Drive through North Perth at lunchtime, and you'll spot a group of people on the corner of Fitzgerald and Forrest streets. It looks like a crowd waiting for a gig at a small music venue. It's just another day at Satchmo, which moved two doors down from its original site in August, 2022.

Like jazz, Satchmo is effortlessly cool. Owner Nathan Karnovsky (co-founder of The Holy Bagel Co) created the charmingly offbeat cafe with spot-on coffee, New York deli-style food and vinyl records for sale. Satchmo 2.0 retains what was good about the original venue – comfort, familiarity, community – but takes Nathan's vision even further. With the high ceilings, recycled timber and gorgeous morning light, the cafe feels warm and welcoming.

The menu features classic New York-deli fare, including mamma’s matzo ball chicken soup, and blueberry-cheese blintzes with caramelised banana. You might also find a meatball hoagie with pepperoni sugo and three cheeses, and the rooster roll with Southern-style pulled chicken and stuffing sauce – both on crusty rolls. The crowd-favourite Reuben is still the most popular meal. And the team also roll out weekly specials.

As jazz-lovers know, “Satchmo” was Louis Armstrong’s nickname, with whom Karnovsky shares an intriguing connection via his family tree. The Karnofskys of New Orleans took the impoverished Armstrong under their wing when he was a boy and helped him realise his musical ambition.

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Updated: December 19th, 2024

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