5 Best Restaurants in Fremantle, Western Australia

It begins as temptation as your senses are teased by the smells wafting from the open kitchen. Rosemary, chili, oregano, olive oil, and tomato scents will drive you crazy until your own meal lands in front of you. And then, bliss. This modern Italian eatery rivals any classic, and there are plenty in Fremantle. Italians have been ruling the roost for decades, so much that there's been a push to dub the port city, Little Italy. La Sosta offers a buzzy atmosphere while serving creative pasta dishes that will leave you wanting more. Start with the focaccia and leave room for dessert---the tiramisu is calling your name.

This industrial-chic bakery-cum-restaurant wins the award for hottest interior in town, with dozens of vintage-style globes streaming from the warehouse ceiling or looping in red electrical cord over suspended beams. Herb boxes line the 1890s heritage facade, while out back the wood-fired ovens, affectionately named Hansel and Gretel, pump out organic bread. An open kitchen creates modern Australian meals that go well with, you guessed it, bread.

The Pizzale family has owned and run this Freo restaurant for more than 50 years and it's here where you'll be treated to an old-style Italian meal. Don't expect flashy decor or fancy lighting—the focus is on the food. It's strictly BYO so bring a bottle of wine or beer (a small corkage fee applies) as the restaurant is not licensed to serve alcohol.

Waterfront Fremantle is renowned for its seafood restaurants, so going to a harborside venue for steak seems almost irreverent, but meat lovers revel in the juicy steak selection at Char Char. They dropped the "bull" from their name but you'll still get a fine piece of meat, cooked to perfection, here. This lively restaurant, with full table service, specializes in chargrilled prime beef selected from year-old, grass-fed Murray Grey cattle.

You'll recognize this place by its giant, multicolor zebra mural on the external wall, which was commissioned by a local artist. Inside, take a seat at one of the colorful communal tables that are surrounded by dividers made from plumbing pipes and then enjoy classic and healthy café eats like Bircher muesli, free-range eggs, burgers, or Ootong & Lincoln's ever-popular coffee-and-cake special.