The Cool Room has always been a neighbourhood spot with soul. Now, in the hands of chef Drew Dawson and his partner, baker Charlotte Beeton, the East Fremantle cafe has entered a new chapter – one grounded in simplicity, seasonality and the kind of hospitality that makes you want to linger.

Dawson has built a short, curated menu that delights without overwhelming. The menu starts with a seasonal market fruit plate, cut to order – perhaps dolci and blood oranges, Packham pears and missile apples. 

Bread is another star. A toast course offers three varieties – including a Guinness and treacle soda bread Dawson bakes in-house, alongside slices from Hunter Bread – with whipped butter, house-made jams and marmalades. 

Beeton, meanwhile, is filling the counter with bakes – think mandarin and polenta cake or brown butter rye and chocolate cookies. Together, they’re shaping a space that is as much about community as it is about food.