The Cape escape: dining out in southwestern WA
An insider’s guide to eating out when you’re down south in Western Australia.
As a Victorian, it grieves me to say a pocket of our fair nation that could not possibly be further away if it tried has captured me. It would have been a little easier to fall in love with, say, the Mornington Peninsula or the numerous hamlets along the Great Ocean Road, both of which I’m very fond.
But no; where I like to holiday is a four-hour flight, followed by a monotonous three-hour drive. Despite that, I have spent an awful lot of time down south, in the Cape district of southwestern Western Australia, easily characterised, inaccurately, as “Margaret River”.
Any excuse.
The climate; the water; the beaches; the vineyards; the arid coastal parks; the farmlands. And the people. Great people.
But when it comes to eating out, you need a helping hand, I reckon. There are plenty of choices, of course, because tourism is huge, but not so uniformity of standards. So here is my guide: places I have sampled and can recommend. There are plenty more, and you’ll find your own gems if you visit this summer. Let me know; I’ll be there on holiday, too.
Flash
Wills Domain, Yallingup
A world away from the trophy vineyards of Caves Road, Wills in the Yallingup Hills is modest by some comparisons but the site is panoramic, the wines excellent and the restaurant special. You can snack here, sure, but the dining room is given over to seriously good, creative and contemporary food. If that’s your thing, Wills is your restaurant.
willsdomain.com.au
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Vasse Felix, Cowaramup
A beautiful estate, striking sculpture park and impressive Holmes a Court gallery, impressive architecture and design and great prices on the house plonk — which is just justifiably renowned — are all reasons for visiting Vasse Felix. The other is the dining room, which does justice to the food: elegant, contemporary Australian combinations as a la carte or as a set menu. Very easy to like, and excellent value.
Voyager, Margaret River
Some of the food is overly complex, but there’s no doubting an experimental mind is behind the food at Voyager, where a Spanish chef teams post-molecular culinary ideas with the odd bit of native ingredient to come up with something unique. The big, baronial dining room has little connection with the outside world, unfortunately. Still, the wine flights are good value, as is the set (four-course) menu. And the gardens are something very special.
voyagerestate.com.au
Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River
Another Margaret River symbol, Leeuwin’s restaurant has always been good; a change of guard in the kitchen this year was probably overdue. The new chef has maintained the restaurant’s high standards. The place exudes energy and a contemporary approach to food that, first and foremost, is designed to work with the wonderful estate wines.
leeuwinestate.com.au
Fun
Miki’s Open Kitchen, Margaret River
A Japanese tempura bar in Margs? Why not? You’ll find just about every other nationality working in the region. Miki’s is a bag of fun, delicious and hugely popular with locals. Plus the menu has plenty of Japanese staples as well as the wonderful fried stuff.
facebook.com/mikisopenkitchen/
Pizzica, Margaret River
Same as above, but Italy. In a semi-basement space dominated by a pizza oven, the Italianity of the place is remarkably authentic. Use Google Translate to talk to your waiter, perhaps? There is better pizza in this world, and better Italian food generally, but for its rusticity, managed chaos and good value, the place is well worth knowing about.
pizzica.com.au
Settlers Tavern, Margaret River
It’s a pub, but one with a difference. The owners, who bring a touch of American grill to the menu, love wine the way a farmer likes rain. The wine list is astounding, the Moscow mule at the bar legendary, and the value for money ideal for parents of younger families.
settlerstavern.com
Chow’s Table, Yallingup
A specialised duck roasting oven from Hong Kong; a dedicated dumpling steamer. No, Chow’s is like no other vineyard restaurant we know, which may explain a very successful launch this year. Or maybe that’s to do with chef Mal Chow putting fancy kitchens behind him and returning to his Chinese-Malay roots. Or the stylish, casual new architecturally edgy restaurant itself. Or the value-for-money wines of host vineyard House of Cards. It is the sum of all those parts. A super addition to the Cape region.
chowstable.com.au
Cullen, Wilyabrup
Another great example of the wine bargains to be had in situ down south. Proprietor and highly regarded winemaker Vanya Cullen has developed a restaurant that clearly reflects her down-to-earth approach to biodynamic farming, both of grapes and much of the garden produce used by her kitchen. Haute rustic is the go here: stylish but unpretentious, and very much food for wine.
cullenwines.com.au
Barnyard 1978, Yallingup
A little architectural gem just off the main artery of Caves Road, Barnyard is daylight-hours-only cafe-bistro with some surprising food, not the least if which is the house-made pasta, all produced on fancy machinery in an open production kitchen. Very hospitable.
barnyard1978.com.au
By the sea
Bunkers Beach House, Bunker Bay
Since it was bought by a wine group (Fogarty) with some interesting assets (Millbrook and Deep Woods in the west, Lake’s Folly in the Hunter), Bunkers has progressed since the days of braised European meat dishes in the middle of summer. These days, the menu matches the site which is little short of stunning, on one of the region’s finest protected beaches. And yes, fresh fish with charred broccoli, bottarga and clams sounds a whole lot better than confit duck by the beach.
bunkersbeachhouse.com.au
White Elephant Cafe, Gnarabup
In a state with so much coast, seaside cafes are a rarity, so embrace the Elephant. The views are wonderful, the beach immediately below. Coffee, swim, burger, swim. Repeat.
whiteelephantcafe.com.au
Local knowledge
Wise Wines, Eagle Bay
Vineyard restaurants at the Naturaliste end of the Cape region tend to get overlooked; Wise has a superb location and very good food, from a menu that sends all the right messages about regional sourcing. Chefs are peripatetic by nature, and this is Ben Jacob’s second gig this year, but we hope this job works out: Wise’s vineyard-appropriate, seaside food style is just right for the site.
wiseeaglebay.com.au/
Grounded, Dunsborough
Dunsborough has more cafes than most small cities. Part deli, part cafe, part laid-back young mums hangout, Grounded is completely unpretentious, good value, has a great dog-friendly back yard and the coffee and tea are excellent.
groundedwholefoods.com.au
Oh Delhi, Dunsborough
The big TV screen has Bollywood stars doing Punjabi pop, but don’t let that stop you: if you like northern Indian food, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this little family-run place. The flavours are authentic, the value for money real.
http://ohdelhi.com.au/
Swings Taphouse, Margaret River
If you need a bit of city chic down south, this Margs bistro-pizzeria should do the trick: cool interior design, great pizza and reasonable prices make this the millennials’ choice, but don’t let that stop you. The house wine is Swings & Roundabouts, its Yallingup winery up the road.
swings.com.au
Arimia Estate, Yallingup
Certainly a place you’re unlikely to stumble on, Arimia is, quite literally, off the grid. That sustainability ethos is carried through to the restaurant’s food, which is impressive. Service? We hope that has improved.
arimia.com.aua
Craft breweries
Eagle Bay Brewing Co, Eagle Bay
We all know craft breweries and distillers have appeared like mushrooms following rain in all our major wine regions: Eagle Bay has the benefit of a spectacular site, with views to Cape Naturaliste, and skilful brewing. The beer is great. A big modern facility, this is perfect for families and groups with a user-friendly menu (including pizza) that will work for just about any situation. Always fun.
eaglebaybrewing.com.au
Caves Road Collective, Wilyabrup
Put a brewer, a distiller and a winemaker together and you have — a Collective. Recently rebranded as such — it brings together Black Brewing, Ground to Cloud wines and Dune Distilling — CRC is a big, lakeside hipster heaven, and the menu works to it perfectly.
cavesroadcollective.com.au
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