Fremantle, or Freo as the locals know it, is renowned as an artsy alternative to its sister city of Perth.
Trams glide the streets among heritage-listed colonial buildings. Markets, breweries and cool restaurants are frequented by trendy locals. The harbour is always bustling, encapsulating Fremantle’s past, present and future as a coastal city and port.
With so much to discover in Fremantle, you can easily spend a week here soaking up the sun and getting amongst the unique culture of Australia’s Top Tourism Town 2025.
Fremantle’s top places to dine out
Daytime dining in Fremantle means cosy cafes and classy restaurants with ocean views.
Kailis’ Fishmarket Café is rated one of the best spots in town for delicious local seafood straight from the water. Choose from the fry menu, where you can pick any fresh fillet to fry with a side of chips or scallops or the BBQ menu for grilled seafood with chips and house slaw. Those after something a little fancier can also enjoy chilled shellfish including lobster.
The harbourside location makes it the perfect place to watch the sunset over a glass of local wine, and the menu even comes complete with advice on the best wine pairing to elevate your meal. For those dining with children, the kids’ menu includes crowd pleases such as chicken nuggets & chips and fish & chips.
At Peggy’s, a family-owned sandwich servery, you’ll be sent back in time to an old-school deli. The bread here is house-made daily, and topped with the freshest local ingredients. For breakfast, tuck into an egg and cheese bun with special sauce, and for lunch try Peggy’s best selling fried chicken schnitty focaccia with dill mayo and cheddar. The menu is small, but every dish is made to perfection. For something more unique, try the fish sandwich on a potato bun, with tartar, cheese, onion and pickles. Of course, no trip is complete without a nostalgic thick-shake to wash it all down.
Luckily, the gourmet fun doesn’t end when the sun sets. Fremantle is also home to plenty of restaurants for romantic date nights and fun with friends.
Tucked just behind the Fremantle Markets, Emily Taylor is a modern Asian fusion restaurant you won’t want to miss. The menu celebrates quality WA ingredients, with standouts including wagyu oxtail dumplings, tapioca dusted ocean barramundi, and charred beef cheek. All dishes are best paired with a handcrafted cocktail or fine wine from the extensive list. On weekends, you can even book a table for bottomless Yum Cha, which includes two hours of dumplings and delicious drinks. If you’re visiting on Friday or Saturday night, the restaurant offers a special drinks and snack menu between 9pm and midnight.
Located inside a vintage storefront dining room, Madalenas is a cosy space where sustainable seafood is paired with an exceptional wine list. The food menu is updated seasonally to reflect the best produce from local farmers and the on-site kitchen garden. Current favourites include Spencer Gulf kingfish ceviche with cucumber, cashew and coriander, Wagin duck parfait served with maraschino cherry, onion jam and toast, as well as Fremantle octopus with tamarind, chipotle and duck fat. Upstairs, the newly opened bar space boasts ocean views and delicious cocktails that make for the perfect end to a fun night.
Of course, this only scratches the surface when it comes to the best places to eat in Fremantle. Make sure to also check out Manuka Woodfire Kitchen, Capri, and Wild Bakery for more.
Beer, wine and spirits galore
If you’re a craft beer fan, don’t miss a visit to Gage Roads Brewing Company. Open every day from 11am to late, this Freo staple has been crafting a range of beers and ciders inspired by its coastal location for more than 15 years. The drops are best enjoyed on site, where you’ll find a renovated industrial shed on the water is the perfect place to watch ships go by while listening to good tunes and chilling in the beer garden. Kids are welcome to play in the massive playground, while pups can lay at your feet while you sip on the famous coastal lager, summer ale, and limited edition releases exclusive to the brewpup. The venue also hosts weekly and monthly events, such as Wednesday night trivia and fam-fun-night Thursdays with free face painting, balloon animals, bubble machines, and a free kids’ meal with every adult meal.
Spirit lovers should head to the Republic of Fremantle, where a bar at the back of the distillery serves spirit flights, incredible cocktails, and authentic handmade pizzas and pasta. You can even book a guided tour of the distillery, where you’ll learn all about the distilling process before enjoying a guided tasting of the flagship range. Other experiences include a cocktail making class, gin distilling class, and a negroni tasting flight. When distilling your own gin, you will create a custom 500ml bottle using native botanicals and a mini pot still, while also enjoying a short history of gin making.
Located on Freo’s iconic South Beach, Running With Thieves combines craft beer and spirits with elevated pub grub. Locally owned and operated, the brewery makes almost everything on site, including the hand-distilled small batch gin, easy-drinking Australian larger, and low carb hazy pale ale. When visiting, you can enjoy the full range of beers and spirits while kids entertain themselves with games. Running with Thieves also hosts an open mic night every Wednesday, and live music on weekends.
H&C Urban Winery is a bar, restaurant, cellar door and fully-operational winery, all under one roof. Every week, you can swing by the restaurant for a range of specials including $25 pasta and wine on Mondays, or burgers, chips and a pint on Tuesdays. As well as serving delicious meals for the whole family, H&C Urban Winery also partners with the best winemakers in WA to produce a range of incredible drops. Recently, they collaborated with winemaker Josephine Perry of Dormilona Wines in Margaret River to create two incredible 2024 vintages. The house white, red, and rose is always available for tasting too.
The best historic attractions in town
As one of the best examples of 19th century port streetscapes in the world, it’s no wonder that Fremantle is bursting with historic attractions for all.
Built back in the 19th century, Fremantle Prison (often referred to as Fremantle Gaol) housed some of Australia’s most notorious convicts, and was in operation until 1991. Beatings, hangings, and dramatic escapes are detailed vividly in the records of imperial convicts, colonial prisoners, prisoners of war and maximum-security detainees.
Here, you can choose from a variety of tours to suit your tastes. True crime fans can get inside the mind of criminals on an hour-long tour that details the story of bushrangers, thieves and murderers who passed through these walls over its 140 years of history. Or, history lovers can choose between a history tour or tunnel tour, where you’ll descend below the prison to discover the maze of tunnels built by prisoners during their stay.
Fremantle is also home to the oldest building in WA, known as The Round House. Opened in 1831, it was built to hold criminals until 1886, when it then spent lives as a police lock-up, accommodation for water police, and a storage facility for Fremantle ports. Families and small groups are welcome to simply walk into this historic site and discover its secrets, while larger groups and schools should book in advance. Make sure to stick around until one o’clock, when the canon is fired.
For history of a different kind, head to Fremantle Markets, which have been operating since 1897. Visitors used to arrive by horse and cart to wander the stalls in the Victorian-style Fremantle Market Hall, and a crowd still gathers each weekend to explore more than 150 stalls of produce, jewellery, craft, and food. When visiting, you can enjoy live music from talented locals, grab a bite to eat with friends, and even find a new piece of art to hang at home.
If you enjoyed this story on the best places to dine, drink and discover in Fremantle, check out our guide to food and wine in Perth.
Rex flies to Perth. Head to the Rex website or check out the route map below for more details.
