Raymond's Cafe

min read

Everybody loves Raymond’s

This little local is a tribute to all things retro; from the stacks of VHS, the wall of colourful record artworks to the vintage lace curtains draped over the windows. The colourful vinyl wrapped chairs stand out from the whitewashed floorboards and you can catch glimpses of old school technology sprinkled throughout the venue in the forms of typewriters, record and cassette players. Great tunes of the likes of the Police and the Doors playing in the background perfectly complete the atmosphere.

Here’s The Skinny

Owner Janet Murray had always dreamed of opening a café of her own, when she finally took the plunge and opened Raymond’s Café in September 2014. After searching for a suitable site for a year and a half, the place Raymond’s now calls home became available. As soon as Janet stepped inside the empty space, she had a clear vision of exactly how she was going to fit it out and knew it was the right place. From the beginning she envisaged a retro theme, and wanted the layout to make customers feel as if they were at home. The name pays homage to her dad, Raymond, who is proud as punch over its success.

Flower Power

From the records on the walls to the cabinetry, each item has been sourced from bulk collections, bought or donated. The vinyl wrapped chairs were saved from the tip, cleaned and reupholstered. A beautiful vintage kitchen cabinet came from a lady whose mother had lived up the road and had passed away. She wanted it to go to a good home and it now stands proudly at Raymond’s. If you visit on a brisk day, you can enjoy the handmade crotchet blankets made by the grandmother of a former employee.

The crockery is all real china, with proper English teacup’s that make your tea taste just that much better. With her mother’s words ringing in her ears, Janet makes sure to serve all teas in a pot from loose leaf blends. You can stir in your milk with their collection of beautiful ornate teaspoons that are as dainty as the crockery. If you are taking you tea to go, expect to wait until it is perfectly steeped before you are on your way- you’ll thank them for it later.

Keepin’ It Real

Everything is made in house with nothing coming in frozen. Though it is more work, Janet says it is worth everything being fresh. The breakfast menu consists of dishes Janet loves to eat and cook. Their signature dish is their zucchini fritters with bacon, avocado, poached eggs and beetroot relish, a recipe Janet herself created. For those with a big appetite, they have their Big Fry Up (or the little fry up if you don’t think you can attempt the larger version), which is reminiscent of their fry ups when they go camping with a large group of friends. As well as the classics, there are some interesting dishes like the Black Pudding Burger consisting of black pud, bacon, relish and egg, if you want to go for something different!

The lunch menu consists of no nonsense delicious classics ready to sate your hunger (or hanger if you are anything like me). With a number of toastie combinations to choose from like the BLT or the Rueben (the New York classic) there is certainly something to get your taste buds tingling. The pies are also crowd favourites, with Chef Anish currently filing the flaky pastry with a coconut chicken curry mixture. This has been so popular they have been requested to serve the curry with rice as its own dish also. If you think breakfast is a meal that can be eaten at any time of the day (of course it can), you can also choose from their all day breakfast options.

With the chilly days rolling in, head on down for their soups that are sure to warm your toes. Changing daily, these can be anything from pumpkin to tom yum. Pair that with a nice cuppa, and watch as the rain spatters down outside while you keep nice and toasty inside.

Can You Dig It?

Janet loves supporting other Perth and WA small businesses wherever she can, with all her quality meat coming from as close as next door (George Quality Butcher). Their cakes come from Baby Cakes across the road and source their coffee beans from WA owned and operated Yahava coffee roasters. The tea all comes from specialty store Tea for Me in Subiaco, and will find Firehorse oak barrelled sauces in their burgers, made by a chef who lives just around the corner.

Yeah, Baby!

Set in such a family orientated area with a school located just behind, Janet always wanted to create a child friendly vibe, and has set up a lounge area full of games and teddies to keep the little ones content. While they play with Fat Cat or Humphrey Bear, they can enjoy pancakes sized just for them along with babycinos or $2 baby shakes.

They are also friendly towards the children of the furrier kind. Walking up to Raymond’s Café the first thing I noticed was two adorable pups soaking in the morning sunshine as their owner enjoyed a warm brew. The staff even prepare homemade dog biscuits to feed their canine visitors so they don’t miss out. One particular customer walks his dog regularly to Raymond’s for his morning coffee, and if he deviates from the usual route, his dog makes sure to pull him back in the direction of the Café so he gets his treat!

In the words of one of her younger patrons, Raymond's feels just like going to grandma’s house. When Janet asked if that was a bad thing he insisted that they had got it perfectly right, and that he missed his grandmother and the nostalgic visit left him feeling good.

Give it a go for yourself!