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A number of talented chefs have recently returned to Perth from overseas, bringing international trends, abilities, and standards with them. This influence, coupled with a healthy push for seasonal, local produce, has given the Perth dining scene an exciting shot in the arm. Throughout the young city's history, waves of immigrants from Italy, the former Yugoslavia, and Asia have also delivered cultural authenticity to the more traditional eateries. A British handover, fish-and-chips, remains one of the beach-going state’s favorite picnic meals.
Expect to find Western Australian wines on the wine list when dining in most licensed restaurants in Perth and, of course, in the Margaret River wine region, where first-class food is matched with highly regarded vino.
Many restaurants and cafés have alfresco dining. Tips aren't expected, but an extra 10% for exceptional service is welcome, particularly since Perth suffers from a sometimes justified reputation for below-par service.
Tucked away on the fringes of the Busselton central business district, this popular family-owned Mediterranean-inspired eatery is much loved for its rich pasta dishes, thin-crust pizzas, and soul-comforting, slow-cooked favorites like beef bourguignon and coq au vin. Before you get overexcited and order everything on the menu, remember to leave room for dessert—like dream-worthy chocolate mousse and tiramisu.
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.
Since 1948, the bakers at the Augusta Bakery have been seducing unsuspecting visitors with its sweetness in the way of tasty breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, and sausage rolls. You can grab a premade sandwich and treat to go, or sit in the café's modest dining room with lovely views of the Blackwood River and daily lunch specials.
It began as a food truck in 2015 with a cultlike following but now Burger Bones has a permanent diner in central Busselton. If hamburgers are your desire, this burger joint will certainly over-deliver. Their small dedicated team work together four days a week and it's worth planning your entire trip around their opening hours.
After a day at the beach, stop at the Eagle Bay Brewing Co. to grab a six-beer tasting flight so you can sample the company's many craft creations, then have a ball seeing which ones best complement your lunch. The food is pure gastropub in a casual yet upscale setting with an alfresco dining area that overlooks rolling, green pastures that stretch towards the sea.
In the heart of the settlement is the island's only pizzeria and cocktail bar. Sit on the deck surrounded by fig trees and munch on hand-stretched pizza, yummy pasta, and healthy salads. Frankie's on Rotto is family-owned (and named after the owners' son) and family-friendly with a kids' menu from 11 am. They also do breakfast in summer 8--11 am. Delivery is available on weekends. Tip: Watch the crows, they will try to steal your meal.
It begins as temptation as your senses are teased by the smells wafting from the open kitchen. Rosemary, chili, oregano, olive oil, and tomato scents will drive you crazy until your own meal lands in front of you. And then, bliss. This modern Italian eatery rivals any classic, and there are plenty in Fremantle. Italians have been ruling the roost for decades, so much that there's been a push to dub the port city, Little Italy. La Sosta offers a buzzy atmosphere while serving creative pasta dishes that will leave you wanting more. Start with the focaccia and leave room for dessert---the tiramisu is calling your name.
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.
You'll know this clean-living café by the retro bikes stacked out front next to the potted garden, the eclectic mix of people, and music that often streams from the doorway. The health-conscious food here is as tasty as the vibe is charming, and you can expect organic eggs, nitrate-free bacon with sides of chickpeas or spinach, and coffee alternatives like beetroot lattes and chai tea.
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.
Locally famous for freshly made pastries and decent coffee, this central bakery does a roaring trade every day of the week. It may be the tasty treats that get people through the door, but it's the cute little quokkas on the deck who encourage patrons to stay awhile.
Quokkas are extremely friendly, but it is a fineable offense to feed them.
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.
To call someone a “good egg” is a high compliment in Australia and it's a fitting name for this busy, modern café that opened its doors in 2018. With amazing coffee, a delicious, healthy menu, a kids' play area, and gift shop all housed in a two-story, modern, industrial-style setting, this is the place to be for Sunday morning brunch.
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.
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