CNR Kitchen - 6003

This is a raw food and vegan friendly cafe? Who knew? I blanked it out as a simple coffee shop. In search of a decent cup of joe, what a delightful surprise it was to discover what can only be described as a treasure trove of meatless, colourful, fresh, healthy eats! You'll  find vegan and gluten free "burger" sliders (where the bun is substituted for tomato), raw zucchini pad thai "noodles", raw, nut-cheese "pizza", rainbow salads, raw eggplant parmiagiana, pasta-less and meatless lasagne and the list goes on.

Raw pizza and salad

Raw pizza

 I tried the raw pizza - a dehydrated what-free base generously topped with fresh basil, kalamatta olives, roasted peppers and fresh spinach. Relative to the version at The Raw Kitchen of Freo, I actually found it a little bland, but it was certainly edible.  We also ordered the varietal and healthy "Tasting Plate" of dolmades, guac, tomato salsa, carrot and cucumber batons and a slice of raw pizza. If you're not into this kind of healthy food then you might find these dishes a bit unsatisfying. For the health conscious - you will rejoice! In hindsight I should have ordered their pad thai, sliders or roast veg stack, they all looked amazing!

Tasting plate

Tasting plate

In my experience, the food was not executed with quite the same level of stealth or deliciousness as The Raw Kitchen, but it is slightly more affordable. If The Raw Kitchen cuisine is a 10, then CNR is a 7. Still very good. Where CNR whip the competition is in choice! Breakfast, lunch and dinner all have a sizeable list of options. Meat eaters and wheat eaters are not left out in the cold either, theres yummy things like pancakes, gourmet pork sausage rolls, paninis and even a Waygu beef burger. A group of people with varying tastes can dine here in harmony!

Best is the location  - alfresco seating that spills out onto some marvellous people watching real estate at the Northbridge Piazza. There was a Quiddich match the afternoon I went. Thoroughly amusing. CNR also brew boutique coffee, with their signature roast alongside a daily special, for an extra 50c. And the baristas love telling you about the stuff.

Quiddich at Northbridge Piazza

So have had better raw, vegan food? Yes, but I would definitely come back here again and again. Besides, anywhere that puts pancakes on the breakfast *and* lunch menu is impossible not to love.

Highs - The only location in Perth offering raw and vegan dinners, knowledgeable staff,  big nods to gluten/animal/dairy-free peeps, boutique coffee, the selection!

Lows - Raw pizza could be tastier, a bit dark inside, expensive coffee