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How to Have the Ultimate Foodies’ Escape in the Margaret River Region
Written by Nate Robinson
Here’s how to feast, graze, wine and fine dine through one of the world’s most exciting foodie destinations, Western Australia’s Margaret River Region.
Year-round sunshine, more than a hundred cellar doors and a wildly inventive culinary scene make the Margaret River Region a foodies’ dream.
This year, there is an extra special reason to entice foodies to the region: Western Australia’s inaugural Pair’d Margaret River Region, a sommelier-curated, wine-first celebration of the area’s world-renowned drops (and the dishes they’re so delicious alongside). Taking place over four days – from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 November 2024 – the brand-new festival is set to dazzle with innovative food pairings, an eclectic entertainment schedule and a first-class roster of local hospitality heroes eager to pour their heart into it.
Read on to discover how to have the ultimate foodies’ escape in the Margaret River Region.
How do you get to the Margaret River Region?
With award-winning distilleries, champions of farm-to-fork dining and gourmet providores galore, the Margaret River Region offers the ultimate foodies’ escape, and the year’s most exciting wine and food event offers the perfect foundation to build the trip around. With direct flights departing regularly from Sydney and Melbourne to Busselton-Margaret River – the region itself is also just a three-hour drive from Perth (Boorloo) – there’s never been a better time to toast to glass, grape and great food.
How to plan your food & wine escape
Mark your calendars for Pair’d
Budding sommeliers can sip their way through 18 of the Margaret River Region’s most iconic winemakers – including coveted rarities and sought-after museum wines – at the Grand Tasting at Howard Park ($140 per person). With guests including Vasse Felix, Xanadu Wines, Voyager Estate and more (plus the services of the Howard Park Sparkling & Oyster Bar), it’s a masterful introduction to the region’s inimitable terroir.
At Nature’s Table ($269 per person), guests can savour a four-course lunch beneath the Tanah Marah Forest’s gently swaying karri trees. Legendary Denmark restaurant Noma broke hearts upon closing its doors in 2024, but at Nature’s Table three alumni – David Zilber, Ben Ing and Paul Iskov – reunite to capture the beauty of the region on plate and palate. Foods will be foraged by local Wadandi-Pibbulmen cultural custodian Zac Webb, served alongside Aboriginal stories and plenty of wine.
If you’re after something a little more laidback, Margaret’s Beach Club (from $340 per person) transforms Castle Bay into the ultimate party, with massive DJ sets and Britpop rockstar/cheesemaker/writer Alex James. With a specially curated wine list from chef-sommelier Cyndal Petty and a barbecue beast from Dave Pynt (Burnt Ends), Ben Jacobs (Lagoon) and Ben Ing (Alberta’s), it’s set to be an unrivalled feast for the senses.
Other events include new wave rebel winemaker gatherings, Asian street food banquets, intimate wine dinners and more.
Find out more about Pair’d Margaret River Region here.
Explore more luxury wine experiences
Level up your understanding of the Margaret River Region’s wine scene by booking a luxury wine experience. Vasse Felix’s Epicurean Tour, designed for the ‘gourmet adventurer,’ begins with a tour of the region’s oldest vineyard, before a decadent private tasting and five-course degustation, paired with rare wines from the Vasse Felix Icons range. For a taste of history, Voyager Estate’s Origins Tasting explores the heritage of the region – prized to this day for its age-worthy reds – and includes a decadent cheeseboard. Alternatively, pop over to Leeuwin Estate for their landmark Art, Wine & Farm to Fork Indulgence experience, a wonderful introduction to three things that make the region such a cultural juggernaut.
Uncover boutique wineries
The Margaret River Region is packed with big names and heavy hitters, but don’t neglect the area’s more boutique wineries. Windows Estate has gained acclaim for its organic sauvignon blanc and semillon; vines are still hand-pruned and much of the estate remains untamed bushland. Fraser Gallop Estate’s position at the highest level of elevation in the region means their wines are rich with colour, flavour and aroma. A 30-minute drive away, South by South West Wines’ small-batch bottles are drawing attention – one of their latest drops, 2023’s Italian-inspired Fiori is the perfect summertime sip.
Visit breweries and distilleries too
The Margaret River Region offers plenty of gems beyond the wine world. The West Winds Tavern and Distillery makes the perfect pub-lunch pitstop, with an artful menu designed to highlight the region’s spectacular produce – from fresh-catch seafood to Cambray Farmhouse sheep’s cheese – and a cracking selection of unique gins, vodka and whiskey. Hit up Southcamp Brewhouse for crispy fish tacos and local tap-beers or Wild Hop Brewing for high-ABV, high-hops ales with graffiti grit.
Get a taste of new and coastal dining
The region’s teeming with exceptional new restaurants, many converging around Busselton (Undalup) and the Margaret River township. In Busselton, Inara brings Levantine flavours with panache – think chicken schnitzel dusted with za’atar, roasted grape tomatoes with black garlic yoghurt and cloud-soft hummus – while gastro-pub Busselton Pavilion’s pared-back menu includes fresh focaccia with garlic butter and an elevated take on the roast chicken roll. Back in Margaret River, de’sendent is intimate, refined and seasonal. Rhum Burgundy is a great place for a post-dinner tipple – while technically a cocktail bar (try the pineapple sage white negroni sour), it also boasts a collection of more than 100 bottles of wine.
You’re so close to one of the greatest coastlines in the world – to not dine beachside would be a crime. For a relaxed brunch by the shore, it’s hard to beat White Elephant Beach Café for a brekkie burger and hot latte – using beans sourced and roasted by the Margaret River Roasting Company. With an unrivalled location on the Busselton Jetty, The Goose is an incredible place for sunset cocktails. A revamped menu, centred around the kitchen’s woodfire grill, plates fresh Australian seafood with just the right amount of smoke and char.
Be shown around on tour
Forage Safaris caters to all types of hungry travellers with their personalised itineraries – with truffle hunts and sunset wine tours being perennially popular – but if you have the time, their full-day food, farm and wine tour will leave you hungry for more. It’s the perfect introduction to the many flavours of Western Australia’s dreamy South West: meet local producers, gain insights into their craft and even try your hand at foraging local ingredients.
Wander local markets
The Margaret River Farmer’s Market is a tasty snapshot of what makes the region so irresistible for foodies. Swing by on any Saturday from 7.30am – 11.30am and you’ll be met by producers like Balajup Organic Garlic, Curly Creejk Avocados, Southwest Wilde Catch and The Cheeky Cow (unpasteurised milk and yoghurts).
For insight into the Margaret River Region’s freewheeling creativity, visit Busselton’s vibrant Origins Market, built around a community of more than 70 local artisans, small-batch brewers and local street vendors. Local sushi den Tora Sushi rolls maki sushi with ingredients (and seafood) sourced primarily from the region; Sour Boys specialises in hand-made candy, including massive technicolour lollypops. For a taste of the Island of the Gods in the heart of Busselton, seek out The Balinese Butcher – hand-crushed sambal and fresh satay are clear highlights.
Peruse gourmet providores
The Margaret River Region’s exceptional dining scene is backed by a tight network of gourmet providores, including olive-oil grower Olio Bello, whose ‘Liquid Gold’ travels straight from their Italian Pieralisi press to the bottle. Sharing an estate with the Margaret River Chocolate Company, Margaret River Providore sells a wide selection of the region’s best, including home-made cordials, pasta sauces, hot sauces, jams and irresistibly tangy vinegars – their apple balsamic is surprisingly delicious on a stewed fruit crumble. Finally, Western Australia’s original bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Gabriel Chocolate, is well worth a visit; for a hair-raisingly bitter bite, try their Chuao 99% Dark Chocolate Bar – it’s teeming with lime, walnut, vanilla and smoky notes, a result of its origin in Venezuela.
Discover Margaret River
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