Savour freshly-caught seafood in Mandurah by Emily Graham from Scoop
What started as a humble fishing town over 100 years ago, the thriving city of Mandurah is now well-renowned for its superb seafood.
With an estuary expanding over twice the space of Sydney Harbour, the area is teeming with marine life like crayfish, mullet, salmon and blue manna crab.
With such an abundance of fresh produce on their doorstep, here is the inside scoop on where to sample the best of Mandurah’s fresh, delicious seafood.
Redmanna Waterfront Restaurant
Overlooking the pristine canals and waterways of Mandurah, Redmanna Waterfront Restaurant sits along the Eastern Foreshore and is famous for its show-stopping seafood towers. Indulge in three-tiers of delights from the deep, including a whole crayfish and blue manna crab (caught in Mandurah), oysters and mussels, a variety of fish, octopus and prawns.
Redmanna Waterfront Restaurant source as much produce as they can locally to ensure diners get the freshest seafood experience possible. Their wine list features a selection from across WA, Australia and New Zealand and the friendly staff can readily provide pairing recommendations. Catering to all tastes, Redmanna Waterfront Restaurant offers a variety of dishes that cater to vegetarian and gluten-free diets as well
Mandurah Cruises Wild Seafood Experience (On Request)
Embrace WA’s seafood capital by taking to the water and catching your own meal like a local. Embark on a voyage around the estuary with Mandurah Cruises’ Wild Seafood Experience. Tour aboard a specialised, 2-level fishing charter boat with comfortable, heated interiors. All the equipment you need for your expedition is provided onboard, including tackle, bait, rods, nets and traps. With help of experienced guides who know the best fishing spots around, cast out your fishing lines for local delicacies like dhufish, snapper or baldchin groper, catch your own blue manna crab or pull in some fresh crayfish.
Once you have reeled in your tasty lunch, hand over your haul to experienced Chef Daphne or Chef Maxine, who will expertly cook your catch. Enhance your seafood experience with beautiful fresh flavours and accompanying dishes, and savour your freshly-caught lunch as you watch wild dolphins play in the waters around you.
Sharky’s Restaurant, Bar and Cafe
Head to local haunt, Sharky’s, for a family-friendly atmosphere and a classic fish and chips meal. Start your meal with prawn and crab arancini, or try out their locally caught snapper (battered or grilled for a healthier option), or sample from their premium fish menu, including dhufish and barramundi.
Sharing your meal? Grab the shared seafood platter, with seafood delights like chilli and lime prawn skewers, lemon pepper calamari and battered fish goujons just to name a few! Warm-up your winter with their seafood chowder or marinara pastas. Located on the boardwalk at Dolphin Quay, you can watch the sunset over the Bay or watch dolphins play as you enjoy your meal.
Catch your own dinner
Get back to the roots of the town by catching your own seafood dinner from the estuary. With some of the healthiest marine life and waterways in Australia, produce out of Mandurah is unbeatably fresh and full of flavour. Head down to the local hotspot at Mandurah Estuary Bridge Fishing Jetty for top-notch fishing, or throw your traps out in Mandjar Bay between December and August to collect some tasty blue manna crabs and crayfish.
For more information about Mandurah’s fishing rules, see here.
Originally published as ‘Savour freshly-caught seafood in Mandurah’ by Scoop.