The long weekend season continues, and we are not complaining. Get prepared for a properly food-focused long weekend. Here are our tips for leaning into three days well spent.
- Pick one restaurant from our Top 100 or Long List you haven’t tried yet. Call that friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with and lock in a booking
- Schedule some proper downtime. Our current Netflix watch is Dinner Time Live with David Chang and Rick Stein’s Australia on SBS Food
- Grab a copy of our printed magazine if you haven’t already. Email us for a list of pickup spots, or head to Il Lido, The Wine Thief, Mane Liquor Osborne Park, Magic Apple or Yalla Bala
- Head out for a walk and catch up on some older eps from the WAGFG Podcast Paper, Scissors, Stock ahead of our 2026 series launch
- Pick up a good bottle of West Australian wine. Your grab list; LS Merchants “The Trip” Iscariot Kross Chenin Blanc 2023, the Vasse Felix Heytesbury Chardonnay 2023 or the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2023. For something a little different, the Chouette Cold Cuts 2024, a chilled red blend that is perfect for the long weekend, and LS Merchants Chardonnay 2024 which is drinking beautifully right now. Round things out with the LS Merchants “Haus Of Pagne” magnum, a sparkling Chardonnay made for sharing. Support great independent bottleshops like Besk, Mane Liquor, The Wine Thief, Old Bridge Cellars, La Vigna, The Re Store and Wise Child Wine Store (to name but a few)
- Stock up on coffee ahead of the dawn service. We like the instant bags from Margaret River Roasting Co for something easy but still decent
- Have a breakfast plan. Post-service or long weekend brunch is part of it. Try Kith Eatery in Nedlands, Side Piece in Swanbourne, Local & Aesthetic in Mount Lawley, Little Mason in South Perth, Laneway Seven in Wundowie, or Toast in East Perth. Keep your eye out for our article out this week – The Ten Coolest Breakfasts in Perth; The Autumn Edition
- Make your own Anzacs. Check out the recipe from our Editor in Chief Georgia Moore below
Georgia Moore’s Miso ANZAC Biscuits
A simple riff on the CWA classic. Makes approximately 35 biscuits. Preparation time 20 minutes. Cooking time 15 to 20 minutes.
ANZAC biscuits are best left mostly as they are. This recipe has lasted for a reason, built on simple ingredients and a reliable method. This version keeps that foundation, with one small change; a spoonful of white miso is stirred into the melted butter and golden syrup.
Preheat the oven to 160°C and line baking trays with baking paper. In a large bowl, combine 200g of rolled oats, 150g of sifted plain flour, and 90g of desiccated coconut. You can use 200g of all white sugar for a cleaner finish, or a mix of 100g white and 100g brown sugar if you prefer a slightly crisper texture.
In a saucepan, melt 110g of butter with the golden syrup over medium heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in one to one and a half tablespoons of white miso until fully dissolved. Avoid boiling the miso, as this will dull its flavour. Stir in 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda mixed with 2 tablespoons of boiling water, then pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well until combined.
Roll tablespoon-sized portions, about 32g each, into balls and place on the prepared trays, leaving room for spreading. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Allow the biscuits to cool on the trays, where they will firm up as they sit.
The finished biscuits will feel familiar, with a little more depth. The miso brings out the caramel notes from the golden syrup and gives a slightly chewier centre.
If you want to riff it up a little more, you can fold through a small handful of chopped dark chocolate, swap a couple of tablespoons of sugar for maple syrup, or sprinkle a pinch of sesame seeds over the top before baking. Keep the miso measured and the butter reduced, otherwise the biscuits will spread too much and become greasy. I dip mine in coffee. Enjoy!
ANZAC Day Dawn Service
The 2026 ANZAC Day Dawn Service will be held at Kaarta Gar-up at the State War Memorial. Running from 5.45am to 7.00am on April 25, it remains Western Australia’s principal service, drawing thousands at first light for a quiet, reflective ceremony.
Where to Eat: Perth
Across Perth, there’s no shortage of options open this ANZAC Day. In the CBD and surrounds, Balthazar, Garum, Cooee, Fortune Five, Hearth, Petition Kitchen, Post and Santini Bar & Grill are all open across lunch and or dinner. Northbridge carries things into the evening with Double Rainbow, Margot’s, Vincent Wine and Wines of While all open.
In the Western Suburbs, Gibney, Magic Apple, Shorehouse, Pearla & Co, The Bridge House, Il Lido and Indigo Oscar are open throughout the day, while Bib & Tucker in North Fremantle runs from breakfast through to dinner. Fremantle remains a strong option, with Bread in Common, Emily Taylor and Vin Populi all open, alongside more relaxed stops like La Cabaña. Jetty and La Lune in East Fremantle are also solid choices.
SOR; Canteen Pizza (the breakfast pizza – a must) in Applecross and Nextdoor in South Perth offer all-day dining, while Le Rebelle, Testun and Threecoins & Sons in Mount Lawley, along with Sonny’s in Mount Hawthorn and Si Paradiso in Highgate, take things into the evening.
Where to Eat: South West and Regional WA
Further afield, the South West is well covered. In Margaret River, The Settlers Tavern, Normal Van, Margaret River Brewhouse, Pizzica, Voyager Estate and Vasse Felix are all open. Vintners Wine Bar and Dear Darnell’s in Witchcliffe are open for lunch and dinner, while Lagoon in Yallingup offers a more casual kiosk option.
Our current top four in Busselton; Curry Port, Inara, The Goose and Banksia Tavern – all welcoming Anzac Weekend traffic. And if you’ve not yet tried Mano Wraps, this is the time.
Over on Rottnest Island, Isola, Pelican and Sunsets are open across the day, while Hotel Rottnest covers lunch and dinner.
Pubs
Besk in West Leederville, Gage Roads Freo, The Beaufort Highgate, Brown Street Grill in East Perth and The Elford in Mount Lawley are all open for lunch and dinner, alongside Fallow in Northbridge. Cottesloe Beach Hotel remains a reliable coastal option, while FOUND. in Subiaco and Margaret River Brewhouse both lend themselves to an easy afternoon.
Bars
If the plan is to keep things simple, Bobeche in the CBD, Juanita’s in Subiaco, Edward & Idas in Northbridge and Servo in Leederville are all open into the evening. Patio Bar and Republic of Fremantle offer solid Fremantle options, while Terrarium is a good late stop in the city.
Get Booking – Special Events
Across the long weekend and beyond, a handful of one-off events are worth booking
Wines of While – Dahl Daddys returns for a short, dinner-only residency, bringing Corey Rozario’s killer Burmese-inspired menu back for five nights. Book HERE
On Friday April 24, Fridays Child launches at Lawson Flats, a new monthly music series led by Mitchell J Benson and Matthew R Thomas, joined this month by John Tanner. Book a table at Luis’ HERE
Sunday April 26 sees an Afro-Caribbean cookout at Peasant’s Paradise featuring Kevin from ‘Jerk After Dark’ pairing African and Indian flavours. Book HERE
Just after the long weekend, Lawson Flats hosts Write & Wrong Pt II on April 28, a conversation on food journalism featuring Fleur Bainger, Max Veenhuyzen and Max Brearley.
A fiesta-themed bottomless dining event inspired by Cinco de Mayo is happening at The Camfield on Saturday, 9 May from 3pm to 5pm. It’s a three-course share-style menu featuring Mexican favourites like birria beef tacos, elote corn ribs and empanadas, followed by churros with dulce de leche. The experience includes two hours of free-flowing cocktails, beer and wine, and tequila as a highlight. Tickets are $95 per person, with a $65 non-alcoholic option available, and celebrations continue in the Main Bar afterward.
