Lo Quay River Cafe — Restaurant in Wilson

Balanced review from our recent visit

Firstly it was an extremely warm day. The Aircon was not working well and regardless of where we sat both outside or inside, it was quite uncomfortable to deal with the heat Second: despite visiting at a time when there were less than 12 patrons. we had to wait quite a while, more than 20 mins for our coffees to arrive. Thirdly: The place had not been cleaned well inside. There was bits of kale and other salad ingredients on the floor, visible to customers, the doors were wide open allowing flowers and other debris to come inside. The amount of debris from outside was ridiculous. The table we sat at was slightly sticky. Overall just a lack of attention to detail with cleaning. Fourthly: There is no onsite bathroom. The toilets are forever closed for cleaning and we are expected to use the council run bathroom 15m away. this bathrooms are sub par and not the responsibility of the café. feels like they palming off responsibility. Fifth: The price was absolutely exuberant. charged extra for a decaf with skim milk. Smoothies were super expensive at $12+ and cake was just as bad. Paid close to $30 for a coffee, a smoothie and a slice of quiche and a slice of cake. Fifth: Earlier this year we Booked a table. it was a cold day and we made sure we were on time for our reservation and found out they allowed someone else who didn't book to take our table. The staff then fumbled around to arranged for a fold out make shift table to be erected for us, however it was not in the location on the veranda requested. It was actually directly in front of the aircon unit which was blowing extremely cold air on us. We requested to move away from there and they were reluctant to move the table, even after they admitted to losing our reserved table. This was a disaster of a morning and we have since avoided busy times ridiculous.

Now to the Good Points Firstly: The coffee was amazing despite the wait Secondly: The Gluten free Cake was amazingly moist and was absolutely divine. It is hard to find a decent Gluten free cake and most are dry and crumble making it un appealing, but this was quite the contrast. Third: The Quiche was really good. They use fillo pastry and this added a lighter more buttery element to the quiche really lovely and the amount of cheese really made for an excellent quiche Fourth: Smoothie was really good and very refreshing.

All in all the food and beverages were highly rated, but the slow service, lack of working aircon and lack of attention to detail with regard to cleaning let...

Cafe by the River. The people here are incredibly welcoming. They know you by name and remember how you like your coffee. The 'by the river' location has a magical charm, evident in the number of regulars who frequent this spot—some of them daily.

Food-wise, I have yet to find a better savory muffin anywhere in Perth. While the menu is extensive, my go-to comfort foods are the soup of the day (like their mushroom soup) and the bacon-and-egg toastie (gluten-free). Neither has ever disappointed me.

However, the main reason I keep coming back is the atmosphere. Most times, I visit alone, either before or after my river walks. Occasionally, I bring along a friend, a family member, or an ex-colleague. When I have overseas visitors, I make it a point to bring them here to share in the serenity of this place. The coffee and food here provide more than sustenance; they offer a unique experience.

I usually place my orders on the app, as I don’t always carry my wallet. On one occasion, I spent over 15 minutes trying to place an order through the app, but it didn’t work. Luckily, I found a $20 note in my phone wallet cover and headed to the counter. To my surprise, the staff told me, “The boss wanted to pay for your coffee today.”

I was deeply moved. Was it because the owner had observed me about to leave, stressed, having forgotten to bring my wallet ? Or was it simply because they had noticed I was a regular and wanted to brighten my day? I may never know the reason. But that moment encapsulates why this cafe is so beloved—the owner isn’t just running a business; they’re creating a warm,...

We always drive past this cafe, but we never have a chance to stop by because we are always so busy.

Yes, parking is very hard. Hence, you need to PLAN your trip to this place to make it extra special. It is obviously a stunning place being front of the river. So realistically, parking will be difficult. Thankfully, we chose early breakfast, and it is crowded inside already (we arrived around 9.45am. on a Saturday). So we chose to sit outside, and we were surprised to see so many portable heaters on. They were lovely. We sat on table 19, and there were enough heaters around that we felt so warm and comfortable. Table 19 was our table number, and with a front stunning view. It was a raining cold winter morning, but I love this weather. We had great parking just opposite the cafe. To my other surprise, there was this little public library outside near the cafe. How appropriate!

We even saw several cute little birds to entertain us. They were so beautiful. I thought seeing them around made our visit extra special.

The food and coffee arrived on time. It was delicious! They have so many to choose from, and you can even have add ons. That's what I did. I had the corn and zucchini fritters and added sausages. My other half had the ham and cheese omelette with a toast. Very nice indeed. The waitress came out once and asked how everything was. They made us feel welcome.

Our chai latte and cafe latte were hot and delicious, perfect for this cold winter rainy morning.

Will I recommend this to anyone, BIG YES!!! Just plan ahead to ensure you get good parking and a table. Will I...