A tale of 3 cafes

The west end of the Perth CBD saw the opening of 3 very unusual cafes over the last couple of years. Alda's cafe, in wolf lane, Tiger Tiger in Murray Mews and Zekka in the plush quiet gold rush end of King Street near the corner of Wellington Street.

Alda's Panini Bar and Cafe - Wolf Lane, Perth
Coffee: TBA
Don't Miss: The Meat Ravioli, with a scoop of yoghurt
Alda's was the first and most vibrant of the three cafes. It was fun and exciting to enter the dark wood floored glass walled interior, not knowing if you'd be greeted by a hyper mischievous or gloomy Tim the ever present barista. Over his two years at the helm the cafe became a much loved haven for the early breakfasters, the lunch meeterers, after work drinkers, black clad architects, pin striped bankers and city peeps of all sorts congregating for a drink after work. It has since been sold and is a sorry and sadly quieted version of the once vibrant cafe that is open for business during a limited range of opening hours.

Early morning breakfast is a most especially saddening experience as the funflilled quietly chaotic early morning chatter of Tim and the banter of his cheers-like regulars has been replaced by highly irritating music (I'm a David Byrne fan but even I can't handle psycho killer at 7.30 in the morning!) and tiny breakfast rations at higher prices. The unexpectedly shambolic opening hours, which meant you could get a drink till 10pm on some Tuesdays if you were lucky, has been replaced by a no-nonsense list of opening hours. Closed Saturdays. The fun is gone kids, move elsewhere.
Bruncheroo Rating: 5/10

Tiger Tiger - burning semi-bright in the forests of Murray Mews, Perth
Coffee: TBA
Don't Miss: The gluten free slice
The best thing about Tiger Tiger is its location, in the old carriage house of Murray Mews. This eclectic little cafe serves dishes from a strict menu (don't try to mess around you get what you get!) in the old carriage right of way leading to Wolf Lane.

Free from the old rivalry with the dynamic duo formerly running Alda's, the doyenne of Tiger Tiger has inherited Alda's title of best after work drinking spot in the CBD.

The thing about Tiger Tiger is that you never know what you'll get. The moody manager is sometimes absent and in her absence the cafe runs beautifully. The food can be great, fresh and bursting with flavor. On an off day you might be served with undercooked legumes which will break your teeth if you're not careful.

But still, it is good to have Tiger Tiger around. Just make sure to chew slowly and be nice to the grumpy lady with curly hair!
Bruncheroo Rating: 6.5/10

Zekka - 74 King Street Perth
Coffee: Campos
Don't Miss: Mate tea
Zekka is a little cafe with a horde of fascinating magazines and little postcard courtyard open to the sun. I'm half convinced that Zekka was designed for Derek Zoolander. And it is definitely not for ants! A playfully elegant interior of concrete timber and glass greets you with a beautiful mural at the ramped entry into the cafe/men's fashion boutique. This cafe felt like the best little secret in town when it first opened up early last year.

The secret is out. The coffee here is absolutely lovely. As is the surprisingly delicate and aromatic Mate Tea. Breakfast is served all day and is slightly overpriced but fresh and tasty. Lunch is a limited range of salads, sandwiches, rolls and tarts but all are so well made with funny little gourmet touches that you don't notice the limited range.

The absolute best thing about Zekka, however, is that it is the best hiding spot in the city! You can lose yourself for hours in the corner of the courtyard with a pot of tea and one of their amazingly eclectic magazines to keep you company. A worthy successor to the sadly missed Alda's.
Bruncheroo Rating: 8/10