The Thousands

Come the weekend, Coogee Bay Road is fierce, and not in a good way. Many of the locals are body builders, a lot of them are English, some of them drive Ferraris, and all of them either have snarly children or snarly hangovers. Everyone wears the same tone of casual wear – sitting somewhere between Britney on a sane day and Reece Witherspoon on a boring one – and the wait staff wear thongs, even in Winter.

Venture a little further South, however, up the hill and to the right, and you’ll find you’ve crossed the border. The border from awful to amazing! Le Petit Cafe is exactly what it claims to be – a tiny cafe – but it is also a tiny example of perfection. Delicious crepes, classic Parisian baguettes, bowls of coffee and buttery, flaky, eat-five-and-then-only-sort-of-feel-remorseful croissants. The staff are lovely too, and the finer details like side salads receive as much attention as the mains, arriving fresh and dressed just so.

It can be hard to get a seat inside because the place really is small, but I highly recommend giving it a go. Also, they have a Friday night Winter special – traditional fondue with cured meats, warm potatoes, salad and dessert. Délicieux!