Love Freo

Love Freo dropped by the opening party of the new B&M store this evening. It was just a flying visit but long enough to check out it’s great collection of bite-size wares.

B&M opening bash

They have a full range of nicks and nacks, great stocking filler type things and bits and pieces you never knew you wanted, but actually do. I particularly liked the card cut-out reindeer heads that come in a choice of two sizes no less.

A wall of great things in small packages

B&M is a very welcome addition to the High Street, in the same sort of style as the equally groovy Remedy just up the road. Freo has come under a bit of stick in the press this week for having a below average shopping scene. I guess more shops like this will help to redress the balance, but that said, Fremantle isn’t so bad: Melbourne it may not be, but I still can’t think of a place in the Metro area I’d rather be pottering about on a Saturday afternoon.

Potions and lotions in B&M on the High Street

B&M is well worth checking out in the week running up to the wrapping event of the year, and if you can’t make it to the store check out their stylish website: www.bandmstore.com.au

B&M Store
49A High Street, Fremantle (West End)
08 9467 6347

Friend of Freo Reboot recently alerted us to a guerrilla restoration project…

Everyone knows the hand painted boxing kangaroo on the side of The National Hotel you also may have noticed that it’s been defaced fro quite a while.

No more! A band of devilishly handsome young men, to quote Reboot, took it upon themselves to make this wrong a right. The DHYM see their efforts as an interim measure until Fremantle Council get a professional restoration team in to finish the job on the famous heritage sign.

Restoration Station

Before & After

I actually did learn Latin, but that was twenty years ago, so thank you Google for your help:

Omnia fui nihil expedit = I’ve been everything; nothing’s worth the trouble.

Further research revealed that this is a quote from Fernando Pessoa’s ‘The book of disquiet’. The stencil (on the Roundhouse end of High Street) appears to be by the same person who made us stop and think with these stencils. Thank you Pessoa lover. Thank you Fernando.

We love the stick man’s y-fronts.

Love Freo

I say cool a lot and I know I need more adjectives to describe stuff but… the coolest place has just (3 weeks ago) opened in Fremantle’s East End: The East End Bar and Lounge.

I went there on Saturday night and seriously the place is fab you have to go check it out. The decor is a cross between a gentleman’s smoking lounge and Moulin Rouge with a bit of Soho House thrown in. Chesterfields, Louis XV chairs, standard lamps, chandeliers, brocade fabric and three different types of flocked wall paper. A lot of care and detail has been put in to the surroundings.  Another thing I liked was that the place wasn’t completely gutted: many of the original features from the bars previous incarnation as a working man’s Irish pub are still there and it all fits together nicely. It’s a unique place not only for Fremantle but for Perth.

Left: Downstairs where the dance floor is. Right: Upstairs another lounge area.

Whatever about the decor, the drinks are great as well. A huge plus is that there’s table service so if you have a good spot lounging in a wing backed chair you can stay where you are. We moved around quite a bit and sat at the bar for a while. A barman with Russel Brand hair served up some good drinks, I had a whiskey sour and negroni and another fruity raspberry thing that I can’t remember the name of.

There’s a big dance floor and when we arrived, which was about 9.30pm, a seven piece band was playing. It managed to be nice and loud but you can still hold a conversation with the person next to you without screaming at each other. No doubt all the fabric draped everywhere helps the acoustics. There’s two large plasma screens mounted over the dance floor showing MTV, I’d rather see some Nouvelle Vague or trashy Russ Meyer screening, MTV doesn’t suit the tone of the place.

Currently it’s open on Friday and Saturday night and the dress code I’d say is more smart than casual; everyone seemed to have put a bit of effort in with their clothes.

The East End Bar and Lounge,
189 High Street,
Fremantle,
WA 6160.

Ph: (08) 9335 3331

I’m kicking myself that I haven’t been to this wonderful little eatery sooner: I was put off once by their specials board declaring some dish with peanuts, and peanuts have me running for the hills (a severe nut allergy rather than a legume phobia), and I didn’t make it back to  give them a second chance, more fool me.

I love curries, I love south-east Asian curries in particular and now I have finally been to this place I have a whole menu to explore. I was too busy chatting with Michelle – the Love Freo blog-reader who insisted I try this place out – to do anything useful, like write down what my dish was called, or make a note of their opening hours. But I did get this superbly average picture with the Love Freo phone-cam which doesn’t really come close to doing the food justice.

My lamb curry was delicious, rich in flavour, with good quality non-fatty lamb, and cost about 10 bucks, which for Freo is an absolute bargain. The blonde likes a good laksa too, so I’d say we’ll be fairly regular at this gaff.

Delicious food at Cafe 55. The fly on the papadum (not the Cafe's fault) was just an added bonus.

Thanks to Michelle for suggesting this place. People please feel free to suggest any other glaring omissions from the Love Freo food hall. Next week: Hungry Jack’s!

Café 55
55 High Street
Fremantle
WA 6160
(08) 9336 2604‎

Open from sometime in the morning until about 3pm (I think).

Having plain forgotten to offer any sort of guide to things going on over the holiday weekend, I hope this little round-up of this weekend’s activities will be handy for some, although not for the Blonde, who has been hanging out in Ibiza with Pete Tong and Eric Prydz

Friday night, 18th September

• Mojo’s – Fisherman’s Style. Not so fishy, more of the reggae beats from the likes of DJ Sorted and DJ Deruki. You know the ones. From 8pm. Tickets $10 on the door.
• Moondyne Joe’s - This place has changed a bit and some of their acts are brilliant. Tonight, the Gerard Maunick Trio.
• Little Creatures Loft – Ghost Hotel and Wolves At The Door. From 8pm.
• Seaview Tavern – Indie and Old School Rock, featuring DJ Samuels. Every week from 8pm. Click here for the poster.
• Newport Hotel – FELIX & DEGRAAF DJs play some rock and poptastic beats. From 8pm. Free.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Funkerellos. From 9pm.
• Fly By Night - CANCELLED.  Uh oh, The Jamie T gig has been cancelled for ‘medical reasons’. Speedy recovery please.

Saturday night, 19th September

• Mojos’s – the Stems! The first of their farewell shows, supported by The Early Hours (hooray) and others. Tix in advance from Heatseeker, may be some on the door.
• Clancy’s Fish Pub – Sneaky Weasel Gang. Blues, funk, reggae and rock combo. Super.  And they’re from sunny Mandurah. From 9pm.
• Kulcha – Comme Un Accord. An acoustic duo from some tiny island near Canada, folky music, meant to be v good. Tix $25 on the door. From 8pm.
• Norfolk Basement – Boom Bap Pow! Trashy doo-wop-pop is their mission. Sounds marvellous to me. 8pm, probably $10.
• Metropolis – Hi NRG. Of course what else. Don’t forget your kebab afterwards.
• Moondyne Joe’s - Murdermouse Blues

So I’m going to call a few of these places and get some more info if possible. Adios

info@lovefreo.com

Cocktail is one of my favourite words. Because I’m a child at heart really.

Anyway, while I’ve been drinking overpriced imported beer elsewhere in Fremantle, Emily Tchan checked out the cocktails at the new lounge above Maya Indian Restaurant on Market Street.  She had this to say about it:

It is a very small, simply decorated candlelit bar. We were surprised to find out that the prices are extremely reasonable, compared to some of the inflated prices of Fremantle. The cocktails are fantastic, the (only) waiter is great (think there may have been a few return visitors for him). They also have bottled beer and a good wine list. I recommend trying the Goa Sunrise (not the full name, a mature sex on the beach) with fresh pineapple, truly to die for. Very exciting for Freo.

Thanks for sending that to us Emily. Exciting indeed, hopefully this will be start the start of the Fremantle cocktail revolution. BTW, their food is great too.

Maya,
75-77 Market St,
Fremantle,
WA 6160.

Phone: (08) 9335 2796‎

Cocktail lounge open Thursday to Sunday from 6pm.

Maya Indian Restaurant

Wandering down High Street we passed, once again, The Buffalo Club, wondering where it got its name from. I mean, the origin and purpose of a Navy, Workers, Sailing, Italian, Bocce or other clubs is clear, but why Buffalo? So the Melbourne Man and I went in to check it out. What we discovered is an uncomplicated bar, harsh but fair, a place for workers, wharfies and just everyone who fancies an honest drink. The lady behind the bar knew her crowd and it was great watching her chatting away while doing her work with simple grace. While there was no trace of buffaloes we came across a talking deer head.

Fremantle Buffalo Club
54 High Street
Fremantle WA 6160

Yesterday I had the good fortune to be quite hungry as I was walking past Breaks, so I popped in there with the blonde’s bro for a bite to eat.  As this place used to be Soho Soho burger bar, we decided to have a ‘Moo’ burger each…

I like my burgers, and this was an excellent one. The mince was juicy and full of flavour, obviously from a nice piece of beef, the bun was fresh, fluffy and just a bit crispy and the chips were covered in some sort of magic salt that prompted us to go for an extra portion. A great value meal, v v tasty. The flat white was good too.

If you’ve walked past this place and though it looks small, think again, behind the large counter area is a full dining area. Next time you fancy a burger, you could do much worse than go here. You can also pick up one of our new and free LOVE FREO promo postcards that the friendly manager/owner(?) let us put on the counter. Bon apetit. One more thing, Breaks doesn’t have a licence, but you can BYO.

Breaks Fremantle
85 High Street,
Fremantle,
WA 6160.