Plan ahead · coffee on the go · bakeries · cafes · restaurants and pubs · fish and chips · something sweet · pack a picnic
Eating out in Esperance is a choose-your-own-adventure. Opening days and hours change across the week, so the cafe you loved on Tuesday might have you trying somewhere new on Wednesday. That's half the fun.
A little planning goes a long way. Book ahead for dinner, check opening hours on the day, and when you're heading out to the beaches and national parks, take food with you. Grab a coffee and something from the bakery, pack a picnic, and eat with a view.
Plan ahead
-
Check opening hours on the day. Days and hours vary from venue to venue and across the week, and can shift with the seasons.
-
Book for dinner. Some restaurants require a booking, and the popular spots fill up, especially on weekends and in summer and school holidays.
-
Pack for the parks. Food options thin out once you leave Esperance. Take food and water for a day at Cape Le Grand, Cape Arid or along the coast. In the warmer months, look out for the seasonal Lucky Bean Café at Lucky Bay.
-
Bring your own. Several restaurants are BYO, so pick up a bottle on the way.
Coffee + treat on the go
Start the day with a good brew and a dose of ocean air. Grab a coffee on Dempster Street, or take it down to the water, where the vans at Jetty Headland on the Esplanade pour coffee with ocean views. Heading to Lucky Bay in the warmer months? The seasonal Lucky Bean Café sets up at the bay.
- Downtown Espresso Bar, 94 Dempster Street: a local favourite for quality coffee, with pastries and gluten-free treats
- Cloud Eleven Coffee Roaster and Takeaway, 75-79 Dempster Street: locally roasted coffee and quick bites
- Coffee Cat and New Moon Coffee Van, Jetty Headland, The Esplanade: beachside coffee with ocean views
- Roast & Toast, 9A Andrew Street: hearty breakfasts, quality coffee, and generous lunches.
- Bean Break, outside the RAC Holiday Park, Goldfields Road: foreshore coffee van serving quality brews, snacks and treats.
- Lucky Bean Café, Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park (seasonal): Right on the beach.
- Flikr, 67 Dempster Street - order a coffee and a sweet treat and browse the shelves of candles and gifts while you wait.
- Deli King, Andrew Street - coffee, plus toasted sandwiches, deli meats and cheese.
- Witches Brew, 7 Forrest Street: drive-through coffee
Casual Cafe’s
For a sit-down breakfast or lunch, Esperance's cafes are clustered around Dempster and Andrew Streets, or a drive out of town to the Bird and Animal Park (when open).
- Bread Local and its sister shop Little Local. An artisan bakery with naturally leavened sourdough, sausage rolls, sandwiches and seasonal sweet treats.
- Cloud 11 Restaurant, (licensed) modern-retro setting. Breakfast, rice, salad and burgers with a side of Asian flavours.
- Break Away Café, 105 Dempster Street: a relaxed cafe with art adorned walls open for breakfast and lunch, with classic breakfast items, big burgers and freak shakes.
- Dome Café, 19-21 Andrew Street: open daily with a full range of cafe classics from all day breakfast, salads and wraps to pizza, burgers and a range of cheesecake and cakes.
- Roast and Toast Lunch Bar, 9 Andrew Street: hearty sandwiches and good coffee
- Esperance Bird and Animal Park Café, Norseman-Coolgardie Highway. Enjoy affordable breakfast classics in a farm setting.
- Deli King, Andrew Street - coffee, plus toasted sandwiches, deli meats and cheese.
Restaurants and pubs
Licensed venues for lunch or dinner. Esperance evenings are best spent slow and social. For a night out, book ahead: Bistro Louis is booking essential, and bookings are recommended at The Quarters. Several restaurants are BYO, and many offer takeaway, so you can take dinner down to the foreshore for sunset.
Restaurants
- Bistro Louis, Market Village, Dempster Street: French-inspired dining in an intimate setting (licensed, booking essential)
- The Quarters, 1 Taylor Street: modern waterfront dining on the shore of Esperance Bay, overlooking the Yacht Club, with a menu built on local produce and signature cocktails (licensed, bookings recommended)
- Fish Face, 1 James Street: locally caught seafood (BYO, dine in or takeaway)
- Eljays at the Comfort Inn Bay of Isles, 32 The Esplanade (licensed), Local seafood, quality steaks.
- Seasons at the Hospitality Motel, The Esplanade (licensed), Bay views, fresh cuisine.
Pubs, Breweries & Bistros
A cold drink and warm hospitality are part of Esperance's DNA, and the perfect way to reflect on the day. On a road trip? The Gibson Soak Hotel is a friendly country pub just past the airport, and the Condingup Tavern is a handy stop on the way to Duke of Orleans Bay or Cape Arid, with fuel too.
- Lucky Bay Brewing, Bandy Creek Road: A local favourite brewing craft beer on site, woodfired pizza and a range of specials. A large lawn area and live music on weekends means a fun day for the whole family.
- 33 Degrees, The Esplanade: a relaxed waterfront bar and bistro (licensed)
- The Pier Hotel, The Esplanade: classic pub vibes and hearty meals (licensed). also home to The Snake Pit Night Club
- Sandy Hook Tavern, Andrew Street: named after a local island, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and servicing all the classics.
- The Travellers Inn, 16 Phyllis Street: known as the Travs, think casual local pub vibe (Currently no restaurant on site)
Where to get fish and chips
Fish and chips taste better when you are looking at the ocean. Grab some to go and find a spot by the water.
- Fish Face, 1 James Street: locally caught seafood (BYO, dine in or takeaway)
- Nannygai on the Hill, 55 Goldfields Road: (BYO, takeaway)
- Top End Takeaway, 119 Dempster Street
Cooking for yourself? The Bandy Creek Fish Shop at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour sells fresh, locally caught seafood to take home and cook yourself. It's a fish shop rather than a takeaway.
Something sweet
To go:
- Aurelia's Ice Creamery, 84 The Esplanade:Traditional scooped ice cream, shakes, cakes and takeaway meals.
- Bread Local and Little Local for seasonal sweet treats including crowd favourites: cinnamon scroll and vanilla slice
- Flikr, 67 Dempster Street: sweet treats and mini-melts ice cream.
- French Hot Bread Shop, 85 Dempster Street: A range of cakes, slices and sweet treats + savoury pies and sandwiches
Dine in:
- Dome: A full range of sweet treats, from cakes, cheesecakes and slices
- The Quarters: coffee and cake
- Breakaway cafe: cakes and freak shakes
- Bistro Louis: sweet cakes by day, creme brulee and chocolate tarte by night
Get creative: pack a picnic
With white sand, turquoise water and granite headlands on the menu, a picnic is often the best table in Esperance. Stock up, then find your spot: a picnic table along the Great Ocean Drive, the shaded lawns of the Esperance foreshore, or the sand at Lucky Bay or Hellfire Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park.
- Bread Local and Little Local: sourdough, sandwiches, slices and picnic fare
- Pink Lake Butchers, 81 Pink Lake Road: charcuterie for a picnic board
- The Choppin Block Butchery, Andrew Street: charcuterie for a picnic board
- Deli King, sandwiches, with fresh sliced deli meats and cheese.
- French Hot Bread: savoury pies and sandwiches + sweet treats
- Bob & Jim’s General Store, 73 Dempster Street: fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, eggs and dairy, small batch artisan wares
- Out of the Blue, 81 Pink Lake Road: fast-casual takeaway serving fish and chips, pizza, burgers, pasta.
Want to meet the people behind Esperance's beer, gin, whisky, honey and sourdough? See Producers. For fresh produce and market days, see Retail and Markets.
Prefer someone else to plan it? Off The Beaten Track's Cape Le Grand Gourmet Adventure(opens in new tab) combines the park's highlights with local food.
Please take your rubbish home with you, and keep food away from wildlife.
Find & Book
Plan our Trip
Curated trips to get you started.
Five days, the best of Esperance. Coastal lookouts, Cape Le Grand, an island cruise, a 4WD beach tour, scenic flights and stargazing, planned day by day.
If you are faced with a rainy day while being in Esperance, there are plenty of things to do and see.
One of the most enchanting stretches of oceanside road you’ll ever set wheels on.
Discover the elemental spirit of Esperance on a self-drive road trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
For dinner, yes, it’s a good idea. Some restaurants require a booking, and the popular spots fill up on weekends and in the busy seasons.
Opening days and hours vary from venue to venue and across the week. Check before you go, and have a back-up plan.
Bring your own. In the warmer months the seasonal Lucky Bean Café operates at Lucky Bay, but for most of the coast and parks you’ll need to pack food and water for the day.
The Bandy Creek fish shop sells fresh caught fish you can cook yourself. Or try Fish Face, Top End Takeaway, or Nanaguy on the Hill for dine in or take away. Many of the pubs and bistros also serve fish and chips.
Yes. Lucky Bay Brewing, on Bandy Creek Road, brews with local barley and has a lawn where kids can play.
Yes. Several cafes, pubs and the brewery welcome dogs in their outdoor areas, including Lucky Bay Brewing, Breakaway Cafe and The Quarters. See the Pet Friendly page for the full list.
Yes. Several businesses are available to order for delivery via Uber Eats
Yes. Several businesses are available to order through the Bopple app for faster pickup.
Keep exploring
From scenic road trips through the region, to what to do on a rainy day, find a ready-made plan to suit your time and travel style.
Accommodation in Esperance embodies the coastal lifestyle; grounded and understated, offering a window to the outdoors and an invitation to explore.