Margaret River holiday: you’re spoilt for choice
WA’s south-west is a foodie magnet and there’s nothing like local knowledge. Here’s a breakdown of some of the delights of the Margaret River region.
The blond, beautiful and barely dressed surf posse sit cheek by jowl with seemingly content retirees, who in turn sit next to the viticulturist and his son opposite a group of tradies, who share space with popped-collar holiday home owners down for a break from Cottesloe.
Meanwhile, two average Joes in lurid BCF shirts swap fishing yarns. Naturally, several gig economists stare into their laptops over green smoothies… The local cafe is a marvellous cultural microcosm.
The south-west of WA generally, and the Margaret River region specifically, tick a lot of different boxes for a lot of different people; no wonder it’s commonly referred to as “WA’s playground”. And COVID-19 has only intensified that.
Ask the estate agent, the hotelier, the publican, the restaurateur… everyone has had a big year, whether visitors are down from the greater Perth sprawl en masse or have indeed relocated permanently, as ABS figures suggest. But what are they here for?
Well, the weather’s great for a ridiculous part of the year, sunny with fresh ocean breezes that take the edge off. The coast is spectacular – there’s simply no other word for it – from Cape Naturaliste in the north to Cape Leeuwin in the south, and if you can get offshore, the sometimes benign, sometimes fierce Southern Ocean rewards the angler with dhufish and lobster and plenty more.
And then there’s Geographe Bay, with its calmer waters, and equally beautiful coastline like Bunker Bay. Throw in hundreds of vineyards, bucolic coastal hinterland and a sophisticated tourism infrastructure two buzzy towns – Margaret River and Dunsborough – great boating and ots of family-focused activities and you can see why people take one of the most boring drives in Australia to get here.
FOOD, WINE AND ALL THAT
The greater Margaret River wine industry may only be a tad more than 50 years old, but the rules of good food following good (and some would say “great”) wine apply just as surely. From shoestring bistros to vineyard restaurants owned by billionaires, the region has some special eating out.
We like Lady Lola (Dunsborough) for its modern share-plate food, warm hospitality, carefully considered yet brief wine list/knowledge and inner-urban sensibility. Vasse Felix (Wilyabrup) is the go-to for the complete restaurant experience: style, service, amenity, and chef Brendan Pratt’s outstanding contemporary food. Not far behind is Wills Domain (Yallingup): the vistas make up for the modest dining room, while the adventurous, informed food of long-term chef Seth James reflects meticulous technique and very clever ideas. Arimia (Wilyabrup) is a proper paddock-to-plate cellar door/tour/restaurant immersive experience, off-grid, totally organic, and thoughtful. They grow a lot of their own produce. But be warned, it’s set menu. No such issue at Bunkers Beach House (Bunker Bay), an informal “shack” right on the dunes at one the best beaches in the world. The food benefits from the oversight of a clever executive chef (Guy Jeffries) who puts vegetables and seafood front and centre. And if the crab pasta is on…
Pasta is a specialty at Barnyard 1978 (Yallingup), where a light touch and a strong design sense come together in a location that lacks some of the region’s greatest assets but not, thankfully, hospitality. Nearby in Wilyabrup, former Melbourne chef Mal Chow identified a great opportunity to do something different for the region and it has worked brilliantly. Chow’s Table, on the same site as House of Cards’ cellar door and Gabriel Chocolate, is a fresh take on the cellar door dining room: contemporary Cantonese (mainly) in a delightful, architectural space. It is particularly popular with locals starved for Asian dining that leverages local produce.
Further south, in fact close to Augusta, Glenarty Road (Karridale) takes the paddock-to-plate concept to its logical conclusion: they grow sheep, cattle, veg and wine, and it’s all sold in their own restaurant, the food cooked over coals on a custom wood-fired grill.
Tuckshop (Margaret River) is a new kid on the block getting plenty of attention for its generous, big-flavoured and informal food. Just up the street, three more Margaret River township stalwarts keep their standards high. Pizzica may not be home to the world’s best pizza but the Italianity of the place is real, and lots of fun; Miki’s Open Kitchen specialises in tempura – the Japanese art of deep frying – and does a great job too; and Settlers Tavern does mostly pub grub, and some southern US-style barbecue, but gets overwhelming approval for a wine collection more like a big Sydney operation than a country pub. The awards speak for themselves.
CELLAR TALK
Cellar doors can be a great source of education, provide access to wine that would ordinarily be difficult to find, or just offer a bit of fun. Your call.
Mr Barvel (Margaret River) is the property of winemaker Rob Gheradi. Small quantities means limited distribution; he brings an Italian sensibility to his craft, and indeed produces a lovely nebbiolo alongside the region’s hero varieties of cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Cullen Wines has just celebrated 50 years; the cellar door is rustic, informal, and home to some amazing biodynamically grown wine across a surprising price spectrum. Stuart Pym at Flowstone (Forest Grove) is renowned for his sauvignon blanc, which sells out fast, but the label is also highly rated by doyen James Halliday for its value for money. Cellar door is by appointment.
If you’re interested in varieties and blends beyond the regional heroes, LS Merchants (Wilyabrup) is a great place for a more iconoclastic approach to the craft of winemaking. Nearby, at another end of the spectrum, Paul Holmes a Court’s Vasse Felix is a place for art, food and exceptional classic wine in beautiful surrounds – a very sophisticated experience.
Other cellar doors offering rewarding experiences, brilliant wine or both include Domaine Naturaliste, Windows Estate and Woodlands (all Wilyabrup) and Jimmy Watson Trophy winner (2008) Flametree (Quindalup), Deep Woods and Marque (Yallingup). For two lesser-known vineyards producing wine that offers excellent value for money, we like Fraser Gallop Estate (Wilyabrup; declaration: my wife Kate works there) and Victory Point (Cowaramup).
FROTH AND BUBBLE
The craft beer tsunami has crashed on the southwest, leaving in its wake hipster hangouts, sophisticated multi-million dollar edifices, and a lot in between. Hugely popular with Gen Y and young families, the breweries usually serve their hoppy ales with food, with varying degrees of success.
We’re fans of Beerfarm (Metricup), which feels like a bunch of Newtown’s finest went west, found a cowshed and started a thing. The food’s fantastic; good beer too. Far more sophisticated is Wild Hop Brewery (Yallingup) and again, the food’s very good, generous and delicious. Eagle Bay Brewery is less known for its food than for its exceptional brews and a slick, sizeable modern space with marvellous Geographe Bay views, including namesake Eagle Bay. Margaret River Brewhouse, in the township itself, is one of the few places that can handle large capacity and public holidays with a smile and not have a meltdown. In the words of one patron: “The Cheeseburger Roti is all kinds of wrong, but right.” There are plenty more, including Colonial (Bramley), Black Brewing (Wilyabrup) and the new Shelter Brewery (Busselton).
COFFEE SNOBS
Western Australians are trained from an early age to walk around in activewear clutching a tepid latte in a takeaway vessel. Accordingly, cafes – and roasters – are everywhere. Some even put the two together, but that’s no prerequisite for excellent, knowledgeable coffee service.
In a town that has more cafes than dogs – almost – Merchant & Maker (Dunsborough) has invested heavily in the hardware and personnel; consistent, knowledgeable and systemised, the place is a roaring success for many reasons, but coffee is at the core. Just around the corner, Yallingup Coffee (Dunsborough) has legions of fans and a great outdoors setup that makes it perfect for the Lycra crowd. Roasting onsite. On the way to Margaret River from Busselton, Red Feather Coffee (Cowaramup) is a roaster/retailer/cafe with a strong reputation (they sell at the MR Farmers Market if the surf’s not up).
And when you get to Margs, as we locals refer to it, the consensus right now is that Wyl & Co is THE place for coffee in a town with myriad caffeine options. And that’s from Fremantle coffee snobs.
If you like your coffee in a bucolic setting, love the ambience of a roaster and want to talk all matters coffee with someone young, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, look no further than Commonage Coffee in Yallingup. Lovely, simple, rustic, and the coffee’s excellent.
THE SPIRIT OF THINGS
The distilling rage is happening here too, although very few of the local brands have a retail face. An obvious exception is Margaret River Distilling Company, the business behind Giniversity gin and home to the award-winning Limeburners Single Malt Whisky, Dugite Whiskey and Tiger Snake Sour Mash Whiskey. Apart from sampling the “cellar door” experience, you can also sign up for the hilarious Giniversity Experience, a blending and tasting workshop that lets you custom-build your own gin.
Another with a point of difference is the relatively new Wise Wines, Eagle Bay. In a clever bit of paddock-to-plate lateral thinking, Wise claims to be the only Margaret River distillery distilling its own chardonnay and other grape varieties on-site as the base for its spirits. Hence it has launched the cutely named Gin Gin Gin (Gin Gin being one of the major chardonnay clones planted in the district and favoured by many of the best producers.) So, Wise offers a cellar door with a distiller in action, as well as a rather good restaurant and a brilliant location not far from a lovely village and sheltered beach.
OILS AIN’T OILS
The other Margaret River fruit – olives – grows widely and successfully. One of the best-known brands, with a fascinating back-story, is Olio Bello at Cowaramup, and it’s a cellar door/cafe worth visiting. Others with a retail presence include Vasse Virgin (Margaret River), Petra Estate (Yallingup) and Eagle Bay Olives.
OTHER STUFF
Margaret River Venison on Caves Road at Wilybrup is probably the state’s only “cellar door” for estate-grown deer meat and value-added products such as venison salami. There are also several proper chocolatiers – transforming raw cacao beans into the real thing – and of those only Gabriel Chocolate (Yallingup) has a retail facility. Part of the House of Cards/Chow’s Table mini-precinct, it’s a handy one-stop gastro shop. Temper Temper, in Cowaramup, is worth a look, and the very fine Margaret River Bahen brand is widely distributed.
For honey enthusiasts, The Colony Concept (Metricup) is a quirky cellar door and restaurant set on farmland. TCC honey is 100 per cent raw, unfiltered and unpasteurised. The bees thrive on some of the oldest forestry in the world. Another home to hives is one of our favourite local cafe/restaurant/cellar door/accommodation houses: Barnyard 1978, at Yallingup.
HANDY RETAIL
Bunbury Farmers Market is not a farmers market in any sense but it may be one of the best mixed food stores in the country and will set you up with everything from fruit to fish, chermoula to cheese. Providore Margaret River (Wilyabrup) is one of those expensive indulgences for estate-grown wine, olive oil, preserves and plenty more besides. Merchant & Maker (Dunsborough) is a very slick cafe, grocer and food store. Outsource your picnic, or pick up fancy pasta and sauces for a simple dinner. Dunsborough Cellars carries an impressive selection of local wine, a wine browser’s paradise. Gourmet Food Merchant (Cowaramup) is worth a look, as is the region’s only decent butcher, Margaret River Gourmet Meats in the heart of town. And if you want to avoid shopping, The Larder is an online-only meal and hamper business (margaretriverfarmersmarket.com.au/farmers/the-larder/). Another parochial food ritual is driving to the rustic premises of Yallingup Wood Fired Bread around 3pm to buy freshly baked sourdough and fruit loaves. Yes, it’s the only baker in the world that bakes during the day.
Watch this space: Paul Holmes a Court, owner of Vasse Felix, has bought the historic Margaret River Hotel. It bodes very well for the future of the town.