Top places to eat and drink in Broome

By Carla Grossetti

Road-trippers using Broome as a base before setting off into the Kimberley can enjoy everything from the multicultural cuisine the town is known for to its quirky cafes, waterfront hotels, oyster bars and small-batch breweries.

Enjoy an energising brekkie

Seek out a top-shelf coffee – one of the best in town – after indulging in a maple bacon bagel with jalapeno cheddar at Good Cartel Broome.

You can also start your day right at the quirky Dragonfly Café with a stack of mango and lime pancakes followed by a pot of gen mai cha tea.

Set off on a brisk walk along Town Beach before taking a seat at one of the highly prized tables at Town Beach Café where you can enjoy iced coffee and a breaky burger.

Check out Broome’s Chinatown

The fabric of the town and its citizens is interwoven with Aboriginal, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese and Malaysian influences. Sample this multicultural melting pot at Mr Saigon in Chinatown, the heart and soul of bustling Broome. 

Follow the Broomies (Broom locals) prowling the Broome Courthouse Markets for hawker-style food that’s rich in Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Filipino, Chinese and Japanese flavours. Head to The Bao Shed to celebrate all things salty, sweet and sour.

The menu at The Aarli taps into the multiculturalism of Broome with dishes such as salt and pepper tofu and Vietnamese martinis. Dine al fresco at The Aarli under the giant frangipani tree. It’s the place to be seen.

Breweries, distilleries and wineries in Broome

Raise a glass to Western Australia’s craft brewery scene at Matso’s, which bills itself as “Australia’s most remote brewery since 1997”. Pick up a six pack of ginger beer and sit on the verandah overlooking Roebuck Bay, where the red dirt meets the sea.  

The mango wines on offer at the Kanagae Estate – The Mango Place evoke the destination they’re crafted in. Go for a stroll through the mango trees, experience a tasting and then sit and sip on a cocktail in the outdoor cafe.

There’s no better place to enjoy a gin and tonic than at Moontide Distillery, which uses Kimberley monsoonal rainwater in every spirit they produce. Taste native bush botanicals in the White Pearl Gin paired with a curated cheese board.

Meal with a view

Arrive at the Mangrove Hotel before sunset: you won’t want to miss those pink hues. Curl up on a daybed at the Bay Club overlooking Roebuck Bay, in plain view from your cabana, and order crispy battered king threadfin with rosemary salt chips.

This low-key al fresco bar at the Broome Surf Life Saving Club is one of the best spots to watch the sunset with a beer in hand. There's also has a rotating roster of food trucks serving everything from curry to tacos and bao buns.

Do a surf check on the webcam attached to the roof of Zanders Cable Beach to see if it’s worth packing your surfboard. Regardless of the swell, this is a top spot to enjoy a bucket of Exmouth prawns and a world-class sunset (with camels).

Sublime seafood

Sydney Cove Oyster Bar famously relocated 4000 kilometres (2485 miles) from Sydney Harbour to set up shop at the Zookeepers Store in Broome. While the view may be different, the core principle of serving the very best Australian seafood remains the same. 

The menu at The Wharf Restaurant celebrates the rich migrant heritage of the city in dishes such as fish served with the choice of rice or chips, and barramundi coconut curry. Order off the Japanese izakaya-style menu on the weekends.

Around 57 different languages are said to be spoken around Broome. Taste some of those accents in the seafood dishes at Kichi Kichi at Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa such as salt and pepper squid, seafood wonton and a mini bento box.