The new Freo restaurant that’s like going over to a chef mate’s place for dinner

When Propeller closed its doors in April last year, diners took the news hard. North Fremantle locals grieved the loss of one of their communal living-rooms. Eaters from further afield, meanwhile, suddenly had one fewer serious Middle Eastern dining option to choose from (a chef with Kurt Sampson’s humility and knack for flavour is a once-in-a-generation talent).

While it would be impossible to recreate the magic that made Propeller spin, the restaurant’s site – a former bus garage turned multi-pronged community eatery – will be resurrected over winter as Sidegate, a cosy diner offering comforting food, good drinks and warm service, all at a reasonable price point one might expect from a neighbourhood restaurant.

While the menu will be fluid and change constantly, accessible pricing will be a recurring theme.

According to Siobhan Blumann, co-owner of hospitality group Bread + Circuses (Mrs Brown, Saint Brigid, Mechanics Institute) and her husband Hamish Fleming, a night at Sidegate will feel a bit like going over to a chef mate’s place for dinner, featuring all the deliciousness and warmth of a meal at a flash restaurant, only without the pomp or the price tag. In other words, the kind of dining experience one hopes to find at a community-minded eatery, bar or cafe.

“We’re conscious that Propeller was an important venue for North Freo and that when it shut, it felt like the community lost something,” Blumann said.

“Sidegate is our way to breathe some life back into the space and to get the site ready for its next incarnation. When we reopen, we want to make sure that we get it right. Not just for us, but for the community too.”

In the case of Sidegate, the chef mates in question are Sam Wilson and Deon Jansen: a pair of journeymen chefs who came up at legendary Perth dining room 44 King Street. After stints in London and Melbourne where they were both employed as head chefs in various venues, the duo are back plying their trade in Perth.

For Sidegate, they’ll be cooking a blackboard menu featuring the kind of big-hitting coastal Mediterranean flavours that the duo enjoy eating. Think anchovy toasts with whipped ricotta, flatbreads primed with black garlic butter freighting curls of mortadella, or fried goat’s cheese with beetroots and the almond and walnut sauce known as salsa agresto.

While the menu will be fluid and change constantly, accessible pricing will be a recurring theme (the opening menu tops out at $31 for the lamb shoulder and hot sauce main course). The short drinks list has also been assembled with affordability front and centre, the most expensive glass on the list being $13.

Smaller, tighter menus aren’t the only difference Propeller regulars may notice. The pop-up is only taking place in the former garage space next to the open kitchen, so entry is through the side gate (hence the name) on Harvest Road rather than the Queen Victoria Street entrance. Smaller spaces, of course, equals smaller capacity. Sidegate will be able to feed and water up to 45 guests at a time. Bookings, thankfully, are available online with guests able to book tables up to two weeks out.

Sidegate (222 Queen Victoria Street, North Fremantle) is open 5pm-late, Thursday-Saturday.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.