To avoid roaming around until you’re ravenous and weak at the knees hungry, we’ve hunted down the legendary foodie stops, popular eats and yummy experiences that you might otherwise only know about if you were a local.

The best coffee stops in Mandurah

The Groundswell

The coffee roasters at Frothin Coffee like to do things old school, and by that we mean they roast their beans using a 100-year-old wood-fired method. Did you know, the very first commercial coffee roasters were wood fired? Owner and coffee roaster, Purri Gould is sticking with this tradition, using his authentically handmade wood-fired roasting machine made in Italy by Trabattoni, a 100+-year-old traditional coffee roasting family, to produce some pretty special blends.

These guys are pretty good at knowing what you want – even when you don’t! So, where can you find them? Head to Groundswell Drivethru – 99 Pinjarra Road, or lookout for the bright orange kombi van around town. 

Mataya Eatery

Step inside those iconic pink doors and we guarantee you won’t be disappointed. It’s always warm and toasty at Mataya, and why wouldn’t it be with speciality coffees and wholesome goodness galore. But it’s not always about the coffee, these guys do a mean caffeine-free chia latte. With a dash of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon, it’s sings heaven to your tastebuds.

Come for a quick daytime meal, linger in the courtyard area, or stop by when you need food on the run. Our top picks are the acai bowls, warm bagels, toasties and you can’t go past their almond croissants. Mataya is situated on Sholl St just a short stroll from the Mandurah foreshore. 

Frisky Deer

It’s impossible not to smile here! After you’ve perused all the gorgeous homewares, interiors, apparel and gifts at the Frisky Deer shop, make sure you order a fresh Margaret River Roasting Co coffee from the friendly baristas. Their lovingly baked homemade sweet treats and organic raw slices are also hard to pass up. The rest of the neighbourhood knows it too, so make sure you get in early before the cabinet runs out!

The best brekky breaks in Mandurah

Café Moka 

No place does brunch quite like Café Moka. No matter what time of the day you wake up, Moka serves up their delicious brunch menu from 7 am to 3 pm. And it’s a nice stroll down to the waterfront along Mandurah’s Dolphin Quay Marina.

Before you hit up their selection of freshly made cakes that are baked in-house daily, you may want to check out the chef’s daily specials. Some past favourites include Cajun fried chicken on waffles, homemade potato and leek rosti, or a Spanish flair chorizo, slow roasted sofrito. The kids will also love love love the pancakes.

Miami Bakehouse

Does the average meat pie ever leave you wanting more? That’ll never be the case when you try one of the award-winning and unique pie flavours at Miami Bakehouse. All of their pies (and there are many to choose from) are made from scratch using the best local, WA ingredients.

But this bakehouse isn’t just about the pies. If you get in early enough, grab a loaf of their organic flour sourdough bread, and with a cabinet full of doughnuts, custard tarts, slices, chocolate eclairs, cheesecakes, lamingtons and more treats than we can mention, there’s something to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

As if they haven’t won enough awards already, Miami Bakehouse also recently won the Most Successful Pastry Exhibitor and Champion Pastry Exhibit at the Perth Royal Food Awards 2021. Stopping by their Myalup store? Make sure to check out the fun KangaART installation for some Insta snaps.

Tods Cafe

Take a walk on the boardwalk along Mandurah Terrace, and you’ll stumble upon a local favourite where it’s all about great coffees, authentic food and friendly service. Mandurah is innately relaxed by nature, and Tods effortlessly offers up the leisurely quality that comes with dining outdoors. Slow down for a moment, embrace the morning sun, and let your mind wander as you people watch and tuck into Tods belly-aching brekky menu.

The best bites for lunch in Mandurah

Wood and Stone

There’s a lot of flavours that can be packed in between two buns, and Wood and Stone’s gourmet burgers are exactly what you’ll crave after a morning spent hitting the walking trails, birdwatching or exploring the natural wonders and wetlands. This homey café is the perfect place to put your feet up and recharge. And they’ve just launched their spring menu, which features their famous mouth-watering pulled pork burger, buttermilk fried chicken burger and southern fried cauliflower burger.

Restaurant Café Coast

Two words: Seafood frenzy. Mandurah and the Peel region is renowned for it and there’s no better place to enjoy freshly caught fare than at this casual waterside restaurant at Port Bouvard Marina. Don’t just take out word for it, Restaurant Café Coast was named winner of the 2021 Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award. Book a table or just call in!

Sharky’s Fish & Chips

Sometimes all you’re craving is good old-fashioned fish and chips, right? Whether your preference is grilled or battered, the guys at Sharky’s know their fish, and you can be sure it’s always fresh and locally sourced. Dine alfresco by the beautiful surrounds of Dolphin Quay or grab some takeaway for a picnic in the fresh open air. If you prefer to stay indoors, the new indoor kids play area will keep the young ones occupied while you enjoy a peaceful moment to eat.

Silk Thai

Silk Thai is a local institution for authentic Thai cuisine. If you’re after a quick bite, their delicious lunch menu features flavoursome and aromatic curries and stir-fry dishes that really packs a punch. Silk Thai have honed their flavour profiles over many years, using fresh local ingredients without compromising the fragrant flavours that is Thai cuisine. 

Not a fan of the hot and spicy? You don’t have to be. Only half the dishes on their menu contain any chilli at all, and most can be adjusted to suit your taste. If you’re passing through, their new drive-thru service will have you in and out in a flash.

The Hummingbird Plant Based

Mandurah’s first exclusive plant-based café is conveniently located next door to its sister café, The Hummingbird Waterside Café. Their all-day vegan and the gluten-free menu includes a ‘smoked salmon’ on rosti, chai panna cotta granola and Buffalo ‘chicken’ tacos.

Owner and chef Carly has also recently introduced flexible dining between their 2 venues. Vegans can enjoy a meal with friends and family without being frustrated there’s nothing on the menu for them. Order a meal off the plant based menu and they’ll bring it over to you at The Hummingbird. 

The best places to wine and dine for dinner in Mandurah

Flics Kitchen

Not afraid to push the boundaries of Mandurah’s foodie scene, owner and head chef of Flics Kitchen, Felicity Evans continues to create culinary creativity with her forever changing menu at this casual dining establishment. And the flavour combos are out of this world, with ingredients too hard to pronounce. Think Exmouth Gold Band snapper with fennel a la greque, yuzu and truffle beurre. And handmade rabbit ravioli with Jerusalem artichoke, oyster mushroom, salted ricotta and sage brown butter. It’s not hard to see why they were voted winners of the 2021 AGFG Readers’ Choice Award for best Regional Café!

Flics also put on some epic dinner events. Coming up is a 5 course plant based dinner on Thursday 9 September.

Brewvino

Okay yes, this is technically a bar, but Brewvino is also a kitchen that serves an assortment of rustic and quirky dishes to share so that instantly elevates it to legend status. Brewvino’s motto is ‘good food is best shared with friends, so we recommend going with a few peeps and ordering the Abrolhos Islands half shell scallop with XO butter, pan-fried gnocchi, Backwood Valley beef rib eye, and throw in a pizza or two to really satisfy everyone’s appetite.

This venue’s stylish and relaxed vibe is what Mandurah is all about. It’s also one of the best spots to enjoy uninterrupted views of the waterways.

Catch 22

If you’re in the mood for tapas and cocktails, then Catch 22 has got you covered. Take your pick from a wide selection of tapas plates all under $20, and if you’re looking for an even more affordable night out, head in for their $39 all can eat tapas on Wednesday or Thursday nights.

Samudera

Meaning ‘the ocean’ in Indonesian, Samudera brings the holiday vibes every day with its perfect waterfront location. The team here are very passionate about local WA seafood and collab with a 5th generation Mandurah fishing family, and a local WA fisherman in the Abrolhos Islands, to bring locally caught fresh seafood to their menu. They also bake handmade traditional artisan bread using their own live cultures, which pays homage to the historic building on which Samudera stands – the very first bakery in Mandurah dating back to the early 1900s.

Must try: Mandurah crab spaghetti

Redmanna Waterfront Restaurant

Get yourself to Redmanna where legit, everything oozes pure class. Sourcing only the highest quality and best Australian ingredients, Redmanna recently introduced a new menu and we recommend trying their duck breast with beetroot, caramelised red cabbage and blueberry jus. Following the success of their recent truffle degustation dinner, they’re also serving their truffle menu Wednesdays to Sundays, but it’s only for a limited time.

The best drinking holes in Mandurah

Bar Therapy

Welcome to the place you wish was your local. Bar Therapy is somewhere you can relax and enjoy good times with family and friends – the best kind of therapy! Aside from their killer cocktail list (there are too many delectable concoctions to mention), the kitchen dishes up a load of tasty morsels and burgers. We highly recommend going for their famous chilli salt squid and naan sliders.

You can find Bar Therapy at the historical Tuckey House landmark on Mandurah’s Waterfront.

Peel Estate

If wines are more your palate, then a day drip to Peel Estate is a day well spent. Open daily, you can sample their quality wines and hang out for hours in their beautiful picnic surrounds and BBQ areas. BYO food and drinks (non-alcoholic) is encouraged.

The Peninsula

Love kicking back with a drink in the sun? Then head to The Pen, featuring the biggest beer garden in town that offers both serenity and sunshine on the water’s edge. With 48 beers on tap, an extensive wine list and arguably some of the best cocktails in Mandurah, there’s no better way to relax and chill. 

Feeling peckish while you’re there? You can have your share of the bar menu with vegan options aplenty, or pull up a table at the restaurant.  

The Bridge Garden Bar 

At The Bridge, it’s all about good food, good wine and good times. Bring on the weekend with TGIF drinks, lazy Sunday afternoons in the sunny garden bar, sip cocktails in the comfort of their cocktail bar and enjoy live acoustic sessions on Friday and Saturday nights. What more could you want?

Three Rivers Brewing

This neighbourhood spot in Greenfields doesn’t look like much, but when the weekend rolls around, this family-run microbrewery is the place to be. The taproom offers amazing craft beer and live music in a family-friendly atmosphere. Most weekends you’ll find food trucks or freshly baked pies and sausage rolls, but this place is so chilled they don’t mind if you BYO snacks.

The Oyster Bar

Who doesn’t love a bar that serves up oysters? Perfect for a quick catch up with friends or an evening out, Mandurah’s only waterfront wine bar is all the talk here. Whether you like your oysters chilled or grilled, baked or steamed, the Oyster Bar do it all. Team it up with their impeccable grazing plates and a wine list hand-picked from some of the best cellar doors in WA – and you have everything you need for a relaxing session.

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.