The Espresso-Come-Wine Bar With Serious European Credentials Making Waves In Scarborough

A taste of the Mediterranean has landed on the shores of Scarborough at Little Wave, a morning espresso meets evening wine bar. 

“Everything started because we love wine,” says co-owner Ali Karcher. “Me and Feddie wanted to open a wine bar. He’s from Italy, I'm from the south of France, and we wanted to bring home here. This venue is very personal.”

Image credit: Little Wave | Supplied

Formulated alongside partner Federico Vitelli, the idea was to emulate the bars of France where everybody knows each other by name, the place locals visit every day. Now a little more than six months in and Little Wave is really settling into itself, finding a groove within the local community. 

“It’s very Mediterranean-oriented,” says Ali. “Our wine list is a third Italian, a third French and a third New Zealand and Australian, and same with our food.”

Image credit: Little Wave | Supplied

“Even the space,” interjects Federico, “ we wanted to recreate a little bit of that Mediterranean style, of where we’re from.”

There’s a chic simplicity to the fit out that seems to marry both European and Australian influences. Limewash walls, timber tables, and racks stacked with bottles of vino. Having started with a list of just seventeen wines, the venue now offers more than a hundred bottles, personally chosen by Ali and Federico from makers in Tuscany, Sangiovese and Sicily, as well as strong local pours from some of Australia's best wine making regions across Western Australia, Melbourne and Tasmania. 

“The wine from Margaret River is as good as what we find back home,” they agree. 

Image credit: Little Wave | Supplied

The pair aren’t content to simply rely on an incredible wine list to do the heavy lifting though. There’s already plans in place for Ali And Federico to travel to wine regions in both Europe and Australia, continuing to unearth gems for Little Wave and bring those rare finds to their Perth customer base. 

“This year we’re planning to go to Provence, Tuscany, Tasmania, South Australia, Sydney and Melbourne, just to keep up with the trends. Because it’s very different here, in terms of wine, compared to home, but it’s just as good.”

And then there’s their team, who have learnt about wine presentation from certified sommeliers who themselves trained in Bordeaux. 

Image credit: Little Wave | Supplied

A dedication to wine isn’t the only European hangover the pair have introduced to the Scarborough locals. Opening up shop early in the morning, their serving quality espresso to sandy-haired surfers stepping off the beach. 

“The first thing we had here was a coffee machine,” they explain. 

Of course, the coffee beans had to be European, with their baristas grinding Italian-roasted Caffe Martella, but the pair describe their approach to great espresso as feeling more like Melbourne’s coffee shops. And, unlike many of Perth’s early-closing cafes, the coffee machine is on as long as the doors are open, from early in the morning right through to close. 

Image credit: Little Wave | Supplied

The keen oenophiles are happy to share wine recommendations with clients spending leisurely afternoons at their tables, pairing the curated selection to the seasonal menu and changing weather. Moving into winter, prepare to be served barolos and cabernet sauvignons and cabernet merlots from Bordeaux. Foodwise, the dishes are shifting to a heartier tone, in line with the changing season - a richer gnocchi sauce, a duck pasta, and a minestrone are all in the works they tell me. The homemade limoncello that’s been popular over the summer will make way for moodier drinks made from a locally produced amaro.

The Details

What: Little Wave
Where: 190 The Esplanade, Scarborough WA 6019
For more information, click here. 

Main image credit: Little Wave | Supplied