Jean Pierre Sancho (North Perth, Perth WA)

391-395 Fitzgerald St
    North Perth Western Australia 6006
    North Perth
    Get Directions
    Phone number (08) 4441 904 
    Website:
   Hours
      Mon-Wed 8am to 3pm
      Thu-Sat 8am to 4pm
      Sun 8.30am to 3.30pm

 

Jean Pierre Sancho in Fitzgerald Street has become one of my handy stops while going to the North Perth Plaza to do my grocery shopping. What brings me there is mostly their coffee and the lovely staff. Great combo for me. 

Coffee is nicely prepared, strong enough for my sensitive tongue. Yes, I like my coffee to taste like coffee. I like their colourful macaroons and sweets, and the staff have been and are lovely every time I visit, very friendly, smiley, and accommodating about anything. No-fuss people.  

The place, unlike its predecessor, is a bit bland and dark regarding ambience and vibe. I was expecting a bit of more "Frenchiness" in the decoration and style, but concrete looking floors and almost bare walls are not that chic. However, the place is n the decoration and atmosphere, still the place is quiet and comfortable.

Food has proven to be a bit of a disappointment. They are very generous with their servings (point!), but somewhat the food tastes just OK. Not bad, but not remarkable either.  

My first breakfast there was total knock-out, tinned beans, stale harsh brown, like... I didn't like it. They have improved since them, but their cooked breakfasts are still not their forte in taste or plating (sometimes they put too much on the plate, carelessly, in ways that make the food look unappealing, like in the photo).

Their house-flag dish is very French... Gosh Bless Hamburgers. They are very tasty and come with fries and salad, huge size. That always makes me happy, size does matter, and tasty hamburgers as well.

In short a nice place to drop by if you just want a nice friendly quiet café to hide from the world and have some simple cooked food or nice pastries and sweets.

Notes to myself
> I love their coffee cups! 
> They have lovely loaves of bread for sale
> It would live up the place having some French posters or photographs on the walls.  

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Godfreys (North Perth, Perth Australia)

Shop 387, Corner Fitzgerald St. & Alma St.
North Perth Western Australia 6006
Phone: (08) 9228 4662
Website
Hours 
     Mon - Fri     9:00am - 5:00pm
     Sat     9:00am - 4:00pm
     Sun     11:00am - 5:00pm

Godfreys North Perth has a decent selection of personal and commercial vacuums (bagful, bagless, suction, steam, washers) from good vacuum brands, and vacuum  spare parts and cleaning products.  

I entered this place on a Sunday morning, just because it was open, it is in the North Perth Plaza area and, most importantly, my old vacuum had broken in the middle of my vacuuming! The building and shop are not appealing, ugly looking, and run down. However, after my visit, I really recommend this place.
 
I wasn't looking for a good looking dreamy Dyson (sigh), but for an affordable and good quality small vacuum. A lady called Yolanda made my visit fast and good. She was very matter of fact, she asked me about my budget, size of apartment, use of the vacuum, and what I wanted it for. Then, she pointed to three items that would fit my criteria. I tried two on a carpet there. It took me 10 minutes to buy my new rocket-pocket affordable good-branded vacuum, perfect for me and my apartment. Yolanda also went out her way to help me with the delivery of the vacuum as it was a bit bulky for me to carry. 

GOOD
Good selection of vacuum brands and spare partsGood prices, sales and discounts
Open every day of the week
Knowledgeable caring  staff
They sell spare parts
They do repairs!

SO-SO
The shop is run down and ugly looking
The selection of budget bagless vacuums was small for a place that specialises in vacuums!

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Crystal Eyes (North Perth, Perth WA)

Photo courtesy of Crystal Eyes Website

430 Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9328 2944
Website

Formerly located on Beaufort St, Crystal Eyes is a family owned and operated optometry currently located on Fitzgerald St, just in front of North Perth Plaza, and beside the Red Cross Op Shop. 

There is nothing flashy about this business: small entry, corner location, no window display, small shop, but this is a lovely welcoming business that treats customers with attention and friendliness, and does what it supposed to do without pushing you into buying or ignoring you while you are inside.

The young guys who run the shop do a terrific job at getting your eyes tested, your glasses done, fitted and adjusted, and at fixing and repairing anything that your old glasses might need. Usually, repairs are done on the spot, fast, and at terrific prices.

Pricing of the frames are usually high, with a mix of Australian and European brands, available. They have a stylish mix of colours and styles, but, to be fair, I have found nothing funky here.The edgy shape of the shop might trick your eyes as it looks like the frames on display are very few, but there are many more in the drawers and around the corner. 

Most glasses are ready in a day. However, some transition and special lenses are made interstate and you might have to wait for 10 working days to get them back. They will SMS when you have them ready, though.

I think they do not  sell sunnies, unless they are prescription's, but I am not completely sure!

Service has always been terrific.

They have Hycaps payments available, and they deal with most private health insurance providers.

They need to improve their website and include their opening hours in it. 

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Ecco! Woodfired Pizza (North Perth, Perth WA)

Beside North Perth Plaza
391 Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9227 8020
Website
Hours:
    Mon-Thu 11:00 - 20:00



Located on the left side of the main entrance to the North Perth Plaza, Ecco! is a very small unpretentious restaurant with a lovely alfresco area that is very popular and sought after when the weather is good.

Ecco! is one of those underrated unpretentious real Italian restaurants that specialises in wood-fired pizzas (oil and tomato sauce based) and classics of the Italian Cuisine like tomato-based gnocchi, pasta, lasagna, cannelloni, arancini, and meat dishes, and a few antipasti prepared in the house. This is not a sophisticated new-vogue Italian cuisine, there is no fancy stuff here, just traditional Italian recipes. As the old man told me, "I have no studies, I am no chef, but I can cook Italian food as in the old days". That is a big thumbs up for me. The place is quiet during the day, but it is a regular spot for first and second generation Italians, a fact that always shows that the food served there is authentic.

The Pasta alle Vongole is the best dish I have eaten there, and one the best PALV that I have eaten in Perth in the last years. Pasta al dente, flavoursome, with the right amount of everything. Perfect. And the serving was huge.


On the contrary, the Pappardelle al Ragu were average, not al dente, and lacked a bit in flavour. Very much the so-so thing I prepare at home myself.

Their pizzas I have tried here are very nice and flavoursome, with a thin crisp base, and traditional simple ingredients, and no added sauces. Wood-fired ovens really give the pizza an unique flavour and texture that makes of any pizza a good pizza.
They serve breakfast from Friday to Sunday, and they have a mix of traditional Australian favourites with more Italianized bites. 

The servings of most dishes are really generous, man-sized, and you won't leave hungry. You will probably leave with a doggy bag.  Pizzas are on the medium size, not too big, not to small.

The staff are friendly and attentive. It seems to be a family operated business, with some extra hands at the kitchen. 
 
The place has three main downsides, which, in a way explains why they don't have a larger clientele. The first one is that the place it is a bit Spartan and lacks a bit in character; people love old traditional trattorie, just because of their charm, so they could just give their place the feeling of one of those. Just saying. The second one is that the place is just a BYO. The third one is that the price of some of the pasta dishes is a bit expensive taking into account that the ingredients used in some recipes don't cost much.

Ecco! is not a fancy place, but it is perfect for quiet munchers looking for simple traditional Italian recipes and pizza. 

MIND - They do take-away - Hurrah.

FIX IT - Their website is very minimal and needs a bit of update. There is not reference whatsoever to opening hours. Also, the takeaway menu link corresponds to the fixed menu link, and vice versa. 

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North Perth Plaza (North Perth WA)

391, Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006

The North Perth Plaza has almost everything you might need to do you weekly shopping and help you relax in between errands.

The place is medium sized, small enough to move around easily and get things done fast, but big enough to find almost everything you need during your visit. Indoors, there is a decently-sized Coles, a chemist, an Italian continental deli, a corner cafe, a newsagent, two hair salons (a men's, and a unisex's), a beauty salon, a nail salon, a traditional Chinese massage shop, an office supplies shop, and a travel agent. Outdoors there is a bakery, a bottle shop, an Italian pizzeria, a posh deli cafe, a barber, and and dry-cleaning service.

Most businesses  are very small in size, but there is a sort of community spirit around, and people are very serviceable and extremely friendly except for some exceptions.

The North Perth Plaza is not the sort of shopping mall you go to have a shopping spree or to pamper yourself with something posh, or a foodies joint. This is a place you go to keep you house running and to have some body-fix emergencies done at decent prices.

The place would need a make-over, but, being realistic, if it had it done, it would lose its charm, and  prices would go up. Let it be as it is - a family-style, budget-friendly, all-ages favourite, men-friendly shopping mall.

The toilets are very small, but are usually kept clean. I would certainly refurbish this area before touching anything else.

There mall has two parking areas: a large one facing the bottle-shop, and a tiny one facing the chemist. Isn't that handy?

The North Perth Plaza is in a killer location and has everything you need.. even if you don't find it here. If you don't find something there, you will find it across the car-park or across the street. If you don't like the food around, you can cross the street again or go to the Angove St cafe strip, which is at a 5 minutes walk.

The North Perth Plaza is one of those old-fashioned places that has a charm you don't find in better equipped more modern malls, and better prices as well.

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North Peth Growers Market (North Perth WA)

103 Alma Rd
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9328 3999
Website 
Hours:
     Mon-Sun: 7am-6pm
    Thu, opened until 8pm

The North Perth Growers Market is a mix of veggie shop, Italian Deli and convenience store, all at once. They are located at about 50 metres from the North Perth Plaza, and still open. It takes a lot of good and hard work for a shop like this to survive a shopping plaza with a Coles in it, and doing so for years.  A bow to them.

The place is very well organised. They major in veggies and fruit, but there is an Italian corner with authentic Italian pasta brands and cooking ingredients so you can let  your sexy "casalinga" shine at home, and a nuts and eggs corner, too. Moreover, there is a deli area (with packaged cold meats, cheese and antipasti), an area with potted herbs and other plants (Kale lately), an area with tinned pulses and tomatoes, a corner with reduced produce, and a fridge with basic dairy. There is even a Peter's fridge - A Magnum achievement!

The place is always clean and tidy, and the produce looks always great so well piled and shiny. The mirrors on the wall create a visual trick of abundance, and the shop looks like packed to the rafters with produce. The coloured blackboards are a nice touch, too. They regularly scavenge their produce to get out the old, mushy and the not-so-good-looking stuff and sell it at reduced prices. When you buy full price produce, you get very good good-looking produce. That is how it should be.

I love the fact that, in season, they have always two varieties of each fruit, one very good quality, big in size perfect looking and expensive, and another medium quality not so good looking but cheaper.

Unlike similar shops, the temperature of the shop is great and the refrigeration not too high, so you won't get the cold-burnt veggies you get elsewhere.

Pricing is very good, better than at Coles, and the quality usually better as well, not to speak of the variety of veggies, fruit and herbs they have, and the availability of different prices and qualities. Their deli area is not cheap, but they sell at similar prices you find at IGA.

The guys working there are always lovely, eager to help, and fast with queues.

I cannot give the place five stars because, sometimes, one can find packaged products that have passed the use-by date still on the shelves, and that is always a big no-no with me.

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Clinipath Pathology North Perth (Perth WA)

435 Fitzgerald Street
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9227 6529
Website
Hours:
    Mon-Fri 8 am - 12:30 pm
    Mon-Fri 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Part of the recently opened Fitzgerald Medical Centre, this tiny collection office offers the usual services provided by Clinipath: collection of blood, urine and other biological samples.

The office is attended by a lovely charming chatty lady, who works on her own the whole day, and makes your visit very enjoyable. If I had to rate her services would be five stars.

I cannot give this place more stars because, this lady being alone, the place can run slow in the mornings. The practice was "full" in the early hours of the morning, when fasting samples are collected, and it took me more than 30 minutes to have a simple blood test done despite the waiting room having just 5 people. I came to this collection centre because I thought it would be faster than the one in the city, which is always crowded in the mornings, but it wasn't the case. The place might be empty and things flow later on during the day.

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Pimlott & Strand Café (North Perth, Perth WA) - CLOSED DOWN

Shop 21/391 Fitzgerald St
North Perth, WA 6006 

Ph: 08 9328 5002
Hours:
   Mon-Sat: 08:00 - 18:00
   Sun: 08:00 - 16:00

Website
Facebook

 

Pimlott & Strand is a new addition to the North Perth shopping Plaza. The place has an inner small but polished area with a a long common table, several individual tables, and a long decked table by the window; their alfresco area is quite big and spreads on the upper and lower footpaths. The ambience is relaxed, clean, and modern, with a nice mix of colours. They are an improved version of the old traditional continental deli you find anywhere, but more sophisticated and more expensive. They have a really nice selection of breads, cold meats, cheeses, and oil antipasti, plus a big selection of imported goodies.

Their blend of Bonissimo Coffee is very much my liking. Strong, flavoursome, not bitter. Good! Their ice coffee is also good and very tasty. Their selection of drinks is great, with plenty of flavoured sparkling waters, Bickfords beverages (try the sarsaparilla!) and organic juices to choose from.

 

Their cabinet food has a selection of already-made Italian favourites (arancini, lasagna, frittata, salads, and similar things), and some cooked casseroles, so they have never been appealing to me. I have tried their open sandwich, which was average, their pasta of the day, which was lovely, and the Atlantic Breakfast, which was great. Some of their sweets and savoury tarts are delicious, especially the gluten free macaroons, the tiramisu cup, and the Mediterranean savoury mini-tarts. I have never tried their breakfasts. Their menu of properly cooked food is limited, with classic favourites and Mediterranean ingredients - nothing wow, but nice enough to make you return.

 

Service is always terrific, with very welcoming, friendly, chatty and professional ladies behind the counter. The service was terrific at the beginning, but, unlike other places, their eagerness to please hasn't vanished, and the ladies at Pimlott are consistently delightful no matter how busy they are.

Pimlott & Strand is good place for takeaway coffee, antipasti, imported goodies, sweets and pannini. The relaxed atmosphere, the friendliness of the staff, the convenient location, and a selection of decent hot and cold food options explain why the place keeps a regular amount of patrons of all ages returning regularly.

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Wealthy Nails (Perth WA)

391 Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9227 0545

Wealthy Nails is conveniently located in the corridor leading to the Coles Supermarket at the North Perth Shopping Plaza. I have been going there since they opened. In fact, I was one of their first clients, and they have never failed to do their job properly and do it with friendliness and care. I usually go there for pedicure.

The place is family operated by a hard-working couple and their niece.

The place is simple, not posh, and they offer the usual services of manicure-pedicure, with massage spa chairs, at average prices.

Three main things set them apart from other similar salons.
1/ They treat you as a person
2/ They are extremely friendly and even affectionate.
2/ They do their whole pedicure routine without skipping any step (something that happens quite often elsewhere).

Although bookings are recommended, walk-ins are welcome, especially during weekdays and off-peak hours on Saturdays.

They have specials and discounted prices now and then.

DOWNS
No Efptos available

MIND
They do not open on Sundays

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