Girls Lunch at Coogee Common, Perth.

Coogee Common is housed in the old Coogee Hotel, and is one of Perth’s most recent beachside restaurant openings. Just across the road from Coogee Beach, a 4-mile drive south of Fremantle, Coogee Common is a very special place. Not only is there the restaurant and bar, but the old hotel is surrounded by gardens, providing fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables to the restaurant for a garden-to-table vibe.

Part of the Makers in Common collective (they also own Bread in Common) who specialise in creating restaurants that focus on hyper-seasonal and sustainable local food, Caitlin and I went for lunch on my last day in Perth back in November, and we had the most beautiful lunch that I just have to tell you all about it!

Coogee Commons Gardens

The gardens are absolutely beautiful. It feels so peaceful walking through them to get into the restaurant and bar that you completely ignore the busy road the restaurant sits next to. Bees buzz around, butterflies flit their wings, and birds chip in the trees. There’s even a farm shop where you can buy honey, jams, preserves and bread!

The special thing about Coogee Common is that what they can’t grow, grind or ferment themselves, they source from local, sustainable producers, who share their commitment to clean, ethical food production and the best seasonal ingredients. And even their cocktails and non-alcoholic offerings are created with fresh botanicals from the garden, while their wines are local and small-batch.

I adore that they have taken this heritage property – the building was built in 1894 – and really created something special with it, whilst still preserving the architecture and land on which it sits. And that’s before you even try the food!

Lunch at Coogee Common Restaurant

While I waited for Cait to rock up I ordered myself a non-alcoholic Lychee and lavender spritz, a refreshing and delightful combination that I couldn’t get enough of. Soon she arrived and we made our food choices.

We chose to start with the Courgette flower with ricotta and borage to share, and as soon as we ate our first mouthful we both instantly wished we had ordered one each!

We then shared two mains as well, the first being the Butter lettuce with cottage cheese, apple, and whey vinaigrette. This was tasty, but not our favourite. I think it may have been the whey vinaigrette that knocked it down the list for us.

And then we also shared the Gnocchi with garden greens, garlic, macadamia nuts, and pecorino. This dish was incredible! Like the courgette flower, we both absolutely fell in love with it and wished we had a second portion.

For dessert we were pretty full by this point, and we were going for dinner with a few friends later that evening, so we opted to share the Pumpkin creme brulee. This was a proper melt-in-your-mouth dessert – it was just beautiful and I’m so glad we chose it!

The restaurant itself is really stunning – the texture of wood and stone is just beautiful. The interior architects have done a really incredible job with it, and we both loved the way they preserved the heritage building while also making it feel more modern and contemporary.

We had the best lunch at Coogee Common – it’s perfect for a special occasion, a relaxed family affair, or a farewell lunch with your bestie like our visit. The location is close to Freo and the city, the food is exceptionally good, and I just love the hyper-local, seasonal and sustainable aspect of the restaurant and gardens.