What happens when you combine the ideal site, great coffee and tasty treats with just the right amount of quirkiness? Well, you get Mo Espresso, an espresso bar located on the upper level of the Perth’s iconic Trinity Arcade. Run by retailers and father/son duo, Neil and Zac Barrett, the café combines all those elements in space created to ‘share coffee with friends’. Passionate coffee drinkers, this duo may come from a retail background but they always had the vision to combine their retail knowledge and experience with coffee.
Several things inspired the Mo concept as it developed over the years, one of the strongest being the idea of the ‘mo’ you can get from drinking a coffee. The British comedy action movie Hot Fuzz was influential in this, with specific ideas coming from the scene at the bar containing the statement, ’You’ve got a (Mo)ustache!’ and the iconic reply, ‘I know.’
The ‘Mo’ concept flows nicely throughout their beautiful interior design and my favourite pieces are the Mo Cake lollipop and the Mo stools. (‘Come to Mo and sit on the Mo!’)
Their second generation Synesso Hydra sits proudly on the bench alongside two Mazzer grinders. The Crompton Road blend was adopted by their customers as their blend of choice which does not surprise me as its profile is a real crowd pleaser, being buttery and sweet with notes of crême caramel and milk chocolate. On the second grinder, Zac likes to keep things interesting by showcasing blends with different profiles, single origins and backroom programme lots.
The filter bar is quickly gaining followers, featuring as it does some really great coffees prepared using one of my favorite filter methods, the Aeropress. And slow, cold brewed coffee will be on the menu just in time for summer — so stay tuned!
The place also offers a carefully selected range of tasty treats to complement the coffee, ranging from sweet muffins, macaroons and French pastries to the best of them all, the Mighty-Mo, which is a home-made toasted sandwich. I tried the corned beef, Swiss cheese and relish while sipping on a Sumatran Simalungun espresso.
Mo Espresso brings great coffee and tasty food to the coffee scene and it’s all served in a unique and relaxed atmosphere. It really doesn’t feel like a coffee business, but more like a friend’s home. The welcome is always warm and inviting, and the guys are always up for a chat. So if Neil and Zac’s goal was to create a place to ‘share coffee with friends,’ I can assume those guys are our best mates!
Mo Espresso
Trinity Arcade
Hay St
Perth, Western Australia
Opening hours
Monday — Fridays 7:00 — 15:00
Saturdays 9:00 *mdash; 13:00
