THE LOCAL CAFE, Hilton:

The Local Café in Hilton did its own version of TV program The Block. The self-imposed challenge was to do a complete reno of this popular café in less than 3 weeks with the café being closed for only 1 week of business.

The brief was to create additional seating indoors, a functional open kitchen and a completely new look. A relatively small budget was allocated to achieve this.

An amazing phenomenon occurred. The local community got behind the project and offers of help poured in. Local tradies and regular clients popped by to offer any help they could bring to the project. It brought tears to the eyes of the owners, they were overwhelmed with the local support. ‘Mates Rates’ were charged by some and ‘Freebies’ were generously offered.

A beehive of activity ensued and at all hours of the day utes, trucks and vans were seen to be parked on the corner of Rennie and Paget Street. The boys were burning the midnight oil and the ‘Hilton Block’ was full steam ahead. Counters were built by the owners in their garage at home and bargains were found on Gumtree in the way of furniture, appliances and light fittings. True to the format of The Block, it did not happen without a few hiccups and dramas along the way but to quote Shakespeare: “All’s well that ends well.”

THE LOCAL CAFÉ has undergone a truly astonishing transformation. The inspiration for the decor is loosely based on the Hampton Beach style, with its combination of light, bright contemporary colours and finishes, old natural timber tables with seagrass chairs. Original artworks on whitewashed and rendered walls add to the friendly feel. The Hilton Block project is definitely a winner.The creative juices weren’t confined to just the decor, spilling over into the fabulous food. Chef Ary in his unique cooking style has managed to combine some of his native Indonesian flavours with true blue Aussie favourites in the new lunch menu.

The Local Café retained all its breakfast items and the much loved specialties of the house such as Ary’s Eggs Benedict, The Summer and The Winter Breakfasts and The Bali Breakfast are now due to popular request also served at lunchtime as part of the All Day Breakfast.

There is something for everyone and the quality and presentation of the food is worthy of a 5 star restaurant. Prices are reasonable and will suit any budget. The new warm and cosy café is now the in spot for lunch with a selection of yummy tapas to get the meal started.

Reading through the lunch menu will get your juices flowing too – with mains such as fish of the day, duck and a delicious open sandwich on offer. For those who just want a basic burger there are several tasty variations of this all-time favourite on offer. Whether your choice is chicken, beef & lamb or bacon & egg, the burgers are tasty, juicy, generous in size and have been called the best burgers in all of Freo.

As well as great food you will be guaranteed to enjoy the great feel of the newly refurbished inside sitting area.The boys in Hilton have got it right and with Chef Ary’s special touch and big friendly smile, the clientele is growing daily. THE LOCAL CAFÉ is the place to go for breakfast or lunch.

The Local Cafe
36 Paget St, Hilton (Cnr Rennie & Paget Sts)
Phone 9337 7212
Now open 7.30am to 2.30pm 7 days