Top Towns for 2022: A mouthwatering journey in Margaret River

It might be a gateway to a majestic wine region, but it’s a worthy destination in its own right. Chloe Cann shares how to eat your way around Margaret River town to discover why Margaret River landed in at no.9 on your list of Top 50 Aussie towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

While the low-rise streets of Margaret River town have their draws – a smattering of walls streaked with murals; pavements draped with a canopy of foliage; and chunky benches crafted from locally sourced timber to perch on as the sun warms your back – there’s little that’s particularly twee about this town.  

Margaret River is world-famous for its wines. (Image: Jessica Wyld)

No chocolate-box heritage buildings, or sweeping scenic backdrop worthy of a screensaver. Part tourist town and part local workhorse, it’s where the region’s population of surfers, vintners, artists and chefs all converge to fuel up on coffee and cocktails, fix their mountain bikes, or pick up a new wetsuit.

You can feel the buzz just by strolling the main street. And of course it has all of the Margaret River region’s headline acts at its toes: towering karri forests, untouched bushland, a rugged coastline that marries arcs of bone white sand with Tiffany-blue waters, and row upon row of grapevines that course down into lush valleys.  

Take a scenic walk along Margaret River’s lush greeneries.

But most of all, this cruisey quasi-beach town knows how to sate an appetite. Eat your way around town at these four heavy hitters that all capitalise on this fertile pocket’s bounty of produce. 

Top foodie things to do in Margaret River

Farmgate experiences

Start your Saturday morning right with a leisurely stroll around the town’s award-winning Farmers’ Market, perusing the array of fresh local produce, a brioche doughnut plump with yuzu lemon curd in hand from Harlequin Dessert.  

Drop by the Margaret River Farmers’ Market. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Buzzing brewery scenes

A local institution, dog- and kid-friendly Margaret River Brewhouse yields a modern rustic vibe, and a leafy aspect on the cusp of town. It’s nearly as famous for its craft beers as it is for its well-executed Asian-leaning food menu (hello red duck curry with papaya salad, and masterstock braised beef brisket). 

Visit Margaret River Brewhouse for some tacos. (Image: Jessica Wyld)

Flavourful pastry tasting at Margaret River Woodfired Bread

Few bakers come close to commanding as much of a cult local following as Margaret River Woodfired Bread. Only stoneground, WA-grown, certified biodynamic flour makes it into the handmade sourdough loaves here, which are served warm, fresh out of the wood-fired oven every day at 3pm.  

Bakers prepare handmade sourdough in the open kitchen at Margaret River Woodfired Bread.

Gastronomic escapades at Miki’s Open Kitchen

Hiding behind a rather nondescript entrance in a shopping arcade, expectations might run low for Miki’s Open Kitchen, but the culinary calibre of Miki and his small team is sky-high. Purveying modern Japanese cuisine using hyperlocal ingredients, the restaurant’s eight-course seafood-centric degustation menu is as refined as they come. 

Explore more of Margaret River in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.