potato hash and ground beef sausages instead of those ghastly super market chipolatas, yuk! And yes OiP’ers… the quality of the breakfast menu does transcend through the lunch and dinner menu!

Lunch

The John Street Caf̩ Р37 John Street, Cottesloe

We were told by a good friend of ours not to mention this tucked away little café; entirely due to the fact that the locals don’t want to share this treasure with anyone else! Featuring an all-day breakfast (they are so few and far between these days!) and home-made cakes, this popular spot has a very cozy feel – where beach décor is kitsch rather than crap. Although it can be a little noisy at times – it does add to the bustling atmosphere. Obviously a place where the local ‘Ladies of Leisure’ like to spend their time (you could almost smell the menopause in the air) this is a no frills café that is worth the visit.

Dinner

Oceanus – Challenger Pde, City Beach

There is truly something for everyone along our beautiful coast. From hearty pub meals to fine dining, there are many places to enjoy a good meal. Having said that – not all experiences are good ones.

Oceanus – Gold Plate nominated, well known, situated right on the beach – has all the promise of a wonderful dining experience. But when promise is wasted, it stings that little bit more doesn’t it? On the positive side; the space is quite amazing. Big, bold and with a magnificant view of the ocean, it reminded us of a designer barn perched on a cliff.

However, when it came to the finer points – Oceanus did disappoint. The service was lack-lustre (to be kind), ambience was non-existent and the food, while it hade some interesting ideas, fell below par for a restaurant of that calibre.

For us, this restaurant joined so many others like it that seem to rely on the fact that they have truly superb locations and at one time had a good reputation, but now no longer have the quality of service and fare to live up to their locations.

Next month we are going Asian! From the Chinese swamping we experienced in the eighties, to the Sushi flooding era of the nineties, right through to present days’ fusion cookery, we have a look at the amazing diversity of flavours and ingredients available to us from our neighbours to the north. Get your chopsticks ready!