YOU can tell I’m Scottish.
I was the only one drinking in Beach St Co at 11:45am on a weekday.
There was mitigating circumstances – it was the last week of the school holidays and I felt like an extra from Apocalypse Now.
“No more Tours of Duty of Adventure World. Please Colonel Kurtz, I beg you…”
Situated across the road from the Swan River, just down from The Left Bank, Beach St Co is in a stunning spot with amazing panoramas of North Freo and all the comings and goings on the river. I must have driven by it a thousand times, but never visited, perhaps down to the lack of parking on that side of the road.
The inside was like a sauna-cum-beach shack with a low wood panel roof, but it was spacious with plenty of tables and chairs and a stylish bar/counter.
There was an al fresco at the side, beside a grassed area where the kids could run about, and overall the place had a quirky charm (I especially liked the giant photo of Victorian men with twirly moustaches rowing).
I imagine it’s a popular spot for brekkie and there were a lot of folk finishing off their brunch as we arrived. The lunch menu was smallish but had a nice range of dishes including moroccan bean tagine, fish and chips, calamari, salmon poke bowl and burrata on toast.
There was something for everyone and all the old favourites were covered.
You ordered at the counter and the young woman serving me was extremely nice – big smile, friendly chat and full of life.
My kids decided to share the Beach St Burger ($28) and she asked if I wanted it cut in half and an extra plate, which was nice.
As we waited for our meal, I slurped down a freshly squeezed apple, beetroot, lemon and ginger juice ($11).
A lovely concoction that was served in an old, heavy decorative glass.
Sometimes these drinks can be heavy on the ginger, but this had a nice balance of flavours and was super refreshing. Seated by the window, it was super relaxing looking out at the river.
The joint was busy on a Friday lunchtime, with a healthy dollop of pensioners chewing the fat.
It wasn’t long before I was tucking into my Thai Beef Salad ($28).
First off, the presentation wasn’t the best – far too many beansprouts on top and the bowl was too small, making it hard to eat without food spilling over the side.
But the core of the dish, the grilled marinated beef, was spot on – the meat was tender and had traces of pink in the middle.
The accompanying asian salad was okay, but it could have done with more dressing and less cabbage.
There was an excellent dish lurking in there, but they needed to reduce the bulk.
It was still enjoyable and very filling, but just needed a bit of refining.
Across the table my kids were hoeing into their Beach St Burger, which was served in a delicious soft bun.
The thick, juicy patty was super filling and the kids struggled to finish even half of it.
The accompanying thick chips were crispy and well-seasoned. Overall it was a top burger.
Situated in a glorious spot, Beach St Co is a friendly place to go for a casual meal and a drink.
They also do dinner and live music, so I’ll be back with my wife “Special K” to try a main.
Right, time to pick up the kids’ stationary from the school.
“I love the smell of Naplan in the morning…”
by STEPHEN POLLOCK
Beach St Co
123 Beach St, Fremantle
beachstco.com.au