Ootong & Lincoln

Having been to Ootong & Lincoln a few times now, I can safely say that this place will always have a spot on my list of South Fremantle favourites. This place doesn’t conform to the café ‘standard’, if there is even such a thing. with its own unique personality, mismatched furniture and the colourful zebra mural, it’s easy to see what attracts the crowd.
It’s counter service here, so don’t forget to grab your cutlery on the way to your table to avoid making a second trip. Breakfast is served all the way until 1pm, so if you’re anything like me and you dread the mornings, worry not! The counter and wait staff are friendly and attentive so don’t hesitate to ask if you’re unsure of anything.
I ordered the Prawn & Zucchini Spaghetti with a Lychee Slushy. Some might say that’s a strange combination, but I thought they worked well together. The slushy had just the right amount of lychee and watermelon, and with a hint of mint, it was perfect for the warm summer’s day that it was. The spaghetti had a little more citrus than I would’ve liked, but really quite a non issue.
There’s seating available both inside and outside, so regardless of your preference, you’ll find a spot right for you. Located just a short walk from Marine Terrace and within a somewhat residential area, this place is great for catchups with friends and a spot of people watching.

I don’t know which neon zebra is Ootong & which one is Lincoln but they both serve excellent coffee. Stroll across the café floor up to the counter & order yourself a big delicious breakfast & fresh juice. Then grab a seat outside with the puppies, their owners & their owners’ carefully manicured beards. Shortly, the friendly staff will bring your morning meal & it’ll be like winning a prize at a hipster auction. Marvel at the gloriousness that is South Beach in the summer. God, life is hard sometimes

Ootong & Lincoln encapsulates everything that I associate with South Fremantle: laid-​back beach vibes, organic and sustainable food, eclectic furnishings, friendly staff and fantastic local coffee. It’s been a few years since my first visit but I’ll happily admit that I’ve become a regular, both for casual coffee afternoons (accompanied by my laptop) and lunchtime meet ups with friends.
In terms of food, Ootong’s menu has (understandably) had a few reincarnations since it’s maiden days in 2011. I used to always order their lentil burger with a nutty dukkah crust and crisp-​fried halloumi but alas, it seems to have disappeared. I’m now more likely to order from their delicious display of fresh, healthy lunchtime salads or, for breakfast, I’ll choose the generous avo smash (or ‘smush’ as they call it) on linseed toast. So good. Habits start for a reason!
The chefs at Ootong make all of their own jams, chutneys and mueslis, some of which are sold in the café ‘larder’, ‘Ootong To Go’. Their situation down the road from Manna wholefoods and Abhi’s bread definitely makes it tempting to spend the whole afternoon stocking up on organic whole food groceries and… well, why not? Its South Freo after all.

Came for breakfast and enjoyed the spinach and quinoa soda bread, topped with poached eggs, tomatoes, labne, peas and a slightly incongruous slice of roasted pumpkin. Nice to have some out of the ordinary options on the menu though. Coffees good and service very polite and swift. The place is dog and bike friendly and has a nice ambience.

Great place for breakfast on a Sunday after a beach walk. Had the potato cake with smoked salmon which me and 2 other friends had… we all agreed it could’ve been a bit bigger for the price.
The pancakes were delicious and a great way to top off the meal. We all loved the retro feel and everyone was friendly and attentive.

Super chilled, retro vibe, relaxed — great for afternoon catchups or breakfasts.
The staff are friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere is really awesome with vintage bikes and other recycled items floating all around the venue.
The food is great although portion size is small for the price. I had the mushroom bruschetta and the blueberry banoffee pancakes — flavour was fantastic, but the pancakes were a little heavy/​not fluffy (I am a pancake snob!)

First time visit to Ootang & Lincoln for a quick coffee with a girlfriend on a Sunday afternoon. Great, laid back venue and tasty coffee :)
somewhere on here it said on «the strip» which is a little bit of an exaggeration since it is down the south end of South Terrace but nice to be a little off the beaten track in Freo as there is ample street parking and its not so crazy with tourists!

Buzzing with people on a Sunday for breakfast. There is a very relaxed vibe once you enter Ootong and Lincoln. This may have something to do with the very simplistic décor and random bicycles on the walls, but I love it!
I was with a number of friends and it was nice to see a lovely wooden table what could accommodate the 10 or so with us.
I think we ordered nearly everything on the menu! From the bircher museli, chai chocoloate pancakes, big breakfast, potato cakes, grilled mushroom polenta, white maze porridge, smushed avocado and smoked salmon beetroot and haloumi rosti! Prices ranged from $ 12.50-$ 23.
I had the hard task of trying everyone’s meal to successfully write this review (tough life, I know!)
I loved every single dish! The pancakes had a great crisp to the edges with soft fluffy centre– my only issue was that it got quite sweet to try finish. All other dishes were spot on! Presentation, taste, texture and fun was seen in each and every dish.
I would highly recommend this place. I only give it ⁴⁄₅ due to them forgetting about my coffee order!

Breakfast at Ootong and Lincoln and after a walk along a stormy beach was s no brainer.
The menu is varied as is the crowd and seating. Craving something healthy i chose smoked salmon and veetroot rosti with poached eggs and kale sprinkled with hollendaise sauce and crushed pepita. $ 21.5 Delicious and would recommend it. Ive never had a bad meal here whatever i choose. Then looking at the board with dinner menu on I thought 2 things.. must come here for beefcheek pappadelle and since when was dinner cheaper than the breakfast menu.

Is there anything better than snuggling up on a couch on a beautiful Freo day with a bestie you haven’t seen in forever?! Yes there is, that couch could be at Ootong &Lincoln! My favourite spot in south freo to get a good slab of cake, a pot on Chai tea and in my opinion the best proof of a good café, fresh cream! None of that cheap crap from a can, lovely fresh double cream with your cake. Love the casual, organic freo vibe. If you can grab a seat here its always worth it!

Living in Ellenbrook means that I don’t go to Fremantle very often these days; it’s not actually that far, it’s just that there are so many places closer to home that they usually end up moving in front of everything south. This Saturday I was spending the day in Fremantle, so decided to head there early for breakfast and headed to Ootong & Lincoln. I arrived just after 7:30 to find it already busy — thankfully there’s plenty of seating, including some large communal tables and I managed to hide in a corner.
Coffee is from Perth-​based Crema Gourmet Coffee Roasters, and my long mac was spot on. There is a separate counter at the front of the café for takeaway coffees, which is a clever idea and must make a lot of customers happy.
I chose the omelette with chorizo, manchego, red pepper jam, rocket & focaccia ($ 16.50) and added a potato cake ($ 4). Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this dish. The omelette itself was heavy and dry, and while the chorizo seemed to be incorporated into the egg, the rocket and red pepper jam (tastiest thing on the plate) were separated inside, and I was a third of the way through before I worked this out. I never actually found the cheese. The odd serving of focaccia was way too small, and the tiny potato cake way too expensive at $ 4.
It’s hard to judge anywhere by one dish, although on the whole I was underwhelmed by my experience at Ootong & Lincoln. Given the number of obviously happy customers I’m willing to accept that maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, but I’ll be trying somewhere else on my list the next time I’m in Fremantle.

Not usually into the organic movement but my hubby to be is. We dropped in for a late lunch and realised we should have come alot earlier, what was left was an array of packaged but freshly made that day meals and sandwiches. My partner got the sushi platter and I, a grainy chicken lots of green stuff roll. A smoothie for him and lemonade for me. Well i tell you what that green stuff on the grainy roll superb! Someone really knows flavours in there and the smoothie amazing little let down by sushi plate but still my partners grin at my consumption if all things green priceless…

Typical Freo alternative place without the stuck up alternative vibe.
Relaxed, retro, chilled vibe with delicious food.
Heard lots about this place, finally went on Sunday for lunch with friends. Could have quite easily spent the rest of the afternoon here.
Breakfast is served til 1pm and has a large varied menu with more than the usual boring breakfast fare. Think Grilled Mushroom Polenta with Poached Eggs and Kale.
Coffee lovers — you can order a cup of their delicious joe at a kiosk near the entrance to avoid having to queue at the main area.
For lunch I was tossing up between the Soft Shell Crab with Asian Paw-​Paw Salad ($ 23) or the Tuna Pattie with Kasundi and a choice of side salad (17). I went with the latter — delish and a good sized portion.
Friends had the Lentil Pattie with salad and the Chicken Baguette — both winners if the silence that descended on the table when the food arrived is anything to go by. There is also a fridge full of take home goodies you can buy — family size lasagnes, salads, Vietnamese rice paper rolls and a selection of ice creams.
There are arm chairs and couches for you to chill on if you dont want to perch at one of the many tables inside and out.

Ootong & Lincoln provided me with the most interesting meal I had while in Perth and Fremantle. After a lot of bland Australian eating, the meal here was exactly what I needed. The restaurant itself was absolutely packed to capacity. There were people standing around waiting for tables to open. This may have been due to it’s popularity or it may have been because I visited this place on Western Australia Day. Either way, every 20-​something year old hipster in Fremantle seemed to be queued out front of this place for a table or carry out.
Once inside, we ordered at the counter and found a seat. I went with the asian chicken burger and it was very interesting. Chicken burger with asian spices and vegetables on a bao bun. It was also served with kimchi slaw on the side. The only downside was that it was served on a wooden board. This isn’t a reason to knock this restaurant down — I am just tired of the wooden board trend.
Overall, Ootong & Lincoln was a great place for lunch in South Fremantle. The restaurant was packed with people and had lots of character. The food was good and the price was comparable to most other casual dining places in the area. If you want to stop in, just look for the crowd and the colorful zebra painting on the outside wall.

Coffee is always on point at Oootong and Lincoln. My Soy Flat White was made with love (and featured a super cute heart on top) and the smooth blend was so easy to drink. They have both cup and mug options for whatever amount of caffeine you require. The juice menu was also very tempting (think Lychee and Elderflower concoctions) so I already know what I’ll be ordering next visit!
I went with the Salmon Potato Cake stack with hollandaise sauce, poached egg and wilted spinach. The fresh flavours were exactly what I needed on this warm day. The salmon was strong and tasty and worked well with the simple poached egg. The potato cake was thick and smooth, and the dish came together with a generous serving of delicious home made hollandaise.

I like Ootong&Lincoln, and am also a fan of their sister restaurant Lenny the Ox on Wray Ave. Both cafes serve very similar food, but O&L has a really lovely funky spacious interior with all sorts of different places to sit that I really like. Their coffees and sandwiches are quite nice, but I’ve found their cakes a bit dry sometimes. Good spot for a coffee date. :-)

When we arrived, the café was quite full but we managed to find ourselves a table. Ootong & Lincoln is a hip and quirky café with its mismatched vintage furniture and interior.
For the drinks, I ordered the Green Smoothie ($ 9.50) consisting of apple, lemon, green leaves, kiwi fruit, banana and chia seeds. It was a very yummy and healthy smoothie. The Green Smoothie will definitely make a great post-​workout smoothie after working hard at the gym or having a good, long run.
As we did not make in on time for breakfast, Ootong & Lincoln was serving lunch and we decided to order some small dishes to share. We ordered the Beef and Mushroom Pie ($ 9), Sausage roll ($ 9) and Smoked Ham and Lentil Soup ($ 12). The Beef and Mushroom Pie arrived warm. It was delicious and the beef was soft and tender. The pastry was also cooked perfectly. The sausage roll was generous in slice and it was also very tasty. There was a good amount of mince meat in the sausage roll.
The Smoked Ham and Lentil Soup was generous in portion as it arrived in a large bowl with bread which was already broken into half. The soup was full of flavour and hearty which makes a perfect winter dish on a cold, rainy day to keep warm.
After having a taste of each of the dishes, I was actually feeling quite full. Luckily, I still have room for cakes and coffee! To finish off a hearty lunch, we ordered the Orange and Almond cake ($ 7) and the Strawberry, Coconut and Almond cake ($ 7). Both cakes were very good. It was not overly sweet and the cake has a soft texture to it. The cream also compliments the cakes very well.
Overall, we enjoyed our brunch at Ootong & Lincoln and thought that the meals were hearty and generous in portion. We will definitely be back in the future to Ootong & Lincoln if we happen to be around Fremantle or to try their breakfast one day.

This is one of those places whose reputation precedes it. Quirky interiors, reasonable coffee and interesting food offerings make for a hipster heaven. Of course, it’s in Freo.
It’s a struggle to get a table for a weekend brunch, but patience would likely pay off — there seemed to be a high turnover of tables.
The coffee was small for the price, but tasted good, while the food was tasty and as described on the menu. We waited a little while for the drinks, but food was out within a reasonable time. Service was no problem.
High chairs and toys are available for kids — definitely a family friendly spot. Cyclists also seem to favour sitting out the front.
Parking is an issue at times, and there’s a 15% surcharge on public holidays.
I would come again, but wouldn’t wait around for a table. There are plenty of equally great places nearby.

Ootong & Lincoln is a bustling café on South Terrace about 5 minutes away from the Freo cappuccino strip. On the outside wall there is a massive Anya Brock mural of two very colourful zebras announcing this quirky cafés location. O&L has a small outdoor seating area where dogs are welcome and people sit around in the morning sun in Havaianas. Inside is a sprawling dimly lit dining area with all sorts of manners of decorations adorning the walls from motorbike helmet lightbulbs to a motley arrangement of spoons randomly splattered on the walls.
O&L has so much charm and is such a relaxed joint that if someone blindfolded you on the way there as soon as you opened your eyes you would just know you were in Freo. The staff are friendly without being pushy and all service is at the counter, which can be a pain as you can literally be lining up outside the door just to order. However, there is a separate takeaway coffee counter which is a well-​needed touch. All cutlery is also self-​service which can sometimes lead to awkward situations where you may have to eat pancakes with just a spoon if you’re like me and too lazy to ask a staff member for a fork.
The food however at O&L is out of this world. They sure know how to serve breakfast. The chocolate-​chai pancakes with sour cherries, double cream and chocolate soul are like nothing I’ve ever tasted and for $ 16.50 these bad boys were a steal. The flavour combination is immense which makes you really miserable when you realise that sometime soon this meal is going to have to end. The porridge with pecans and rhubarb was also a big hit with my dining partners and I can assure they are porridge connoisseurs. The coffee at O&L was very average without too much of a kick but drinkable nonetheless.
An unusual feature of O&L is the noise level inside, you literally have to scream to each other if you want to talk. Many people find this as a negative but I must admit I think it adds to the atmosphere of a place and there is a certain charm about screaming to your neighbours about how you think you should add more chocolate soil to your meals.
All in all, if you ever find yourself on South Terrace, I dare you to walk past Ootong & Lincoln and try not to regret it 5 minutes later. This place is a real local gem and has to be experienced by any Unilocaler with an appreciation for a damn fine bit of brekky.

Very laid back and funky Freo style café, open from 6:30 am to 5 pm. Loats of seating, but gets very busy in weekends around breakfast and lunch time. So come early or late.
Coffee is excellent, we love the pies and tuna patties with salad for lunch. Juices are great too, fresh and served in small jugs.
Service can be slow, today we finished our coffee easily before the banana bread arrived!
Child and dog friendly, we have looked forward to coming back here after two years away, but are afraid the drop in service might indicate the Lonely Planet disease (victim of its own success).
Will I come back, absolutely. As often as I used to? Probably not, it is just too busy!