Best new restaurants in the west include tasting menus, wholefoods diners and one great pub lunch
From the picturesque landscapes of Margaret River to inner city Perth, The Australian Weekend Magazine Hot 50 Restaurants issue identifies new dining destinations in the west, doing it best.
The newest additions to Western Australia’s burgeoning dining scene reflect the state’s unique character and the abundant produce available from its land and sea.
From the picturesque landscapes of Margaret River to inner city Perth, The Australian Weekend Magazine Hot 50 Restauranats issue identifies new dining destinations in the west, doing it best.
Whether you’re in search of a refined tasting menu, a casual wholefoods diner, or a reimagined country pub, there is a little something for all diners and all budgets.
TOP WA RESTAURANTS
De’sendent, Margaret River
On Margaret River’s main strip, chef Evan Hayter continues a journey that he started at off-grid winery Arimia in Yallingup. While he no longer has access to the vegie garden, free-range pigs and trout-stocked dam for which he became known, he’s working his connections with local fishers and market gardeners, and running a few head of wagyu cattle on a mate’s farm. The result is an elevated, metropolitan experience in this dark and intimate space designed by his partner Kerry Brooks. Across a $180 tasting menu try, say, kangaroo and fig tartare or Margaret River venison. Hayter’s cooking is creative, precise, delicious – and imbued with a sense of place.
Fins Bicton, Perth
A suburban fishmonger with an eat-in or takeaway sideline seems like a good idea. Add a chef who’s helmed cherished restaurants in the southwest of WA, and good becomes great. Seth James (ex-Wills Domain, Frui Momento) has teamed with Fins, a supplier of seafood to most of the state’s best chefs, with a remit that ranges from classic fish ‘n’ chips to an octopus hot dog or a tuna cheeseburger. Evenings give the opportunity for more of a bar vibe, with oysters, grilled octopus, a middy of Swan Draught or a bottle of wine from Margaret River.
Magic Apple, Cottesloe
Last year was big for the Kailis Hospitality Group, which opened the fine diner Gibney in Perth’s Cottesloe to wild success. Now comes Magic Apple, the group’s casual diner, described as a “complete wholefoods restaurant that’s redefining clean eating”. Nestled oceanside, this is a laid-back affair of açai bowls and protein pancakes for the early risers, turning meatier throughout the day in lunch and dinner dishes such as steamed miso king salmon with teriyaki eggplant, or lamb kofta with cucumber relish. There’s a bounty of virtue here for those that way inclined: go for marinated tofu, grilled organic chicken or a “magic salad” that’s completely meat/carb/guilt free. This is one for when you need to put some virtue credit in the bank. Or you could swerve the superfood smoothies and go straight to the cracking booze list.
Masseria, Margaret River
In a winery dining landscape over-populated with tasting menus and a focus on the intricate and avant-garde, this Italian-leaning opening is a welcome addition to the Margaret River scene. Ben Jacob, best known as chef/owner of the casual yet accomplished Lagoon at Yallingup, dips a toe back into the winery space (he was previously at Wise Wines) here with homely dishes that offer comfort. Go for local seafood, house-made pasta or the impressive pork cotoletta, taken with views of the Cherubino winery outside. This is long-lunch territory; there’s the promise of vineyard serenity, the run of the Cherubino labels, and (of course) tiramisu.
Denmark Hotel, Denmark
A welcome trend across Australia sees country pubs getting a glow-up that’s not just for city blow-ins. One of WA’s best examples is the refurb of the Denmark Hotel, which has retained the pub’s character while adding elements that make it a destination in itself. You’ll find welcoming rooms, a wine list of real interest in the pub and bottleshop, and an elevated pub menu courtesy of local chef Ali Osborne – “old-school chicken parmi or schnitzel”; slow-cooked beef ribs with ginger-garlic sauce; crispy spiced chicken bao with slaw and chilli mayo; and corn fritters with kaffir lime leaves, ginger, lettuce, mint and chilli jam.
Ah Um, Northbridge, Perth
This tiny dining room with custom-built speakers and a soundtrack to match can be found at the back of Northbridge’s Astral Weeks bar. It’s dark, a little moody, with the cooking from chef Branden Scott imaginative and punchy – a beef tartare held together with the Japanese fermented chilli paste kanzuri, for instance, proves that there’s always another spin on that restaurant favourite. As for the strange name, it’s borrowed from a 1959 album by US jazz musician Charles Mingus. Esoteric.
Light Years, Perth
Until now, pan-Asian powerhouse Light Years has spruiked its beachy, barefoot brand of freshness on the east coast only: there are outlets in Byron Bay, Burleigh Heads, Noosa and Newcastle. This year, they’ve headed west, taking over a heritage building in Perth’s CBD. The menu retains most of the mothership’s DNA, such as the legendary cumin-spiced cauliflower with “strange flavour sauce” and the umami-packed miso corn. The design is also a continuum of Light Years’ trademark style, managed by Studio Plenty and Sarah Ellison. But Perth has a few special touches you won’t find anywhere else, including a popcorn-infused passionfruit rum cocktail and a Korean-style beef tartare.
View the Hot 50 FULL LIST here.
To discover the best new restaurants in NSW click here
To discover the best new restaurants in Queensland click here
To discover the best new restaurants in Victoria click here
To discover the best new restaurants in South Australia click here
To discover the best new restaurants in Tasmania click here
Australia’s Hot 50 Restaurants has been compiled for The Australian Weekend Magazine by Elizabeth Meryment, with additional submissions from Alexandra Carlton, Lara Picone, Nick Ryan and Max Brearly.
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