Charismatic Fremantle dances to the beat of its own drum, weaving together a rich tapestry of flavours and cultural encounters. We’ll be extending our coverage of the Port City this year with razor sharp focus, but for now, here’s a must-visit list to get you started.
Wander Fremantle’s cobblestone paths and winding streets, and the sights and scents of myriad eateries line the route. From the freshest catches of the day to menus that defy convention and cocktail artistry that mesmerises, Fremantle beckons food enthusiasts with open arms and an open palate.
Today, this coastal enclave stands proudly as one of Australia’s most quality high-density dining destinations, thanks to an influx of exceptional talent and brave new operators.
Madalena’s, the beachside boteco on Fremantle’s southern shores is a case in point. Nestled within its sunny confines, the combination of front of house – meets a hot bed of talent in the kitchen had it crowned the WA Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year for 2024; Chef Adam Rees masterfully cooks and cures the ocean’s treasures alongside the talents of Yu Hung Cheng, who began cooking in 2017 and took home the newest WAGFG award for 2024, the Austral Young Chef of the Sea.
At Nieuw Ruin, the culinary finesse of Blaze Young, our Young Chef of the Year for 2023, takes centre stage. Here, in this restored heritage cottage that’s lined floor to ceiling with low-intervention wines, Young showcases her talent, reimagining classic dishes with a contemporary twist.
Ethos Deli + Dining Room
Perfect for Daytime Dining
Ethos Deli + Dining Room
Ethos Deli + Dining Room is about many things, from Melissa Palinkas and Susan Whelan’s love of New York deli culture to the Hungarian and German elements of Palinkas’ family tree. All have common threads, but Ethos doesn’t aim to replicate anything to the letter, and works on that basis. Rather, it’s soulful, with a simplicity that’s actually not that simple.
…throughout the menu it’s clear the commitment that Palinkas and Whelan show to reducing waste.
Matzo ball soup, a rarity in WA, could sell itself on its flavour-packed chicken broth alone, let alone wholesome dumplings – it’s so hearty it’s almost medicinal. Wagyu steak with rich Diane sauce and heaped local mushrooms may err to chefiness with the meat selection, but it’s high on nostalgic feels and again has that comfort factor. Perhaps more credited to Whelan, there’s an equally strong and coherent wine list. The fact that you can explore that alongside a soft bagel with kingfish rather than increasingly unsustainable salmon adds again to the low-key quality of the place, and throughout the menu, it’s clear the commitment that Palinkas and Whelan show to reducing waste. To seal the deal? Good cake by the slice, to eat in or to go.
88 George Street, East Fremantle ethosdeli.com.au
Peggy’s
Among Fremantle’s eclectic dining scene, it seems fitting that a retro sandwich bar has gained serious cred among locals amid a slew of high-end restaurants and bars. The whitewashed corner shop has become an early-morning hub, with queues forming for the oozing four-cheese toastie, dusted in umami kimchi salt, or English muffins stuffed with sausage, egg and cheese.
Expect to be greeted on arrival and walked through the menu plus specials.
Bread is no afterthought here, with sesame-seed subs and a signature Italian-herb sourdough focaccia made on-site. Come lunch, that focaccia serves as the base for the BLT, which perfectly pairs smoky bacon with the freshness of tomato, lettuce, and a generous spread of herby dill mayo. Keeping a good thing going, chef Harry Peasnell (an alumnus of Andrew McConnell’s acclaimed Melbourne kitchens) uses the same delicious mayo on the Schnitty, the sauce a creamy base for panko-crumbed chicken, cheddar and iceberg lettuce.
As much as Peggy’s shows a commitment to flavour, it also shows it with service. Expect to be greeted on arrival and walked through the menu plus specials. A caveat? Things sell out, so turning up late means you might miss your pick. Simple? Sure, but very effective.
35 Market Street, Fremantle eatpeggys.com
Suku
Suku
They don’t take bookings. They aren’t open every day. The menu is barely more than a handful of items long. And you’d better put it on your must-do list next time you’re in Freo. Suku is the Indonesian diner you need in your life. Sure, it looks like most of the other diners in Fremantle’s casual dining FOMO quarter are reminiscent of coffee houses in most modern South East Asian nations. But it’s the beef rendang curry – deep, dark, mysteriously earthy, redolent of roasted coconut and rich with spice – that’ll have you wooed.
Suku is the Indonesian diner you need to try, even once in your life.
Or the gado gado, the classic peanut salad with egg, tofu, bean sprouts and potato, enlivened with Suku’s own sambal. Or it could be the Nasi Bali with pulled chicken, peanuts and egg, made snappy with chicken “crackling”. Perch at the stools overlooking the kitchen and take the sting out of the minced chicken sate that you slathered with just a bit too much sambal matah by finishing with nutty and earthy flavoured black sticky rice, laced with coconut cream.
28 William Street, Fremantle sukufreo.com
Bread in Common
Fremantle’s Best Group Dining
Bread in Common
It’s easy to forget how impressive Bread in Common’s converted warehouse setting is. It’s a sea of perfectly set communal tables, walls lined with wine, and tables stacked with Coogee Common produce. The house bread is an essential start; dip it in unctuous lamb gravy for double the pleasure. Beyond the bread, the seasonal sharing menu changes often, and while repeat diners may go for mainstays such as the lamb ribs (with good reason), exploration is strongly encouraged.
The house-bread is an essential start; dip it in unctuous lamb gravy for double the pleasure.
Sichuan chicken with bok choy is an umami-laden masterclass in balance. Baby peppers with whipped feta make a refreshing, almost palate-cleansing dish. The sweet potato, persimmon, macadamia, and spinach lack a little salt but remain an inspired combination.
The lunch-only steak sandwich, with deeply caramelised onions and provolone, should only be shared in an emergency; the same goes for the bread and butter pudding swimming in a drinkably rich caramel, topped with clever burnt-toast ice cream. The wine list, meanwhile, is well-considered, the by-the-glass scrawled on blackboards and poured by staff eager to share a recommendation.
43 Pakenham Street, Fremantle breadincommon.com.au
Young George
Young George
Young George envelops diners in warmth, not just from the wood-fired oven but also with the polished wooden floors, tables, chairs and service. There are a few ways to go here, with groups cosying up under the light of the neon signage in the front window for a hearty meal, or playing barfly with drinks and snacks. Melissa Palinkas sure has a way with them too, the beef chop chop tartare, which ties together clean-tasting raw beef with salsa fresca, crema and tostadas for scooping, is a staple, as is the “ramen-fried” chicken stuffed onto a milk bun with Caesar mayonnaise – they could open a drive-through just for this alone and it’d do good service.
Young George envelops diners in warmth, not just from the wood-fired oven but also with the polished wooden floors, tables, chairs and service.
But there’s more to keep you intrigued; the main courses are generous and think outside the box – wood-fired octopus comes chopped and tossed with chorizo and fregola, rather than as an oh-so-trendy whole charred tentacle, with fennel bringing freshness. Bright-fleshed Prince of Orange potatoes come fried with truffle aioli, and are rightly crunchy on the outside, fluffy in the centre. Wine speaks to Palinkas’ lo-fi sensibilities, and service is friendly above all to please a local crowd, who count themselves lucky to have Young George on their corner and, surely, Palinkas’ other venture, Ethos Deli + Dining Room, just down the road, too.
48 George Street, East Fremantle younggeorge.com.au
La Cabaña
La Cabaña
La Cabaña is the neighbourhood joint we all wish we had down the road. Walk-in only, it’s a leafy, colourful spot for an impromptu afternoon with friends where drinks quickly turn into dinner and a long night in the chilled surrounds of the patio.
A braised beef brisket version with white-onion salsa and pâté – which takes the place of chocolate mole – is a quirky riff on a classic.
Staff are welcoming, fast and chatty, and the coastal Mexican-inspired food comes out quickly once ordered from the kitchen. When dishes land, they’re vibrant and vegetable-laden, with an even spread of locally caught seafood and meat options. Char-grilled corn cobbettes are sweet, salty, and smoky all at once, while the spice-braised eggplant tostada is sweetened by toasted coconut and crunch from snake beans.
A braised beef brisket version with white onion salsa and pâté – which takes the place of chocolate mole – is a quirky riff on a classic. Tortillas, meanwhile, are pliant and fresh and make sound bases for crowd-pleasing tacos. Local wines are chosen for their aromatics and pair with the spice on the menu, but cocktails – and the extensive tequila and mezcal selection – are where it’s at. Order a Mezcalita, with smoke and acid aplenty, and sink into the night.
400 South Terrace, South Fremantle lacabana.com.au
Madalena’s
Refined Food, Casual Vibes
Madalena’s
Is there anywhere better to have a long and boozy lunch with friends than Madalena’s, the South Fremantle charmer that’s been open since 2018? We think not. The vintage storefront dining room exudes the kind of laid-back charisma that might be right at home in Paris or Brooklyn, and the seafood-heavy menu and natural wine focus do share some positive similarities with Paris’s much-celebrated Clamato.
But the best reason to come is for the vibe and Rees’ incredibly delicate touch with all manner of creatures from the sea.
Chef Adam Rees’ cooking is bracing and to the point: sweet, plump blue prawn ceviche is matched with avocado and lychee and garnished with nasturtium; raw mackerel is paired with juicy pink grapefruit, smoked crème fraîche and bitter greens. A main course of firm-fleshed toothfish topped with barbecued mushrooms and a smoked bone velouté is fish cookery at its finest.
Non-fish options are just as enticing, including a killer duck-liver parfait swathed in vermouth jelly and served with grilled sourdough bread. Vegetables and salads, like an elegant witlof and pear number, are also winners. But the best reason to come is for the vibe and Rees’ incredibly delicate touch with all manner of creatures from the sea. That, and the outstanding bar upstairs, a destination in itself.
406 South Terrace, South Fremantle madalenasbar.com.au
Nieuw Ruin
Nieuw Ruin
Where so many chefs are happy to recycle trends or crib influences from contemporaries, Blaze Young of Nieuw Ruin treads her own path. Who else would have the confidence to serve marron not in its shell but chopped up, turned through mace-spiked butter and baked just to the point of being set? Or to stuff cauliflower cheese into a filo pie served atop a rich pool of French onion gravy? These ideas reflect a cook who is not just happy to colour outside the lines but also has the ability to back it up.
There’s an energy to the place, too, thanks to a floor team who know the product and seem excited to be there.
When things are simpler, like with deboned, butterflied whiting or trout grilled over coals, the execution is spot on, flesh moist, skin crisp. There’s energy in the place, too, thanks to a floor team who know the product and seem excited to be there. They’ll guide you through the wine offer (with an eye on sustainable winemaking) with ease or steer you to their favourite cocktails on a list backed by real talent on the tins. Inside or out, for snacks or a blowout, this is surely one of the most exciting new venues in the country, led by a chef with the smarts to make it tick. Looking for the future of WA dining? This is it.
12 Norfolk Street, Fremantle nruin.com
Manuka Woodfire Kitchen
Manuka Woodfire Kitchen
In a fickle, often personality-driven restaurant world, there’s something comforting and reassuring about a place like Manuka Woodfire Kitchen, where ego and pretension are pushed to the back burner. It’s why this chef-owned and operated neighbourhood bistro will always have a place in our affections – Manuka’s Kenny McHardy knows his audience and sticks to his cooking. No wonder his informal and friendly Fremantle kitchen has such a loyal following.
Good produce, clean and sensible cooking teamed with solid service mean the value-for-money equation here is unquestionable.
Ironically, the wood-burning kitchen isn’t really apparent to most visitors until, that is, plates of food start hitting the table. Smoky and effortlessly light baba ganoush from a charcoal grill; hummus Yotam Ottolenghi would covet; and puffy house-made “flatbread” – in reality more spongy focaccia than pita – straight from the oven. And those plates of wood-roasted vegetables with goat’s curd – vegetables are admirably worshipped here – bear all the scars of a kitchen using fire and natural fuels, as do blistered and jointed pieces of quality chicken served with white miso sauce and pickled cabbage (McHardy favours a few Japanesque touches). Good produce, clean and sensible cooking teamed with solid service mean the value-for-money equation here is unquestionable.
134 High Street, Fremantle manukawoodfire.com.au
La Lune
La Lune
La Lune sits so comfortably on an ambient East Fremantle strip that it could have been there for years. But as timeless as a glass of Loire Valley Cheverny paired with a bowl of moules frites feels, La Lune is also very now.
In the kitchen, it’s all about modern takes on classics. Pemberton trout comes meurnier-style, with plenty of butter kept in check with lemon and capers.
With La Lune, owners Sam Davies and Helen Pow have transformed heritage East Fremantle digs into a light-filled, gilded, marbled, and tiled monument to Parisian dining with a worldly outlook, referencing the bars the pair worked at and/or frequented in New York and Europe.
In the kitchen, it’s all about modern takes on classics. Pemberton trout comes Meunier-style, with plenty of butter kept in check with lemon and capers. Duck breast is ferried past with lentils and bitter greens riding shotgun. And steak comes with good frites and a gravy boat of sauce béarnaise. Breakfast flies out of the open kitchen just as easily, but lunch or late afternoon is the time to share charcuterie boards, cheese, good terrine and wine – French in style, or just plain French to go with classic apéritifs – and admire the posters on the walls among frosted mirrors, bentwood chairs and the staff cruising by in striped T-shirts. As we said, it is timeless and modern all at once.
73 George Street, East Fremantle lalunefremantle.com
Bib & Tucker
Bib & Tucker
Perpetually hitting the mark, Bib & Tucker knows the formula for success. The coastal icon’s offering evolves with the seasons, and champions WA produce across an extensive menu that aims (and succeeds) to keep everyone happy.
Dessert is a tough call between the miso snickers with a salty caramel sauce that cuts through softly set milk chocolate, and the banoffee bombe Alaska.
Seafood plays a starring role here, with entrée dishes of succulent roasted Exmouth tiger prawns in a fennel, saffron bisque topped off with a dollop of sharp aïoli a standout. Main course highlights take the form of juicy jerk rotisserie chicken; baharat roasted kangaroo, tender and flavourful with crisp curry leaves adding crunch; and the Bib favourite of pillowy pumpkin gnocchi in an aromatic and nutty brown-butter sauce with sage, kale, roast pumpkin and walnut pangrattato.
Dessert is a tough call between the miso Snickers with a salty caramel sauce that cuts through softly set milk chocolate and the banoffee bombe Alaska (Bib & Tucker veterans may be very familiar with the sight of torched meringue concealing banoffee ice cream, but that doesn’t make it any less appealing). As for drinks, expect fruity and inventive cocktails (and mocktails) alongside a robust wine list. Whatever drop you choose, drink it while taking in the magnificent view of the Indian Ocean beyond.
18 Leighton Beach Boulevard, North Fremantle bibandtucker.net.au
Republic of Fremantle
A selection of some of Fremantle’s Must-Visit Cocktail Bars
Republic of Fremantle
So often, distillery bars come off as an afterthought or an indulgent branding exercise. That’s not the case at Republic of Fremantle. Yes, bottles of the grape-based spirits produced on-site are displayed behind the sleek bar, but what’s offered here is an elevated hospitality experience backed by service smarts and skill.
Then there’s the Chocolate Thunder, which pits coffee and cacao against sweet vermouth and gin, with Averna for a lick of orange bitterness.
Drinking well is a guarantee, especially if signature cocktails are the route you choose. Even the lightest of the pack – a spritz built from bay-infused house vodka, plums, umeshu and white tea – promises nuance and layers of flavour. Then there’s the Chocolate Thunder, which pits coffee and cacao against sweet vermouth and gin, with Averna for a lick of orange bitterness.
This commitment to technique rings true on the plate, too. Think layers of Futari Wagyu tartare over house-made buckwheat waffles, for example. All up, it’s an accomplished package, a polished reflection of the way we like to drink and snack right here, right now.
3 Pakenham Street, Fremantle republicoffremantle.com
Strange Company
Strange Company
One of hospitality’s many hard truths is that you can’t please everybody. That’s why some places don’t even bother to try. But Strange Company certainly does, and does a mighty fine job of it at that. It’s near impossible to name another watering hole that aims for as many targets – on-trend beers and wines; elevated cocktails; charcuterie, cheese and inventive share plates – and pretty much hits all the bullseyes.
Call in for live jazz on a Sunday afternoon, and you’ll become that regular in no time.
A quirky but considered line runs through just about everything here. Think dried saltbush leaves floating on a vodka Martini variation made with Lillet Blanc and a fino reduction, or an unexpected sprinkle of sumac over spaghettini, calamari and bottarga. Yet, never once does any element – not even a painted raspberry purée garnish on a Clover Club riff – stray into gimmicky territory.
Even if you’ve never visited before, you’re made to feel like a longtime regular the instant you walk in. It’s due in large part to staff with effervescence in their DNA, but also to the eternal coolness of the airy and inviting indoor/outdoor space, flanked by timber and bamboo. Call in for live jazz on a Sunday afternoon, and you’ll become that regular in no time.
5 Nairn Street, Fremantle strangecompany.com.au
Jetty Bar & Eats
Situated on the river between the bridges in Fremantle, Jetty has two personalities: a friendly bistro by day and a busy bar by night. But whether you’re inside in the airy, open space or out by the water, the offering stays the same, driven by shared plates that lean Mediterranean and plenty of seafood.
The chicken is good, although it’s the soft pita bread that’s the star.
The fish finger sandwich – featuring panko-crumbed fillet – is an elevated take on a childhood snack, with pickled onion and special sauce giving it a creamy, acidic lift. For something more hefty, Jetty has its own vertical rotisserie where orange and pimentón-spiced chicken is carved onto gyros spread with tangy cacik (that is, yoghurt and cucumber sauce) and fresh salad. The chicken is good, although it’s the soft pita bread that’s the star.
Pair it with aperitivo – Spritzes, Margaritas, and ice-cold craft beers are abundant. Or let staff guide you towards something fresh and light from the wine list. Then add a plate of roasted heirloom carrots given an edge with goat’s curd and honey, or share the stracciatella with rare coral-tooth mushrooms and a splash of chilli oil for a kick. Before long, the afternoon will fade into evening, the sun setting, and the good times rolling on.
126 Beach Street, Fremantle jetty.bar
Wild in the Street
Wild in the Street
For a lesson in how to take a simple mixed drink to a whole new level, consider the Roma Paloma at Wild in the Street. Tequila, lime and grapefruit soda play their usual parts, but it’s the addition of a zesty tomato shrub that brings exciting, unexpected depth to the equation. A Rosemary Rickey treads a similar path, calling on rosemary, dry vermouth and lemon myrtle to reinvigorate the gin-spiked soda classic.
Smoke, meanwhile, is a recurring theme in more elaborate dishes like smoked beetroot carpaccio blotted with tangy tonnato or juicy tiger prawns laid on a swirl of smoked labne with lemon and chilli.
If these read basic to you, know that there’s a keen understanding of flavour at work here, and that’s true in the wood-fired cooking, too. House-made empanadas are essential ordering, rustically folded and charred at their edges. Smoke, meanwhile, is a recurring theme in more elaborate dishes like smoked beetroot carpaccio blotted with tangy tonnato or juicy tiger prawns laid on a swirl of smoked labne with lemon and chilli.
Is it wild? Hardly, but it’s an offbeat offering you’re unlikely to find elsewhere, mirrored by bright rendered walls, abundant greenery and wavy cane sculptures by Fiona Gavino suspended from the ceiling. Sink into a booth and soak up the quirky and colourful spirit of this port hub on the up and up.
2/388 South Terrace, Fremantle wildinthestreetfreo.com.au
