Ilma Beach House, Bunker Bay: 18/20
When Jade Jurewicz found herself down south in February, she was keen to try this beachside spot in the stunning Bunker Bay, owned by the same people who run the popular Meelup Farmhouse.
After more than four years of reviewing restaurants, she was adamant that a venue cannot rely solely on its outlook — even if Ilma Beach House was set closer to the pristine ocean than most Cool Cabanas with towels underneath.
In fact, in her review, Jurewicz made what she knew was a controversial call: that it might just be the best view of any restaurant in WA.
But luckily, once she stepped into the light, airy space, every dish on the modern Australian, Med-influenced menu was also excellent.
A nostalgic prawn cocktail was still planted firmly in 2025, and the charred octopus with tomato oil and herbs rivalled any she’d had in the city.
Braised lamb with a smokey baba ghanoush and labneh was decadently rich, but a herb and lemon salad was just the right side dish to freshen it up. Chicken Maryland, nestled in a flavoursome bed of white beans, was perfectly cooked.
The only part of Ilma that wasn’t at the top of its game was the bathrooms, but if those improved over the year, it might be pushing perfect.
The Embassy, Subiaco: 18/20
This venue drew Simone Grogan in with a cascade of purple flowers in the dining area, then proceeded to blow her socks off with its food.
The Embassy by Devlin’s opened in February and when Grogan visited in May, she was ushered inside the century-old building and into a beautiful room with Art Deco wallpaper, exposed brick, cinder orange booths, floorboards and … a tree in the middle of the restaurant.
The service was polished, her cocktail was chic and someone was tinkling some Erik Satie on the ivories for a strong start to the dining experience.
The menu skews modern Australian and a burrata from locals La Delizia was accompanied by a seasonal combination of pomegranate, persimmon and watercress, for an autumnal palette in colour and taste.
A pair of Shark Bay scallops, served beautifully within their fan half shells and garnished with a golden thyme and lemon sourdough crumb and garlic butter, were “marvellous”.
Grogan opted for Willow Bend lamb and black garlic; rich and tender with a chunky chimichurri style mint sauce that put paid to any reservations this Englishwoman might have had of a version not from a jar.
Her dining partner had the New York strip, perfectly cooked, with mustards and horseradish.
If a whopping slice of tangy New York cheesecake with plum puree wasn’t enough to seal the deal, owner Simon Devlin opening a bottle of champagne with a sabre at a nearby table certainly was.
Nogi Lane, Dianella: 18/20
Kate Emery was no stranger to this cafe when she decided to review it in June, four years after it opened in 2021.
She’d been entranced at the time by its croquettes and coffee, made all the more remarkable by its less than salubrious location beside a suburban bottle-o.
But the curse of a professional reviewer is that her brunching time was not always her own, so it took her until 2025 to get back to it. Gladly, the passage of time had only improved an already great spot.
There was no lengthy wait as there had been on her first visit; in its place was a slick outfit with that brunch rarity of table service.
The gorgeous-looking menu contained dishes including eggs Benedict and Florentine, a fried chicken burger, garlic chive omelette on prawn toast and something called a baked rocky road pancake, which renowned pancake enthusiast Emery shocked herself by not ordering.
But the crispy, salty miso mushrooms were calling her name, from their slices of toast with hummus, creamy feta and a perfectly poached egg. They were, she wrote, “a triumph . . . Tremendous. No notes”.
Her husband was also “borderline evangelical” about his eggs Florentine.
Not hidden, but definitely a gem.
Light Years, Perth: 18/20
All foodies have a dish that lives rent-free in their brain. For Jurewicz, the cumin lamb pancakes at this city newcomer haunted her dreams for months, until she had to go back to see if they were as life-changing as she remembered.
As the score on this review in November attests, they were.
First, there was the theatre of putting them together. The seared lamb needed to be extracted from red-hot skewers and tucked into thin pancakes, then topped with a fermented chilli and a bright green goddess sauce.
Jurewicz’s verdict? “10/10, no notes,” she wrote. “The mix of spicy and vibrant sauces, and the robustness of the lamb, all balanced out with mint and cucumber, is perfection.”
It was a dish reminiscent of the eye-rolling, mouth-watering best bites of meals past, like the pepperoni pizza lashed with hot honey at the late Lola’s in Fremantle, Petition’s broccoli salad, the farm to table experience at Glenarty Road or the whole menu at The Prophet.
A tuna tartare with “wasabicado” (wasabi with avocado) and cucumber, piled onto cassava crackers, was delicious enough to win over even the most ardent tuna sceptic.
Lemongrass pork shu mai swam in a drinkable black vinegar concoction, and twice-cooked crispy skin chicken was a masterclass in expertly cooked chook.
Madalena’s Bar, South Fremantle: 18/20
Katherine Fleming’s visit to this sun-filled South Terrace spot was a long time coming.
Despite her love of natural wine — its specialty — she only found herself there in November for a friend’s birthday, where the food and wine was so outstanding she made a lunch booking to see if it was as delicious in the daytime.
The dining room was full of Freo character — wooden chairs, cascading plants and shelves of natty wine gave it the relaxed vibe the area is known for.
Equipped with a skinsy sauvignon blanc from Si Vintners and a chilled red from South Australia’s Table Wines, the first order was a couple of Albany rock oysters; when they’re on the menu, it seemed as close to a no-brainer as you get. A-plus as always.
Coral Bay pink snapper crudo was fresh, delicate and as pretty as a picture with its squares of nashi pear, and flecks of Geraldton Wax.
Sardines were accompanied by dobs of pesto and aioli for a winning combination and Antarctic toothfish swam in a sauce bearing all the coconut and spice notes of Brazilian moqueca.
But it was the blue tuna that she branded “nigh on a perfect dish”. “Creamy Ajo Blanco, meaty tuna flesh and crunchy pepitas come together to make a spoonful of flavour and texture you wish would never end,” she wrote.
But what also elevated Madalena’s to a high score was service: in the lull after mains, the waitress approached with two complimentary glasses of dessert wine to apologise for a delay on dessert so slight that Fleming hadn’t even noticed it.
And it turned out the chocolate fondant was worth the wait: delightfully bitter, with dark cacao crisp, fruity quince and a thyme ice-cream that was its perfect match.
Honourable mentions:
Elske, Fremantle: 17/20 (Kate Emery)
Intuition Wine & Kitchen, Subiaco: 17/20 (Simone Grogan)
Bodega, Scarborough: 17/20 (Melinda Webster)
Local & Aesthetic, Mt Lawley: 17/20 (Kate Emery)
La Capannina, Scarborough: 17/20 (Melinda Webster)
Cantina di Lulu La Delizia, Subiaco: 17/20 (Simone Grogan)
Seoul Hoppers, Leederville: 17/20 (Jay Hanna)
Source Foods, Perth: 17/20 (Kate Emery)
Jetty Bar & Eats, Fremantle: 17/20 (Jade Jurewicz)
https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/food/stms-best-perth-restaurants-of-2025-the-five-eateries-that-got-our-top-scores-of-the-year–c-20888911
