From trendy brunches to seafood suppers, this Australian city is a hotbed of flavour-driven fun
Sitting thousands of kilometres from Australia’s busy eastern side, the food scene in Perth takes on a style and personality all its own. Influenced by the charms of its climate, the city’s endless sunshine means floor-to-ceiling glass, windows flung open and a preference for snap-fresh salads, while the bounties of the vast coastline’s ocean means just-caught seafood is never off the menu. Wrapped into that is a close affinity to Asia – the recipient of many waves of immigration, Australia’s west coast also feels more connected to its Asian neighbours, who share the same time zone, than the country’s other states – resulting in both fiercely authentic Asian dining and a rich seam of fusion.
For further Perth inspiration, see our guide to the city and its best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, beaches and things to do.
This Hamptons-esque beer garden is 'the' place to be on Cottesloe's beach strip. Canary yellow stools are parked beneath tiled tables, comfy couches cluster in a sunken lounge and beach umbrellas provide well-heeled punters with shade in the open-air space. The club packs out for the suburb's legendary Sunday Sessions – when a party atmosphere descends (the surroundings ensure the celebration stays classy). Pace yourself with a thin-based pizza, a crab pasta or share beef brisket croquettes. Also consider the pub's casual front bar, Verandah Bar, for ice cold beers teamed with fried cauliflower or lamb koftas.
Contact: cottesloebeachhotel.com.au
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Google 'Eamon Sullivan'. He’s the gorgeous, Olympic medal-winning swimmer who owns this joint – no surprise it faces the Indian Ocean. Bib and Tucker, named after two infamous WA bushrangers, could have gone down the gimmicky, sportsman path, but instead it’s sassy yet casual, with the sort of food that could see lunch linger on until dinner. Try the fish tacos, the pork belly sliders and the coal-roasted barramundi while watching the unbelievably blue sea. Oh, and then go for a swim. Keep an eye out for now retired Sullivan – he is often spotted inside.
Contact: bibandtucker.net.au
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
If ocean views and a convivial, pub-like atmosphere sound like a stellar afternoon to you, make a beeline for Clancy’s. More casual restaurant than beer haven, it’s family-friendly and only steps from the soft sands of City Beach. The tried-and-tested dish is beer-battered fish and chips served in a paper cone, but there are plenty of other choices. Kangaroo fillet on pearl couscous flecked with goat curd, say, or chilli mussels, or perhaps grilled whiting with charred fennel and caperberries. It all tastes best on a hot summer’s day with an icy ale or white wine in hand.
Contact: clancysfishpub.com.au
Prices: £
Reservations: Not possible
Fremantle has a lot of cafés tailored to tourists, rather than travellers, but thankfully Bread in Common doesn’t fit that description. The industrial warehouse look of naked globes, communal wooden tables and pared-back brickwork is authentic: the venue dates back to the 1890s and has maintained its heritage façade. As well as the black garlic-licked lamb ribs, the pumpkin and artichoke with macadamias and the roasted pork belly, you’ve got to try the bread. Loaves are baked in two volcanic rock ovens using organic flour sourced from a WA farm – take one home when you leave.
Contact: breadincommon.com.au
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
A yawning, heritage-boned art gallery fills three quarters of the Moore’s building, and the creativity spills into the adjoining café. Planter boxes, bike racks and, often, musicians welcome you at the door. Pass clusters of reclaimed furniture and a chaotic kitchen before emerging into the sunlight where you can find a table-laden rear garden. They even do all-day breakfast – not common in Perth. The poached eggs on pumpkin, burnt butter and sage mash are special, but it might prove hard to deviate from the smoked salmon and asparagus with harissa yoghurt. If you’re craving scrambled eggs, go elsewhere: the pan-free kitchen uses a barbeque hot plate and subsequently, doesn’t do them.
Contact: mooreandmoorecafe.com
Prices: £
Reservations: Not possible
Long Chim serves fiery Thai street food in the gritty basement of a 19th-century building. Once home to government records and archives, it’s now filled with cartoonish street art, Thai relics and rescued furniture. Prepare to sweat through your meal: Michelin starred executive chef, David Thompson is devoted to reproducing Thai classics authentically, with all the heat they exhibit, and recipes are resolutely unchanged for the spice-sensitive. Fear not: you’ll be smitten by the betel leaf wrapped herb, ginger and coconut mix and tempted by the larp, despite its mouth-igniting abilities (it’s the hottest dish on the menu and yes, you’ll have to ask for milk).
Contact: longchimperth.com
Prices: ££
Reservations: Essential
Most walk right by this brilliant restaurant. Flagged only by an unobtrusive sign, it’s found down a winding staircase that opens up, like a trap door, from the concrete pavement of the city's business district. Below ground, there's a long bar, a wine store jammed with locally biased labels, and the restaurant floor. Lalla Rookh is loved for its slick, house-made pastas, risotto and slow-cooked meats. Your best bet is to try the 'il capo', or 'feed me' menu, AU$78 (£45) per person, for a six-course mix of seasonal specialties. There's plenty for gluten-free fans, plus creative salads, such as heirloom beetroots with goat's cheese and hazelnuts.
Contact: lallarookh.com.au
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Lucky Chan’s is Australia’s first permanent, crowd-funded restaurant, fuelled by a AU$112,000 (£60,850) hit raised on Pozible in 2014. The tri-level venue pretends to be a laundrette – they have washing machines in the window. The first floor sports a bar surfaced with mahjong tiles and a stairwell decorated with ironing boards that leads to a glass box housing a custom-built ramen machine. The rooftop is strung with fairy lights and views of Northbridge, the gritty, hip sister to Perth city. The menu is, naturally, all about the ramen, but dumplings, bao buns and quirky desserts are also excellent.
Contact: luckychans.com.au
Prices: £
Reservations: Recommended
Best table: On the rooftop
This sexy Mexican restaurant emphasises authentic fare and high-end tequila. The venue has a clever 'holding bay' of coffee tables where basic dishes, such as ceviche and guacamole, can be ordered while you wait to be seated. Once installed, grab some deep-fried fish tacos and the slow-roasted pork hock, to share. The buzzing long bar has table settings, but groups will need a larger area. Secure a seat by going at an unconventional hour – late evening or even midnight is best. They regularly do food and drink discounts too, which are announced on their Facebook page.
Contact: 00 61 8 9227 9238; facebook.com/lacholitanorthbridge
Prices: £
Reservations: For groups of 8 or more only
Best table: Barside
Sayers Sister in Northbridge is 'the' place to go for breakfast in Perth so secure a table before joining the ordering queue. Diners are crammed in and it's loud, but that’s part of the fun. The owners are passionate about the need to nourish the body and soul, so expect organic eggs and a focus on locally sourced, seasonal produce. The house-made treats such as the choc-banana bread are the stuff of legend, but their leek and parmesan croquette bowl, served with molten, poached eggs is also worth trying. Or, for something different, go for the bean tagine, doused with coriander, cumin and baba ganoush.
Contact: 00 61 8 9227 7506; facebook.com/SayersSister
Prices: £
Reservations: Recommended (phone only)
Best table: Out front, where the big armchairs are
There was serious hype when news got out that one of Bali’s most celebrated chef-restaurateurs was setting up shop in Perth. The buzz was justified, Will Meyrick’s carefully crafted Asian share plates are in a league of their own, served beneath statement wildflower hangings (sourced from the state’s Midwest), within view of salmon pink walls and a eucalyptus green bar which call to the Kimberley region. Order anything that’s served on a betel leaf and go all-in on the sticky short ribs. Keep an eye out for subtle touches involving native Australian ingredients, where are becoming ever more prevalent on menus. Look for lemon myrtle, sea parsley and pepper berry leaf.
Contact: willstreetperth.com
Prices: £££
Reservations: Essential
Not only does this buzzing Spanish eatery get you a ringside seat at one of Perth’s most interesting people-watching strips, it also pumps out excellent tapas. Crunch through a bowl of fried pork belly showered in dukkah as you gaze at Oxford Street’s eclectic brand of hipster. Then feast on lamb meatballs and figs while sizing up students driving a Nineties fashion revival. And don’t you dare leave without having the Pedro Ximenez soaked mushrooms melt on your tongue. Pinchos sticks as closely as it can to the Spanish classics, and even the prices match: it’s excellent value.
Contact: pinchos.me
Prices: £
Reservations: Essential
Best table: Outside on Newcastle St
Here, it’s all about the city skyline views, reflected in the Swan River by day and, more spectacularly, by night. The commuter ferry pulls up by the restaurant entrance, which is a nice way to travel here if you’re staying in the city, though do check the time of the last ferry departure. There’s brioche French toast to start, coffee bean smoked salmon for lunch, seafood paella or slow-roasted lamb. Book a window seat at sunset to see the sky’s changing colours mirrored in the water, before Perth’s skyscraper lights illuminate.
Contact: mrwalker.com.au
Prices: £
Reservations: Recommended
Best table: By a front window
Glamorous Rockpool is all about doing the basics really, really well. The steak béarnaise is a signature dish, as is the creamy potato gratin, served in a copper bowl. Salads are little more than a selection of dressed leaves, but somehow they just sing. Everything is additional: the steak is served solo and you add side dishes, but still no one cares. Despite finding its home in the casino, the swish restaurant feels like a temple, particularly as you walk down the seductive, long, candlelit entrance. The evening crowd exudes the best energy; go with your wallet open.
Contact: rockpool.com
Prices: £££
Reservations: Recommended
Ever tried crocodile chorizo? How about kangaroo tartare? Far from being an ocker Aussie eatery that trades in novelty, this 2021 opening serves fine-dining level eats in a relaxed, light-flooded restaurant that’s attached to a distillery. Order a selection of share plates and while they’re being prepared, duck into the tasting bar to sample the award-winning pavlova-inspired vodka and London style gin. Return to the table for an education in native Australian flavours: meet rosella leaf that’s been ground into a delicate dust, sample the crisp, salty succulent knowns as samphire and discover endemic youlk shrub – something few Australians have tried.
Contact: oldyoungskitchen.com.au
Prices: ££
Reservations: Recommended
Explore hotels that have been tried, tested and rated by our experts
Explore hotels that have been tried, tested and rated by our experts
Explore hotels that have been tried, tested and rated by our experts