Coogee Common Restaurant Fremantle WA 13

Dine

Coogee Common

Showcasing a love of local produce, seasonal menus and sustainability, plus their own private Mediterranean-style gardens with resident bees, makes Coogee Common anything but ordinary.

By Sophia Holl

The old hotel was previously a meeting place for local gardeners and quarry workers in the late 1800s before becoming an orphanage during the 1930s and '40s.

It spent the following decades abandoned until the team behind Bread in Common took over in 2018 to revive this historic site back to the bustling meeting spot it once was, restoring the hotel plus adding a modern extension.

Now a 200-seater venue it offers various dining rooms, plus an outside terrace. Described by Executive Chef and co-owner, Scott Brannigan, as, “in-between a bustling gastropub and restaurant,” you can experience the best of both worlds here. The paired back interior styling makes for a relaxed atmosphere. You sense the literal soil to plate cooking process with views out to the expansive, Mediterranean-style gardens from the dining hall. An open kitchen, concealed only by shelves holding large jars of organic oils, pickles and preserves, gives you a sneak peek of the foodie action. While the front lounge bar is ideal for a simple snack paired with a drink.

The market gardens are a testament to the team’s commitment to quality delivering plates with a farm to table philosophy that focuses on seasonality and sustainability.

“Growing up, my parents had a market garden, where they grew and sold tomatoes. It’s always been part of my life, and it used to be part of the Coogee Hotel. I wanted to honour both mine and the site’s heritage by cultivating our market gardens,” Brannigan reveals.

Offering garden tours daily at 11.30am, followed by a two-course meal, guests can enjoy a guided stroll through the veggie patches and discover this season’s produce (at time of writing includes ripe capsicum, zucchini, eggplant, olives, citrus and figs). 95% of the menu features produce grown from their gardens, with vegetables like potatoes and garlic that are more difficult to grow are sourced from local farmers. A seasonal menu is in line with the team’s ethos that, “We don’t do many things, but what we do, we do right,” Brannigan declares.

Common Bakery wood-fired bread with a smoked zucchini dip, wood-fired cabbage with buttermilk and macadamia, or scallop ceviche with coastal herbs and lime are light starters ideal for summer days. Homemade tagliatelle with zucchini and olives and spiced braised goat with asparagus and yoghurt offer something heartier. Coconut panna cotta with shortbread crumb and strawberry sorbet makes a sweet finale. The team is busy curating the summer menu, so expect fresh, light meals featuring seafood, pickles, eggplant, and zucchini flowers.

The cocktail menu is seasonal, too, with botanical drinks using garden herbs, honey made by their resident bees, and house-made spirits. The wine list focuses on West Australian labels made by artisan producers and local craft beer on tap only, a conscious choice not to serve bottles to minimise waste.

A changing seasonal menu gives you an excuse to return to Coogee Common regularly. In-between, you can take a little bit of Coogee Common home with you via the Common Farm Shop selling jars of house-made organic pickles and preserves plus pottery, aprons, and other locally made homewares. Plus, the team are toying with the idea of introducing cooking classes at the venue, so watch this space.