Benesse Bunbury — Restaurant in Western Australia

Celebrating 15 years under the current owners, Benesse is located on Victoria Street in the heart of Bunbury in WA’s Southwest. Bunbury is my old stomping ground, so I always make a point of dropping in whenever I head down. Benesse is such a great venue. You know you’re close when you see their blackboard with a fun quote. Today’s was ‘Espresso may not be the answer but it’s worth a shot!’ So cool.

It’s a really popular place, especially on weekends. That said, you should usually be able to get a spot. The best seats are outside facing Victoria Street. These are great on a summer’s day when you just want to sit and have a coffee and watch the world go by. They’re undercover too, so provide shelter from the weather. There’s also a laneway next to the café with plenty of seats. And of course, there’s the indoor seating, which is nicely set up in a really cool space. Think comfy cushions, indoor plants and cool tunes.

You can order at the counter or from those ever present ‘order at the table’ QR codes. Oh, and they also have online ordering for those who want to pre-order something when they’re on the go.

They also do coffee cards, which will cost you $55 upfront. It’s a good idea though, as it gives you 10 coffees, which works out at $5.50 each. So, you basically pre-pay your workday coffees, assuming you have two a day 😉

The menu is diverse, with something for everyone. There’s a good selection of brunch bowls, which includes things like granola and apple pie porridge. Plus, there’s a great variety of brunch plates, with everything from the simple eggs on toast and avo smash to chilli scrambled eggs. Then there’s the ‘What Came First’, which features buttermilk pancakes and fried chicken and a fried egg. Classic! I’m yet to try it but it sure sounds tempting.

On my visit, I chose the potato rosti, which comes with double bacon (yum!) onion relish, poached eggs, rocket, parmesan and a peppered vinaigrette. This is my go to dish. The rosti is crunchy and soft all at once. Plus, the rocket lends a nice fresh feel and the onion relish adds a sweet element. Throw in the eggs and cheese and you’ve really got something! The flavours and textures meld really well and make for a great tasting meal.

The menu also includes hot toasties and burgers, as well as lunch bowls, which makes for some nice additions. Pro tip - I recommend the Miss Saigon salad - I had it on another of my visits to Benesse. It comes with sticky beef, noodles and a whole lot of other cool ingredients like paw and bean shoots. It was really tasty!

Those with dietary requirements are also catered for, with vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free options available.

Along with the a ’la carte menu, there’s also a great selection of items to choose from in the display cabinet. Think bircher pots, chia pots, vanilla slices, muffins, biscuits and lots of other delectable delights. I could go on but I’ll let the photos tell the story. 😊

On a side note, Benesse also sells a selection of jams, dukkah and ground coffee beans. Oh, and they even have their own tote bags for sale! You might say they’ve thought of everything.

The staff are super friendly, which is great. It’s always good when there’s a good crew at a cafe. The green Benesse shirts make them easy to recognise.

There are newspapers on offer for those who want to catch up on the news. This is a plus for me, as I always enjoy sitting in a café sipping on a coffee and reading the newspaper. Or a book. It’s very soothing.

Oh, and it’s dog friendly too, which is nice for those who want to bring along their dogs. I counted three water bowls for dogs, along with a food bin! It really is a dog’s life.

Overall, Benesse has a great vibe and is very chilled. There’s comfy chairs, a relaxed atmosphere and the inside is really well done. There’s wood floors, exposed brick and painted walls. Whoever designed it did really well.

So next time you’re in Bunbury, head on in to Benesse. Even if it’s just for a coffee. It’s one of the best...

Absolutely fabulous experience. We ordered pretty early in the morning, and had my food 20 minutes later, along with a flat white coffee followed closely after. The food I ordered was the brekky burger, had a super delicious combination of sauces, bacon, eggs, and a bit of lettuce and tomato. The bun was a beautiful soft interior with a slight crunch exterior. The coffee was really nice too, nice and hot but definitely not burnt, a toasty smooth flavour.

Service was great too, came to check up a few times and took my plate swiftly after finishing along with a short chat, overall friendly people.

There really isn’t much to nit pick about, maybe a tad small overall in terms of size of restaurant, however the serving sizes definitely don’t disappoint.

Really love this...

Got here about 1pm today (Saturday) and the service isn't as great as it could be. I wasn't greeted and I was standing at the counter for a while. Staff were present. It was my first time here so first impressions weren't that great.

I dined in and had a flat white with almond milk (tasted perfect) and ordered the boss burger which was a beef patty, bacon, sauce and caramelised onions nested within a brioche bun, and it came with fries. The fries were actually amazing but couldn't say that about the burger. The patty was just too salty today and naturally the salt from the bacon added to this so I was finding it difficult to finish.

All in all, burger wasn't great nor the service but the coffee and fries were pretty damn good. Hopefully...