Ari & Esmay

The Verdict

Nestled into the leafy and local George Street in East Freo, walking into Ari & Esmay feels like arriving home —that is, if home came complete with an expert pastry chef and breakfast fare on tap.

The place is absolutely gorgeous, doing justice to the beauty and tranquillity of George Street with its tall ceilings, spacious floors and abundant natural light. Layering a colour palette of unicorn pinks, rose red, Santorini blues and porcelain white, Ari & Esmay isn’t just beautiful - it is well thought out and, above all, true to a vision you can just tell the owners had been dreaming of for a while.

You'd be forgiven for thinking this place was all about the cakes and treats, but do not be fooled—Ari & Esmay is absolutely the place to go for a damn good breakfast as well. The mushrooms are grilled to absolute buttery perfection, the muesli comes with raspberry sorbet and the Euro breakfast is a thing of beauty with ham, cheese and a darn good croissant.

Don't leave without grabbing a chocolate brownie, you won't regret it.

Image credit: Elle Borgward