Produced in association with Qantas.
Oh, Fremantle. There are few places that can compete with your charm.
It reminds us of a crazy aunt who gets wasted at family gatherings and totally takes her wig off.
Freo’s that sort of town – consisting of spunk and culture in equal measure.
To shine a well-deserved spotlight on this gem of a place, we asked three of our mates for some of their fave places to eat, chill and drank.
JESS LANGER
Jessica Langer, daughter of cricketing legend Justin Langer, has become well acquainted with Fremantle since she commenced studies at the University of Notre Dame earlier this year. This solid 10/avid Bon Jovi fan spends her free time in the area finding great coffee, stiff drinks and Gram-worthy eats. Here are some places she recommends hitting and quitting.
Via Facebook.
FRAYED
14/16 South Terrace, Fremantle WA 6160
Via Facebook.
Frayed isn’t for the feint hearted and we can’t stress this enough. The late-night dungeon party is filthy in all the right ways – every man and their dog is welcome as long as they’re interested in turning shit up.
“It’s a little underground club and bar,” says Jess. “They bring in a lot of well-known DJs so the music’s always great.”
Paying homage to Fremantle’s maritime roots, Frayed serves up 5 dollar drink specials – like the aptly named Slippery Deck Slushy, a frozen take of the Wet Pussy shot – Lionel Richie style (~all night long~).
We’ve been told it can get CRAZYYYY busy so get down a lil’ before its opening time at 10PM to avoid heinous lines.
STUDIO 37 COFFE BAR
22 Pakenham St, Fremantle WA 6160
Jess argues that Studio 37 “does the best coffee in Freo” – especially if you’re a long black fan.
Just like any coffee shop worth their beans, Studio 37 offers a tremendous selection of grab-and-go options to compliment your caffeine hit.
However, peckish locals go for the jaffles that’ll have you in cheesy-carb heaven from the very first bite.
MEXICAN KITCHEN
19 South Terrace, Fremantle WA 6160
Via Mexican Kitchen.
Mexican Kitchen is hands down one of the best spots for Mex-Tex lovers in the state. With on-point specials every night – like 10 dollar authentic margaritas with any main on Friday – it’s good eating without a gigantic price tag.
Jess says the portions sizes are ample and recommends it as a great place to grab a cocktail or seven. NOM.
GEORGIA THOMPSON
Georgia has been living in a harbour-view apartment in Fremantle for some time now. A fellow student at Notre Dame, the 20 year-old loves Fremantle’s art and music scene that is deeply engrained in its history. Here’s a couple of her recommendations to get you in the Freo swing of things.
Via Facebook.
THAI ISLAND
Shop 14 William St, Fremantle WA
Via Thai Island.
Thai Island is full of family owned and operated charm. “The mum comes out and serves you and the daughters always there in her school uniform,” says Georgia.
Sounds like it’s more of a family affair than Mary J Blige circa 2001.
Being the well travelled gal that she is, Georgia knows her international cuisine through and through which is why this joint is a favourite. “It’s the best Thai food I’ve ever had and it’s really cheap.”
BEACHES
There’s five beaches in the greater Fremantle area. The most well-known is Leighton, located across the Swan River in North Fremantle. People frequent it because it’s similar to Cottesloe – WA’s most famous beach – without the wank.
Just south of Leighton lies Port Beach.
“Port’s just a nicer beach. It has nicer sand and there’s pockets where you can go snorkelling as well.”
Located near Freo’s historic West End, Bathers Beach is usually occupied by more ~groovy~ folks. “There’s always hippies there and they’re all so nice.”
Bather’s also hosts sunset markets during the warmer months.
Honourable mentions also go to River Beach and South Beach if you’re after a quick-dip.
FREMANTLE MARKETS
Corner South Terrace & Henderson Street, Fremantle WA 6160
Everyone in Perth knows the Fremantle Markets. They’re the embodiment of what Freo is – a bit whacky, noisy and filled with top-end products at bargain prices.
“Everything’s on offer,” says Georgia. “I went Friday, Saturday and Sunday last weekend.”
If you’re a local and you need anything, you head to the markets. Simples.
ANNA CHRISTENSEN
24 year-old Anna Christensen has lived in different pockets of Fremantle her entire life (das a lot of Freo). The freelance writer has seen many a restaurant, pub and coffee shop open and close in her lifetime, so if there’s such a thing as a Freo authority, she’d be it. Here are some places she recommends swinging past.
THE RAW KITCHEN
181A High St, Fremantle WA 6160
Via The Raw Kitchen.
“The Raw Kitchen is a super beautiful place where all the people who serve you are all so gorgeous and glowing,” says Anna. “You just want to convert to that raw lifestyle straight away.”
They’ve somehow managed to create a menu made up of entirely raw ingredients that – in what we can only imagine to be an act of witchcraft – taste delicious.
If you’re looking for a energetic medium between a coffee and a Redbull then The Raw Kitchen has you covered. They serve up a great selection of smoothies that pack the punch of caffeine to get you into ninja-mode first thang.
STRANGE COMPANY
5 Nairn Street, Fremantle WA 6160
Via Strange Company.
Designed by local architect Michael Patroni, the space that Strange Company occupies is almost too fabulous to function. Anna describes it as “very sophisticated, not too trendy and quite timeless.”
Strange Company delivers one of the greatest selections of tapas in Perth and its surrounds. “The food is honestly some of the best I’ve had in ages.”
One other thing that we’d would be worthwhile mentioning is that they have WINE ON FUCKING TAP.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL, PEOPLE.
LESSONS CONCEPT STORE
Basement, 1 Pakenham Street, Fremantle WA 6160
What’s cooler than being cool? Being decked out in threads from Lessons, that’s what. In true Fremantle style, the store is pretty hard to find.
“It’s kind of a mystery not really knowing where it is unless you absolutely know where to look, it’s a place you stumble across,” says Anna. “You feel in the know when you find it.”
Brands exclusive to Lessons include: 1992, ADYN, DXPECHEF, Knomadik, NID de GUEPES, MISBHV, Phantom Project & REPRESENT.
Fashurn 4 daiz.
There you have it, folks. Fremantle’s obviously where it’s at.
Australia has so many great locales, like Freo, to visit and explore. We’re truly #blessed and bloody proud of it.
Qantas couldn’t agree more, so we’re helping them highlight Australia’s domestic gems. With 95 years of experience under their belts they’ll get you where you need to go, no dramas.
Have a gander at their site to see how they can get ya to Freo and back in two shakes of a lambs tale.
All images via Getty.
