15 Best Restaurants in Western Australia, Australia

The newest kid on the Margaret River block, boutique winery Arimia Estate has a charming, tree-surrounded cellar door and restaurant with a wraparound veranda perfect for lazy afternoons. Make a beeline for the deck, and stay for a light lunch after sampling their award-winning wines. Savor the delicious pork shoulder rillette, before moving on to marinated cuttlefish with saffron dressing, braised goat ragout with gnocchi and chèvre, or a wood-fired pizza. Kids' meals are also available. Family-owned and -run since 1997 (the name Arimia is a combination of the owners' two daughter's names), the wines are described as “avant-garde” and aimed at the refined palette, categorized as Premium, Prestige, and Reserve. If you want to properly settle in, there's a guesthouse on-site. Don't be put off by the 2-km (1-mile) dirt road; it's well kept.

Bunbury's dining scene is charging forward, and leading the way is Market Eating House. Head chef and owner, Brenton creates a menu jam-packed with delicious shareable foods cooked on the custom-made charcoal grill and wood-fired oven all within open view. Think Turkish lamb dumplings, goat cheese churros, and crayfish sliders. The industrial decor, busy, but joyful vibe, tantalizing smells wafting in the air, and attentive service may just inspire you to go back a second night. Definitely start with the market hummus and flatbread.

An all-day dining menu and a killer location overlooking Pinky Beach and Bathurst Lighthouse make this restaurant and bar at Discovery Rottnest Island a surefire way to fuel your body and take in the scenery. The contemporary menu changes with the seasons but you can expect tasty seafood, juicy burgers, and creative vegetarian options. There's ample outdoor seating with plenty of room for the kids to play and there's even a kids' menu. 

For the most refined food in town, head to Print Hall, a classy, perennially packed restaurant in a city-center heritage building. It wows with dishes like snow crab with kaffir lime, camel tartare with wattle seed and wild sorrel, and pan-roasted ocean trout with octopus and white anchovy, all served with house-baked bread. The latter comes from Small Print, a separate, casual café downstairs. The A$110 degustation is popular, or there's a bar section with a more casual and moderately priced menu. Service is polished, the wine list is smashing and satisfaction is all but guaranteed. Many come solely for the sexy bar with high ceilings, backed by a vertical fern garden.

Located in Parmelia Hilton Perth, this elegant restaurant and bar serves top-quality seasonal fare from their State-to-Plate tapas menu. With sharing in mind, plates come in small, medium, and large portions and range from ciabatta with smoked butter and saltbush to Fremantle octopus to roasted pumpkin with fermented black garlic. Breakfast includes an à la carte menu or go for the all-you-can-eat buffet featuring a selection of hot and cold favorites like eggs made-to-order, bacon, sausages, Swiss muesli, pastries and a make-your-own pancake maker.

This boutique bar in the heart of Busselton is a favorite spot among locals for its stylish reinvention of the town's former fire station, and, of course, its eclectic menu and flowing taps and wine barrels. Dine in beside the buzzing bar, under the low-hanging mood lighting, or outside in the garden courtyard where you'll be closer to the sounds of the solo singers and small bands who perform regularly.

Few eateries have a backstory that includes a brick-by-brick relocation of its Heritage-listed Federation-style building, but The Island has just such a story and honors it with framed photos of the 1920s building throughout the restaurant. This ideally located Perth icon has character, charm, and a contemporary menu, as well as several dining options, including a 110-seat dockside alfresco bar selling wood-fired pizza. 

It started as a hole-in-the-wall toasted sandwich cave tucked away in Grand Lane with cultlike status. Although the original location belongs to another business, Toastface is still grillin' daily and has grown to include five locations (and counting) around Perth, Fremantle, and Margaret River. Pop in for a sandwich on the go and a takeaway coffee from Micrology Coffee Roasters. 

If you're into boozy craft beer and gourmet pub food, do not miss lunch at this family-owned brewery restaurant. Wild Hop Brewery opened in February 2019 and they haven't missed a beat since. Brewmasters Chalky and Dillon are always coming up with unique blends and hoppy creations with unusual and humorous names to boot. Popular mainstay brews include Short Shorts Czech Pilsner and Lazy Answers Pale Ale. On the food menu, you'll find familiar American favorites such as deep-fried dill pickles and Brewer's Buns with inspired flavors like chilli dog or Philly cheese steak. 

Appealing to the glitzy, moneyed, cosmetically conscious crowd in Perth, this is the "it spot" on Friday when rollicking long lunches can extend well past sunset, making it challenging to get a table—unless you book in advance. The views are as good as the people-watching, and though the classic food is expensive, it's beautifully executed.

This blindingly white, fortlike property was once the official summer residence for the governors of Western Australia but today it's decked out in Astroturf and bench seats as the island's social hub. Since the addition of the Samphire Rottnest resort, Hotel Rottnest no longer offers guest rooms. But it will live on as everyone's favourite pub and restaurant with epic views of Thomson Bay. The popular main bar is open all day and serves bistro-style meals along with craft beers, cocktails, and wine. 

Just off Smiths Beach is the chic eatery-cum-delicatessan-cum–cellar door, Lamont's. It does a fantastic breakfast—think cured salmon with scrambled eggs—and is popular for "sundowners," which is the local description for a glass of wine at sunset, often with tapas. Café lunches are lovely and simple, but more refined options are available in the restaurant. From noon till late, dine on sage and prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast with whipped feta; confit duck leg drizzled with vino cotto jus; or grilled local snapper with a side of organic quinoa salad. Executive chef Kate Lamont is CEO and ambassador for Lamont's (check out her cookbooks). You're welcome to pop in for wine tasting at the adjoined wine store and deli without eating at the restaurant.

Take shelter from the warm sea breeze, winter winds, or just a busy day at this award-winning mammoth brewery restaurant situated on the Busselton foreshore. With views for miles that include the town's famous jetty and the Indian Ocean, popping in for a beer or two will certainly turn into ordering wood-fired pizza and plans to return in the morning for coffee and bagels.

This upscale restaurant has impressive modern architecture, from big windows to a wraparound deck that offers uninterrupted views of the vineyard. The seasonal menu, inspired by local produce, may include favorites like local marron and slow-braised lamb shoulder.

There's an adjacent café with an enclosed children's playground and an appropriate, cheaper menu that caters to kids but still scores on the flavor scale in a casual setting.

Verdant bushland, manicured vineyards and expansive views all the way down to Geographe Bay are show-stopping features of this modern restaurant. Expect the unexpected and be pleasantly surprised by culinary creations that change with the turning of each season. In keeping, the accent is on the use of fresh, local produce. Look out for house-cured salmon, crunchy edged pork belly with creamed truffle potatoes, or the Amelia Park lamb rack with polenta and pine nuts. The extensive dessert menu is just as appealing, so leave room for sweets. On Friday night, pasta and risotto dishes are featured.