While I’m sure we’ve all loved cooking at home and trying out viral TikTok recipes during the pandemic, nothing beats the experience of dining out. There’s something special about spending time with loved ones over a shared meal. Whether it’s the amazing food, the delicious cocktails, or the ambience, it’s an affinity we all share. The only thing better is making a trip out of it!
Sometimes you just have to hit the road to liven up your weekly routine and try something new. With restrictions well and truly lifted, interstate road trips are filling the void that travel has left in our hearts (and bellies). Whether it’s the twinkle of a city or the seaside breeze, here are 3 restaurants with unique dining experiences that are worth a detour.
1. Pinky’s Beach Club
Location: Strue Road, Rottnest Island, WA
This is technically a road trip and a boat trip destination, because who doesn’t love some island time? With breathtaking views of Pinky’s Beach and Bathurst Lighthouse, Pinky’s Beach Club is one of Rottnest Island’s most treasured gems. Located within the Discovery Rottnest Island park, it offers guests and beachgoers a delicious range of dining options and refreshments.
One of the best ways to experience Rottnest Island’s laidback vibe and escape the hustle and bustle of the city is by taking a culinary journey at Pinky’s. Their menu is inspired by the best of West Australian produce and sustainably sourced where possible. We highly recommend their Chickpea Salad with premium lobster. There’s nothing quite like indulging in their local platters and cocktails while enjoying the spectacular coastal views. It also happens to be the best sunset spot on the island!
After your meal, visit The Basin nearby, snap a quokka selfie with the island’s resident marsupials, or hire a bike to zoom around the island in style. If you’re craving an overnight stay, Discovery Rottnest Island’s accommodation takes ‘glamping’ to a whole new level. With 83 eco-tents that feature a private ensuite, outdoor deck, kitchenette, and walk-in robes, this is a sustainable resort with a difference.
If you’re looking for an elevated dining experience with breathtaking island views and a focus on local produce, Pinky’s Beach Club is just a 30-minute ferry from Fremantle and well worth the trip.
2. C Restaurant
Location: Level 33, 44 St Georges Terrace, Perth
There’s something about city life that exudes romance – tall buildings and twinkling lights, sunsets over skylines. Maybe that’s why C Restaurant evokes thoughts of romantic proposals and intimate dinners for two.
Towering over Perth on the 33rd floor of St. Martins Tower, C Restaurant revolves in a full 360-degree motion offering an unbeatable dining view. And we mean that literally, as it’s the only revolving restaurant in all of Western Australia!
However, it’s certainly not the only impressive part of C Restaurant, which is also home to some of Perth’s most talented chefs. The modern Australian menu blends classic techniques with innovative style to create a deliciously unique dining experience.
We know what you’re thinking: can I get motion sickness? Don’t worry, this isn’t a carnival ride. An entire rotation actually takes 90 minutes, which is just shorter than your average dining experience, almost guaranteeing you get the full view. For the most part, you won’t feel yourself moving while you get lost in your mouthwatering meal, until you snap back to reality 10 minutes later to see you aren’t where you were before. Grab your significant other for the perfect date night road trip and experience views like never before.
3. Lobster Shack
Location: 37 Catalonia St, Cervantes
Island life is serene and the city offers romance, but nothing compares to the fun, laidback atmosphere of the seaside. Approximately a 2 hour drive from Perth along Indian Ocean Drive sits our final road-trip worthy restaurant in the coastal town of Cervantes. Lobster Shack is home to beautiful white sandy beaches and turquoise water brimming with marine life, making it the ideal destination for relaxed family gatherings and tasty seafood.
This waterfront restaurant focuses on fun that can be enjoyed by everyone. It’s dog friendly and you can even bring the kids along; they’ll be entertained for hours in the fenced-off play area, by the bouncy castle and sandpit.
We recommend dining al fresco under shade sails and quirky surfboard bar tables just metres from the water’s edge, sipping on a Lobster Lager while waiting for your food (or if a beer doesn’t suit you, their wine and cocktail list are packed with goodies as well). Their menu boasts a range of flavourful seafood dishes, burgers and kids’ meals, as well as lots and lots of fresh Western Rock Lobster.
On top of grabbing a delicious bite to eat, you can be whisked away on a boat and swim with Australian Sea Lions while they frolic in their natural habitat. We know it sounds wild, but that’s the joy of Lobster Shack’s Australian Sea Lion Tour. They also run Lobster Factory Tours where guests can learn about the multi-million dollar, sustainable rock lobster industry.
If you are planning on staying the night, you have to explore the world-famous Pinnacles Desert nearby and take an adventurous four-wheel drive through the vast dunes, before settling in for the night at Lobster Lodge (just a 15-minute walk from the restaurant).
With all it has to offer, Lobster Shack is a destination you’ll regret missing out on. So, what are you waiting for? Grab the family and head out for a full day of excitement and fresh lobster at one of the most fun-filled restaurants Western Australia has to offer.