THE Fremantle Coffee Cup Eastern Conference is perhaps the hottest crosstown rivalry outside of the AFL wooden spoon and features the world-class Fremantle Cappuccino Strip.
Freo relics would remember the pioneering Old Papas/Ginos war of the ‘90s as the OG coffee battle.
Old Papas had the better cyclists, but Ginos ultimately won the war, largely due to the fact that you could get a coffee at night which appeals to, well, everyone with a social life.
Breaks v Grumpy Sailor: The east side of High Street was always going to be tough. Breaks enjoys the distinct advantage of being the only place outside of Ginos to get an arvo coffee, while Grumpy Sailor will catch you nine times out of ten with the delicious bagel combo – one of the best deals in town. Ignoring the extras, however, is a feature of the FCC and on the day Grumpys coffee came up with goods for the majority of our panel. Who knows, they might even name a bagel after this competition.
Expresso Enforcer v Culleys: The Battle of the Arcade is another hotly debated topic. Madison at Enforcer is a serious owner/barista with a steel-trap memory for names and a huge smile to soothe even the most unmotivated of Mondays. If you could vote with Zimmer frames, Culleys would take this easily but owing to the youthful, spritely post-hipster coffee snobbery of our panel it would be Madison’s cuppa joe that would smoke the opposition. Consider the arcade Expresso Enforced.
Think Or Perish v Ginos: One is hard to find and one is the only thing you could find. New kids on the block Think Or Perish inhabit the smallest premises in the comp and do one thing and one thing well. Ginos is still the best place to stare at people walking, and probably the most resilient s.o.b Freo business outside of The Pickled Fairy. If Tony Soprano wanted a coffee, he’d be getting it from Ginos. There’s something in the water though at Think Or Perish and our illustrious panel sided with the startup making it T.O.P dog in the eastern conference while Gino was sleeping with the fishes.
Ghettoblaster v Cos Baby: The Pakenham Pair pack a punch when it comes to the morning crowd. Cos Baby gets the Notre Dame kids while Ghettoblaster gets anyone that wants to take a punt at a wild outsider that marches to the beat of it’s own drum. The maverick Ghettoblaster has an inverse correlation with the quality of surf. If the waves are pumping you won’t be getting a GB coffee till the swell passes. Maybe that’s the way it should be. Maybe that’s the way life should be. Luckily for GB it was blown out on the morning we mystery shopped and the panel were delivered one of the smoothest cups of coffee served anywhere in the hemisphere. It was a narrow victory though – the One Dollar Coffee promotion at Cos Baby really can’t be beaten and after 10 of those, the doctor is just across the road. Set point Ghettoblaster.
What’s your fave?
WE’D love to hear who your favourite brewster is, and why.
It doesn’t have to be one of the snazzy cafes; perhaps it’s just the smile behind the steam or the chillest atmosphere that keeps you coming back for one more…
If you’re a rellie hoping for a plug for your pop’s Pablo special, that’s ok, but let us know.
Send your votes into news@fremantleherald.com and keep your eye out for our socials – we’ll get a poll up there somewhere.