The Best Restaurants and Food Experiences in Perth Right Now

Perth's food scene benefits from a remarkable combination of natural advantages: the Margaret River wine region (280km south, one of the world's finest premium wine regions and the source of most of Perth's finest restaurant wine lists), the Indian Ocean seafood (marron, Abrolhos Island rock lobster, scallops, Shark Bay prawns), the extraordinary fresh produce of the Swan Valley and the Perth hills market gardens, and the Western Australian beef and lamb that underpin the city's steakhouse and grill culture. The isolation that is often cited as Perth's disadvantage also creates genuine food culture: Perth's restaurant market is less saturated than Sydney's or Melbourne's, and the city's residents are intensely loyal to their favourite local restaurants.

Fremantle and the Fishing Boat Harbour — Fremantle (27km south-west of Perth CBD, accessible by train) and the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour are two of the finest food destinations in Western Australia: the Fremantle Markets (Friday to Sunday, one of Australia's finest heritage market halls with extraordinary fresh produce, artisan food, and the famous Fremantle style) and the Fishing Boat Harbour (the working commercial fishing harbour with its extraordinary fresh seafood restaurants including the iconic Cicerello's and Kailis Fish Market Cafe) are Fremantle's most celebrated food institutions. The cappuccino strip on South Terrace (the European cafe culture of the "Cappuccino Strip" established by the postwar Italian migrant community) remains one of Australia's most enjoyable outdoor dining streetscapes.

Northbridge and the Perth CBD — Northbridge (immediately north of the Perth CBD, separated by the Perth railway line) is Perth's entertainment and restaurant precinct: the remarkable density of Japanese restaurants (Perth has one of Australia's strongest Japanese food cultures, reflecting the historical ties between Perth and Japan through the Broome pearling industry and Japanese investment), the Chinatown precinct on Roe Street, and the excellent small-bar culture (the Perth small bar scene developed rapidly after the 2006 liquor licensing reforms) make Northbridge Perth's most dynamic evening dining and drinking destination. The Beaufort Street corridor (Mount Lawley and Highgate) is Northbridge's most exciting extension, with outstanding independent restaurants, craft beer bars, and wine bars.

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.