Guides The South West Guide: Where to Eat in the Margaret River Region

Every year in our restaurant guide, the South West hits hard—and this year was no different. With its striking coastline, ancient caves, and vineyards that stretch for days, the region continues to draw discerning locals and travellers in search of something special.

There’s a strong sense of place here, and it runs through every glass poured and plate served. From elegant winery restaurants to laidback brewpubs, farm-to-table kitchens, seafood specialists and intimate wine bars, the calibre is high and the variety remarkable.

These are the best places to eat in the Margaret River region.

Read more: Southbound: Where to Eat and Drink in Busselton

Fine Dining in the South West

Vasse Felix, Cowaramup

There’s not much in the simple menu descriptions at Vasse to hint at the creativity you’re about to experience at Vasse Felix. The room, too, while lovely, gives off classic winery vibes, with soaring timber ceilings and windows looking out over vast vineyard holdings – you might expect truffles and caviar here, but not the decidedly modern riot of flavours chef Cameron Jones is delivering.

But you sure won’t be disappointed—even the wildest creations are built with deliciousness as their underpinning. A dish described as ‘kangaroo, ssamjang, rice’ turns out to be a bam-pop-pow of flavours and textures, the raw meat supple and layered with sweet fermented bean and chilli paste, and dusted with tangy bush tomato. The ubiquitous raw kingfish entree is made new again, bathed in rhubarb, ginger and pink peppercorn, the quality of the fish reminiscent of that you’d find in Tokyo’s best sushi bars. Pork comes wrapped in a parcel of greens, which, when unravelled, reveals a beguiling mixture of coconut, pear and black sesame. This is a place for long lunches, and waits between courses can stretch at peak times—but a highly trained staff make sure to slip you an extra glass of wine and a smile if they feel anything is even slightly amiss.

Cnr Caves Road and Tom Cullity Drive, Cowaramup;

Wills Domain, Yallingup

Isn’t it wonderful when everything comes together? It ought to be a guarantee when you’re splashing out some solid coin for a special meal at a top-name winery but life, sadly, doesn’t come with guarantees. At Wills Domain, however, you are in the surest of hands.

First, that view: 60 hectares of vines and meadow, dappled with every colour in nature’s paintbox and best enjoyed—if weather permits—from the al fresco terrace. Then there’s the food. Served as a five- or eight-course tasting journey (or a la carte if you prefer to keep your own hands on the wheel), each dish is built with understated finesse. Smooth, smoked Manjimup rainbow trout is rolled into a little cylinder of freshness thanks to its kohlrabi blanket. Arkady Lamb meets some of its favourite flavour companions on a bed of tahini, eggplant and chermoula. There are even some welcome surprises, such as the veil of broad bean leaves topping the lamb, and a neon-green ice cream churned weekly using mint from the restaurant garden.

Add any of the estate’s wines—their sparkling is exceptional—and you’ve ticked every box required for a very good time.

17 Brash Road (cnr Abbey Farm & Brash Roads), Yallingup

Amelia Park, Wilyabrup

The order of play for many at Amelia Park is, first, a tasting at the separate cellar door, itself blessed with panoramic views, before a long lunch that has comfort at heart. Wide-eyed moments early on: buttery chilli crab crumpet from the snack section. You’ll want your own. A lamb Scotch egg takes the British classic and twists it with hints of harissa; the potato nest it’s nestled in, like crisp shoestring fries perfect for dipping in the gooey egg.

There’s also seasonal wood-roasted veggies like Torbay Asparagus with local Cambray aged feta and peach. Lamb from Amelia Park is the star protein, and you can opt for a shoulder to share or a wood-roasted rack with sweet confit leek and an earthy roast pumpkin tahini. Retiring to the bar for a digestif is a fitting finish.

3857 Caves Road, Wilyabrup

De’sendent, Margaret River

Chef Evan Hayter, who built his reputation in sustainability at Arimia, is serving an hours-long degustation at De’sendent in a sleek room where a wide kitchen counter is the focal point. From his vantage point behind that counter, Hayter meticulously plates intricate dishes, most of them showcasing just-landed seafood he’s procured from local fisherfolk.

Shark Bay scallops come nestled in a parcel with black garlic and cauliflower puree, while marron salad makes its appearance as a tiny tartlet made from charcoal brioche, alongside a carrot tartare atop an airy crisp made from golden kelp. Dishes of aged hapuka and smoked trout all lead to a beautifully rosy piece of Margaret River Wagyu sirloin served with carrot bearnaise.

3/152 Bussell Highway, Margaret River

Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River

It would be easy to pigeonhole Leeuwin Estate as merely a classic winery restaurant, and while there’s no denying it’s certainly got many of the hallmarks, there’s so much else going on here. Under Chef Dan Gedge, there’s a vibrancy that comes by way of seasonal, local produce. And a few insider hacks that take the experience up a few notches: one, sit on the verandah if weather permits, taking in the view of the Karri trees and grounds of this venerable estate. Drink the Art Series Chardonnay (their flagship wine), because if not here, then where?

When navigating the menu, seafood is particularly strong. Gedge’s early career was spent at The Seafood Restaurant, Rick Stein’s Cornish mothership, and he can undoubtedly handle the best of the West Australian catch. A pan-Asian dish of Augusta-landed dhufish atop cabbage, with XO sauce and notes of dashi, is inventive yet restrained and, importantly, showcases perfectly cooked fish. Elsewhere on the menu, there’s impressive use of in-season veggies—the restraint dropping slightly with a bold and punchy side of sprouts. Gedge goes beyond the standard cheese plate, presenting nicely aged Cambray Blackwood Blue with a dainty carrot, pecan and treacle sponge. A sweet and savoury masterstroke.

Stevens Road, Margaret River; leeuwinestate.com.au

Cullen Biodynamic Wine Room, Wilyabrup

Serious wine cred notwithstanding, Cullen Biodynamic Wine Room is one of the region’s most relaxed dining rooms. The rustic timber fittings evoke mountain lodge vibes, while just beyond the windows is a glorious vista of rolling vineyards and a spiral organic garden. That garden is the inspiration for the four-course seasonal menus—more than 90 per cent of the produce is grown on-site—and the commitment to quality and freshness is evident from the first bite to the last.

House-baked focaccia might come with a spread of roasted peppers bolstered by yuzu oil, goat’s curd and the peppery tang of nasturtium flowers and leaves. You can almost taste the sunshine in a gorgeous jumble of springtime vegetables—snapdragons, fava beans, asparagus, artichokes—with stracciatella adding creamy decadence. Heartier options, like beautifully rosy Arkady Lamb, are also made special with black garlic and elderflower. Indeed, the garden and the winery’s biodynamic ethos permeates every plate to wonderful effect

4323 Caves Road, Wilyabrup

Voyager Estate, Margaret River 

Winery dining, especially the degustation variety, can sometimes turn into a laboured show and tell. Ideally, it should feel like an in-depth, intimate conversation between the diner and the restaurant-cum-winery. Voyager excels at this.

Their menus, based on the season in the vineyard, are finely pitched for those here to experience wine and food—perhaps in that order. On the plate, you might find house-baked bread with Voyager-mite butter and powdered burnt leek, or bite-size Fremantle Octopus with strawberry gum glaze and fermented zucchini. Transitions between courses, and wines, are masterful—the influence of long-time estate sommelier Claire Tonon strongly felt. There are discoveries to be made, even for those well-versed in the estate’s past and present: a wine infused with estate botanicals, a collaboration between chefs, winemakers and gardeners, a real moment of delight.

And while this is one of the more formal expressions of fine dining in the region (running to around three hours in their grand Dutch colonial surrounds), there are moments of levity: the offer of a chunk of bread to mop up a koji cream served with beef, and the server gleefully sharing their most-loved dishes. It’s all just an excuse to come back as the seasons change.

41 Stevens Road, Margaret River

More Casual South West Restaurants

Masseria, Wilyabrup

The Tuscan tones of the exterior, heavy rustic interior beams and international front-of-house crew could put you anywhere, but you’re in Margaret River. Opened in late 2024, Masseria brings together the Cherubino family, on whose estate the restaurant sits, and Ben Jacob of Lagoon in Yallingup. It’s a great showcase for the Cherubino portfolio of wines, both local and imported, with food drawing on the idea of elevated yet homely Italian dining.

The menu isn’t expansive, but nor does it need to be. Polenta is pillowy and, although fried and loaded with butter, has the feel of a light bite. What magic, topped with salted cod. Consider the mortadella spiedini a moment and then do yourself (and your companions) a favour and order a few of these crisp-edged bites skewered on peppermint twigs. Order up, not down, on the antipasti snacks if you’re settling in. Pasta is housemade, a perfectly al dente fettuccine with king prawns could be a calling card. All that’s left is to add chilli oil to your taste and devour. A generous pork cotoletta is a great sharing dish, with well-dressed green oak salad sidelining like a star.

3478 Caves Road, Wilyabrup

Glenarty Road, Karridale

Sure, you’ve eaten lamb before, but have you eaten lamb like the grass-fed, free-range, estate-reared lamb at regenerative farm and winery, Glenarty Road? One of only two meats regularly served here—the other is pork, also raised on site—its rich flavour comes from a life well-lived.

A theme that carries across all the produce served at this pretty refurbished farm shed is that almost everything hitting your plate is grown metres from the door. Perhaps springy sorrel leaves and broad beans, clustered by a cheddar cheese tart. Or a thicket of honey-roasted carrots beside a splodge of macadamia toum. A medley of butter-poached asparagus and radish with a garden-green velouté. Without exception, everything that Chef Adam Court fashions into his five ever-changing courses tastes deeply and wholeheartedly of itself.

70 Glenarty Road, Karridale

Yarri, Dunsborough

After all these years, chef Aaron Carr still has a clear and simple focus on good produce and even better cooking at Dunsborough’s Yarri. Three- or six-course menus can at first feel limiting, but quickly their seasonality and the kitchen’s approach to peak flavour extraction comes to fruition.

House-smoked trout is delicate, with magnified savouriness thanks to fresh horseradish, countered by sweet, crisp, raw and blanched asparagus. A miso and black garlic butter vies for dominance with its accompanying slab of expertly charred beef while a sweet, sticky carrot marmalade is served alongside Halls Family Dairy’s award-winning Suzette. Want to know more? Saddle up at the kitchen bar and chat with engaged chefs in complete control of their busy service, more than willing to chat ingredients and process. By-the-glass wine pours are from part owners, Snake & Herring, while cocktails are a dark horse. Yarri remains a solid in-town alternative to winery dining.

7/16 Cyrillean Way, Dunsborough

Lagoon, Yallingup

If AI were able to conjure restaurants from thin air, and the prompt was ‘breezy Australian beachside café/seafood joint’, the result would probably look a lot like Lagoon.

The breakfast and lunch restaurant, which sits just across from Yallingup’s main beach, is white-washed with windows that retract to open the space up to the sea breeze and a view of surfers readying themselves for the famed waves. A kiosk window sees brisk coffee action in the mornings, while inside, poached eggs over white beans with ’nduja, or brioche French toast with passionfruit curd and mascarpone, are dished up to happy punters.

At lunch, the menu turns towards the ocean—plump mussels mariniere come swimming in a wine-based broth, showered with parsley and served with hot chips, while spaghetti gets shot-through with crab cooked in Champagne. The crumbed fish burger is like an elevated filet-o-fish, complete with American cheese and pickles.

If you wanted one restaurant to represent the glory of our coastline and laid-back way of life, you’ve found it.

2/6 Dawson Drive, Yallingup; lagoonyallingup.com.au

Chow’s Table, Yallingup

There are reliable constants when dining in the Margaret River region, and one is that Malay-Chinese diner Chow’s Table is going to deliver. This place has the hallmarks of winery dining, co-located with House of Cards, but the personal and professional journey of chef Malcolm Chow is on show.

The menu may be taking cues from his family heritage, but there’s a sense of his grounding as a chef, and dishes that deliver on aesthetics as much as taste. The siu mai dumplings are a must. Topped with bright orange caviar, there are briny bursts of flavour as well as colour in a dish that you could easily double up on. Barramundi with a lively shrimp sambal is leaning towards comfort, while the lacquered roast ducks you see hung in the kitchen aren’t just for show.

A final pro tip: get the inevitable leftover rice and a little bit of Chow’s classic duck boxed up and you’ve got next-day fried-rice dinner sorted.

12/5 Quininup Road, Yallingup;

Miki’s Open Kitchen, Margaret River

It’s fair to say Mikihito Nagai is revered in Margaret River, his restaurant Miki’s Open Kitchen frequently on the lips of locals tipping their favourite places to eat in a region world-renowned for its food offering. Booking ahead to experience this sought-after Japanese dining theatre is wise, and a spot at the counter is prime real estate. The team in the open kitchen, in trademark workwear and flat caps, prepare delicate specialty tempura and other dishes with a focus on local ingredients, bringing the best of Western Australian produce into focus through a Japanese lens.

With a choice of set menus, including one for kids, you’ll work through up to 23 dishes and bites in a sitting. First up, a simple amuse bouche of sliced Bravo apple from Manjimup with sancho pepper, followed by oshizushi (pressed sushi) using Shark Bay crab, effortlessly elegant in its restraint. There’s local venison for the tataki, and grass-fed amiyaki Blackwood Valley Beef. In matching drinks, there’s a considered non-alcoholic offering, a sake match, and a list that takes in wines from small-batch Margaret River producers. Note the rare sighting of Kyoho, a grape native to Japan but grown in the Swan Valley by Bella Ridge Estate. At the centre of all this is Nagai, greeting and farewelling guests with trademark charm—a warmth that lives on past dinner and no doubt what keeps the restaurant front of many minds.

131 Bussell Highway, Margaret River; 

Breweries and Pubs for a Pint or Two

Beerfarm, Metricup

The clue is in the name: this one-time dairy farm became a brewery back in 2015. Since then, Beerfarm has bolstered a reputation as one of the South West’s best brewers, their core range popping up on taps across the State. But going to the source offers an experience that gets into the real swing of life down south.

It’s great for families without being an oversized playground (note the seasonal slip ’n’ slide is kids-only), seriously dog friendly (big tick), and still draws a crowd of the beer faithful. Sustainability is front of mind, whether it’s going solar, composting or running their own herd of Black Angus cattle that feed on grass and the brewery’s spent grain.

While the food reputation was built on their longtime collaboration with Burnt Ends Smoking Co., a changing of the guard hasn’t dulled quality. Hayden Vink’s menu skirts continents, a shared spread perhaps taking in togarashi corn, tender smoked lamb ribs, tacos, tostadas or Thai beef salad. Put it all together and it’s good times in the making.

177 Gale Road, Metricup

Caves House Pub, Yallingup

The word iconic is often bandied about, but this is one down-south pub that has earned the moniker. Built in 1903, Caves House Pub is now a favoured local for the lucky residents of Yallingup and those a short drive away in Dunsborough. It’s long been on the radar of those who head south for the summer, when the acres of heritage-listed gardens heave with visitors.

This is very much a place to eat, drink and, if things are set to get merry, stay the night. Food is not overworked here, a simple yet modern menu is well-executed, especially the seafood. Think Cone Bay barramundi, crisp-skinned, served with nahm jim, or beer-battered snapper with curry mayo.

18 Yallingup Beach Road, Yallingup

Eagle Bay Brewing Co, Eagle Bay

Chances are you’re well aware of Eagle Bay Brewing Co., their label a familiar sight on bars and in bottle shops across the State. And the name isn’t just some savvy marketing ploy, the production brewery and onsite brewpub looking out over the bay to the Indian Ocean on land that the d’Espeissis family have been farming since the 1950s.

Founded by siblings Nick, Astrid and Adrian back in 2010, its reputation is less about the outlandish side of craft brewing and more about creating a solid and, dare we say, dependable, core range. That ethos carries through to the brewpub with relative newcomer, chef Josh De Caen, amping up the menu with seasonal favourites showcasing local produce. The popular wood-fired pizzas and a roster of family favourites remain, but you’ll also find dishes with a little extra oomph: see South West bluefin tuna tartare or fried enoki mushroom tacos.

Eagle Bay Road, Eagle Bay

Margaret River Brewhouse, Margaret River

In a region not short of breweries and brewpubs, you really have to be on your game to stand out. Brewhouse, as you’ll hear it called down south, is now the outpost for the extended Margaret River Beer Co. brand, but it’s perhaps been a slow burn since opening in 2016. The bones of something great have always been there, with its edge-of-town yet walkable location, laidback vibe, tiered beer garden, order-on-repeat chicken wings and generally beer-savvy menu. But as the brewing has become more confident and fans of the core range have grown, so too has the Brewhouse’s reputation as a must-stop for out-of-towners. It’s clearly also a locals’ favourite—you might even spot the odd winemaker or viticulturist partaking of grain rather than grape.

35 Bussell Highway, Margaret River

Wild Hop Brewing Co., Yallingup

There are bigger names on the Margaret River brewing scene, but don’t miss this smaller player that tends to fly under the radar, perhaps because you don’t see their beers on taps as readily throughout the region.  Kid-friendly can sometimes seem like code for ‘massive playground that serves beer’, but Wild Hop navigates the kid-adult balance brilliantly.

For those who like thinking about what’s in their glass, there’s serious output, from a dry-hopped Gose to sessionable NEIPA or big-hitting IPAs (the kind that calls for a designated driver). Food is also on the hearty, generously portioned side: fresh salads with roasted pumpkin, golden and juicy rotisserie chicken (whole or half), or wood-fired pork knuckle with tangy sauerkraut. Worth the stop to check out the Brewers Buns – their take on a burger loaded with brisket or pulled lamb.

1301 Wildwood Road, Yallingup

Settlers Tavern, Margaret River

The quintessential country pub? In some ways, yes—Settlers Tavern is a community hub and esteemed live music venue with a solid and expansive food offering. Many will be content with firm favourites chicken parma or the surefire hits from the smoker barbecue—beef brisket or ribs, say—but there’s also plenty championing local produce and housemade specials. What’s a cut-above your regular country local, though, is the depth and breadth of the drinks list at ‘The Tav’. A bulging tap and by-the-bottle list runs to over 60 beers, including their own Margaret River Ale Co. small-batch brews. And then there’s that award-winning wine list, which is the drawcard for many. This is a pub at the heart of a region that’s world-renowned for its wine, after all. A list running to 600 bottles or more doesn’t seem too out of place.

114 Bussell Highway, Margaret River

Eat and Drink Like a Local

Normal Van, Margaret River

Starting life as a mobile food truck, the permanent bricks-and-mortar home of Normal Van on Margaret River’s main street has added a depth to the offering from chef Rob Webster and winemaker-cum-hospo-gun, Jess Waldron. More than your standard burger joint, sourcing is at a high level. They serve the likes of Dirty Clean Food regeneratively farmed beef, and housemade pickles and hot sauces (nab some to take home with you). There’s also Waldron’s Jingalup Wines alongside local beer and batched cocktails.

Specials come on and off the menu, perhaps feeding the creative side of a chef who came up in the region through winery restaurants. A more recent development has seen weekend brunch during holiday periods complete with bottomless drip coffee, perhaps WA’s best example of a brekky burger and, for those with a ferocious appetite, the Full American (stay tuned on the Full Canadian—Webster hails from Vancouver).

Unit 2, 115-117 Bussell Highway, Margaret River

Dear Darnell’s, Margaret River

Part of the years-long renovation of the Old Darnell’s Store, there’s lots to love about Dear Darnell’s, a venue that adds to an eclectic mix that includes the Amato Vino tasting room, a go-to coffee shop and creative retail spaces. The aesthetic is reclaimed and vintage throughout, from the stained glass to the central circular bar complete with pressed tin.

The relaxed decor might say this is a place to sink a few local beers, like their own Darnell’s Lager, but the cocktail offering is strong, including both seasonal specials and rusted-on classics like an old fashioned, negroni or a dark and stormy. As you’d expect, there’s wine from the neighbours at Amato Vino, as well as locals Si Vintners, McHenry Hohnen, Arlewood and South by South West.

At the heart of the kitchen is a woodfired oven that’s gained them a reputation for their pizzas, but who could go past the Caesar salad with wonderfully gooey egg and focaccia croutons, or a woodfired chicken parmigiana with macadamia pesto and fries?

3 Redgate Road, Witchcliffe

Pearl’s Bar, Margaret River

There’s a sniff of the old-time saloon about Pearl’s Bar on Margs’ main street. Might be the retro italic font on the facade or the Country Women’s Association-style wallpaper. Could be the wine barrel tables, the ‘gone fishin’ signage, or the pinball machine in the back. But what isn’t old-fashioned is the service, or the shiny drinks. The former is affable and approachable, while the latter is a livewire list of classic and gently tweaked cocktails, a locally stacked taplist, and an energetic collection of interesting wines—mostly Australian with the odd European wildcard. Martini options in particular deserve a languid look before making any sudden moves. Choose from six styles, including 2024’s big martini main character: the golden yellow Alaska.

1/151 Bussell Highway, Margaret River

Dahl Daddys, Margaret River

If there ever was a time this curry joint at the side of a skate park flew under the radar, that era has passed. Now an essential stop for anyone heading to Margaret River, Dahl Daddys is a place you’ll hear tipped by locals alongside the fine dining stalwarts of the region. On any given night, you’ll find a crowd waiting for takeaway, having impromptu catch ups, and plenty of punters grabbing a spot on the outdoor tables and benches. Some bring a rug to spread over the grass.

Chef-owner Corey Rozario has taken his Burmese heritage, the dishes that he knows, and imbued them with a sense of place – on occasion using kangaroo tail. While the chalkboard changes daily, there are the crowd-pleasing favourites. A hands-on paratha, stuffed with bamboo slaw and balachaung, with a fried egg or dhufish. Of course, the eponymous dahl is a hit, but there’s also a rotation of curries like ohn no khao swe and textural lahpet thoke salad (notable for its fermented tea leaves) served with optional rice and fish.

31 Wallcliffe Road, Margaret River

Looking for more holiday eats? Find the best places to eat and drink in Albany, according to Liberte’s Amy Hamilton.