Top Five Cafes with Murals

We’re street-art suckers from way back, so we’re stoked to see the city’s urban art creep from its outside walls and into the cafes of savvy shopkeeps. Coffee and culture? We like! Here are out favourite new additions.

HYLIN

ARTIST Chris Nixon
WHERE 178 Railway Parade, West Leederville
Josh McGinnity decided to quit his office job and open a cafe while walking down New York City's Highline – the old railway system turned public walkway that dissects the city. That walk inspired his cafe's name, as well as the city-scene mural that adorns its wall. Josh explains that artist Chris was briefed to capture his NYC story's significance, without being a cliche representation of the city. "The image depicts how the vegetation can overgrow an urban concrete setting, which is something that Hylin has tried to do in the once-industrial sector of West Leederville," Josh says. And, if you're wondering, he's not bothered by the fact that he owns what could be the most 'grammed mural in Perth: in fact, he says he feels privileged.

GOOD THINGS

ARTIST Jae Criddle
WHERE 128 Wellington Street, Mosman Park
The brief was to decorate, but artist Jae unwittingly created a tactical test for customers with her Good Things mural (below), which spells out the phrase 'It's all good'. "It's actually become more interactive than we thought, with people trying to make the letters with their own hands!" says Jake Carter, one of the cafe's owners. He says some people struggle to see what it is, and it brings a smile to their faces when it clicks – which was part of the idea behind commissioning Jae. "We loved the idea of having something unique to us that people could take away," he says.

WORKSHOP ESPRESSO

ARTIST Andrew Frazer
WHERE 206 Cambridge Street, Wembley
'Whimsical' probably isn't the adjective that jumps to mind when you're describing a bike-shop cafe inside a derelict former bakery. But that's exactly what Felicity Palumbo wanted when she commissioned Andrew to paint the intricate black-and-white mural. "I love that street art can be soft and almost feminine," she explains. "People think that it's quite bold, like graffiti, but I love that you can look twice and see more the second time." A great example? The paper plane in the corner of the piece – Felicity says she didn't spot it for a week!

CROOKED SPIRE

ARTISTS Steve Browne, Brenton See, Ariel Katzir, Cheeks, potionX, Sam Bloor, Dexter & Orbit, Luke O'Donohoe, RLSM.
WHERE 71 Victoria Street, Midland
We were spoilt for choice at Crooked Spire – the new cafe has not one but nine pieces of art on its walls, all painted by locals! Manager Kristyanne Rung explains owner Mike's idea of a creative community hub, which includes an outside wall for budding graf rats to practise their work, free from police harassment. "So many cafes, especially the franchises, look the same," she says. "Mike had this amazing vision of a place of creative freedom, of innovation. We have awesome customers who love the vibe we've created. Having the murals gives people a reason to wander around and stay a while, rather than just walk in, grab a coffee and walk out."

ETRO CAFE

ARTIST Anya Brock
WHERE 49 King Street, Perth
You'd think the cafe behind FORM would be first in line for the gallery's street art treatment, but as Etro Cafe manager Henry NcAlpine can tell you, it took a couple of strokes of luck to get the vivid Anya Brock mural (above) that now covers the cafe's courtyard wall. "She was meant to do a larger wall, but unfortunately she had an accident and could only manage a small one," he says of the artist, who was commissioned as part of FORM's PUBLIC program. Henry had no idea what Anya was going to paint, but he's thrilled with the result. "I think it's fantastic," he says.