NESTLED on the corner of South Terrace and Parry Street, Mr Chapple is a spacious, street-side bar tucked into the Old Synagogue in Fremantle.
Three Herald journos wandered down from our office and were drawn in by warm yellow sunlight cascading out of the bar’s wood-framed windows – a wonderful relief on a chilly winter day.
We helped ourselves to the Garden and Land menus, which offer a range of vegetable and meat-heavy dishes respectively. (The Sea menu was also an option). The menu caters to a variety of dietary requirements and offers a unique arrangement of breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
The drinks menu – which we tactfully ignored, given it was 11am and we had a limited budget – is impressive and extensive. If you have a suggestion, they’ll make it for you, which seems wildly romantic and sophisticated.
We ordered the pumpkin and chive arancini, which was served with a sweet tomato relish and shaved Manchego.
They were crispy, but we agreed the pumpkin was slightly too sweet for our liking, and the sweetness of the tomato relish was overwhelming.
We also ordered olive crispbread on the side which was served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and were served a generous helping even for the three of us.
The bread was a wonderful texture and not too dry, and complemented the salty olives and tangy vinegar.
Next out were the activated fries and herein lies the perfect dish. Every chip was deliciously crunchy and salty – even the ones at the bottom.
They had the perfect amount of cheese, and there was a nice hint of spice that came from the jalapeños and salami.
The salami itself was cut up so thinly you could taste it in every bite. The beef and thyme sausage rolls with house tomato relish caught our eye, which came out beautifully presented with a generous serving of three solid rolls.
At first glance, they resembled a mini beef wellington. At first bite, the beef was obviously well seasoned and cooked perfectly.
This was elevated by the tomato relish, which added a sweetness and cut through the tanginess of the herbs, although once again a little overpowering.
The one downside would have to be the pastry as it felt it was too thin for the amount meat there was, and it felt almost dry as well which betrayed the meat slightly.
Other than that, the rolls warmed us up on that gusty Freo afternoon.
Overall, all three of us highly recommend a visit to Mr Chapple, and hope to return to sample a personalised cocktail.
Improvements to the food are slight, the service was wonderful, and the staff very patient with our requests.
Mr Chapple
92 South Tce, Fremantle
theoldsynagogue.com.au
by SIENNA DALY, IMOGEN WALSH and KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER