8 Bustling Fremantle Pubs And Breweries

We delve into the top pubs and breweries in the port city of Fremantle.

As the home of the iconic Little Creatures Brewery, Fremantle means business when it comes to beer brewing. So, as you would expect, the town has plenty of great breweries and pubs to choose from. Whether you’re a craft connoisseur after a classic tasting experience or simply want to enjoy a drink in an ambient venue at the end of the day, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

Here are eight of the best breweries and pubs to try in Fremantle.

1. Little Creatures

huge pumps of beer inside the brewery of Little Creatures, Frematle — Little Creatures is an iconic Fremantle brewery. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

An iconic venue for WA, Little Creatures Fremantle is where it all started for this legendary brewery. The Fremantle location welcomes visitors from far and wide every day. Grab a pale ale and a pizza and soak in the brewery ambience, or wander into the oceanfront backyard to enjoy your beer and nosh in the sunshine. The beer comes direct from serving tanks pumped straight from the brewery, so it doesn’t get any fresher.

Address: 40 Mews Road, Fremantle.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am – 11pm; Sun 11am – 10pm.

2. Calamity’s Rod

guests enjoying a drink at the courtyard of Calamity's Rod brewery in Fremantle — Calamity’s Rod is a dedicated craft nano-brewery out of shipping containers.

In the heart of Fremantle, the people behind the Hougoumont Hotel (one of Fremantle’s best hotels) took a bit of their car park and built a dedicated craft nano-brewery out of shipping containers. But don’t worry, it’s not restricted to hotel guests only – Calamity’s is open to the public.

They produce a small range of high-quality beers from classics to new-wave brews and have a constantly evolving extra list of ‘experimental’ beers.

On Fridays, guests can meet the owners-slash-brewers – twin brother duo Dan and Geoff – to tour the brewery and go deep into the chemistry of their boutique beer operation. And on Saturdays, they pop a DJ into their courtyard to provide jukebox jams while you enjoy your ice-cold drink.

Address: 15 Bannister Street, Fremantle.
Opening hours: Wed, Thurs and Sun 4pm – 9pm; Fri and Sat 4pm – 11pm.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

3. Union Brewery and Distillery

Union Brewery and Distillery is located within the uber-hip Sunshine Harvester Works food hall. Enjoy a drink from their rotating roster of handcrafted beers – they have 12 taps in total – or a spirit like their Bellwether Whisky, Beacon Gin and Union Limoncello. Pair it with some of the local vendors’ burgers, dumplings, pizza, gelato or Asian street food.

Address: 7 Phillimore Street, Fremantle.
Opening hours: Wed and Thurs 5pm – 10pm; Fri and Sat 5pm – 10.30pm; Sun 5pm – 8pm.

4. The National

the rooftop bar with fairy lights in The National Hotel, Fremantle at sunset — Have sunset drinks on the rooftop.

The beautifully restored National Hotel is a pub and one of the best hotels set in the heart of Fremantle. Its ground floor is a beautifully restored heritage venue with live music, a wide selection of drinks and a relaxed alfresco area that spills onto the historic cafe strip.

Meanwhile, the rooftop garden offers sprawling 360 views to Rottnest and over the port – a great spot for an evening sunset drink.

Address: 98 High St, Fremantle.
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 11am – 11.45pm; Thurs-Sat 11am – 1am; Sun 7.30am – 11.45am.

5. The Local

the front signage of The Local Hotel, Fremantle — The Local Hotel is just minutes away from South Beach.

Located a short walk from South Beach, The Local is quite literally a pub for everyone, boasting three different ‘mini bars’ with different atmospheres. Grab a pint in the front bar or alfresco tables, a Yamazaki on ice in the Whiskey Bar or a glass of wine in the Garage Bar (which has a kid’s corner to keep the little ones entertained).

Address: 282 South Terrace, Fremantle.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 11am – 10.30pm; Fri 11am – 12am; Sat 9am – 12am; Sun 9am – 10pm.

6. The Old Courthouse

Outside area at the Old Courthouse in fremantle — Every man and his dog will have fun at this welcoming pub.

Kids and dogs will have as much fun as the grown-ups (and humans) at this welcoming pub.

The Old Courthouse has sprawling grass to run around on, toys and a sandpit, and little family members will be entertained while adults enjoy a local beer or wine listening to live music.

Hot tip: their happy hour runs from 5 – 6pm Monday to Friday and features $6 pints and wines.

Address: 45 Henderson Street, Fremantle.
Opening hours: Tues and Wed 12pm – 10pm; Thurs – Sun 12pm – 12am.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

7. Beerpourium

shared plates of food on the table at Beerpourium, Fremantle — Pair your beer with classic pub meals.

If you’re serious about beer, you have to visit Fremantle’s Beerpourium. Located in the heart of Fremantle on the famous cappuccino strip, this pub showcases the ever-evolving variety and quality of Australian craft beer.

It has a constantly rotating roster of beer taps to bring visitors the latest and freshest beers on the market. Plus, they have a woodfired food menu featuring classics like pizzas and parmis, as well as less-common things like lamb gozleme and woodfire-baked Brie with chilli jam.

Address: 13 South Terrace, Fremantle.
Opening hours: Thurs 4pm – 12am; Fri and Sat 11am – 12am; Sun 11am – 9pm.

8. The Left Bank

the al fresco dining scene in the courtyard of The Left Bank, Fremantle — Soak up laid-back vibes in the open courtyard. (Image: The Left Bank)

The Left Bank – or The Lefty, as it is affectionately referred to by locals – is a Fremantle institution. The riverside location, the open courtyard overlooking the water and the laid-back vibes make it the perfect place to unwind with a beer, wine or cocktail.

It’s especially enjoyable come 4pm when the courtyard becomes drenched in the afternoon setting sun. They often have live music in the garden, and parts of the venue are also dog-friendly.

Address: 15 Riverside Road, East Fremantle.
Opening hours: Mon – Thurs and Sun 11am – 11pm; Fri and Sat 11am – 11.30pm.

With unhurried mornings, long, sun-filled afternoons, evenings shaped around sunset, this iconic beach offers an all-day experience (and it’s about to get even better).

As the sun slowly rises over the languid waves and fine sand of Broome’s Cable Beach, the morning colours shift from rich apricot to pale gold and frosty pearl. Remnants of life reveal themselves in the subtle shadows – crab claw marks, towel impressions, footprints. Life here is unhurried, but don’t be fooled. This town is continually shifting like the desert dunes that surround it.

And with a $75 million upgrade – offering easier and more inclusive access for people of all abilities – it’s getting even better.

Cable Beach upgrade foreshore redevelopment stage 1 — Discover the Cable Beach redevelopment.

The addition of comfortable and welcoming spaces has begun (and will continue). This means visitors will be able to spend longer enjoying this beautiful environment, while knowing that the upgrade will create a more environmentally protected setting that preserves the natural character visitors come for. Come sunset, soak it in all the better thanks to the already improved foreshore areas, made for lingering while the light changes. And for the kids, a new splash park and accessible dry playground will make it easy to while away the hours.

Think you know what a day at this beach is like? Think again.

Morning colours

car on cable beach at sunrise — Cable Beach comes alive after sunrise. (Credit: Tourism WA)

As the sun colours the sky, Cable Beach shows signs of life (and not just the aquatic kind). Locals and visitors alike float in the cool water as it laps the shore, landlubbers explore the coast on foot, runners pace and beachside yoga classes bring quiet movement to the day.

When the sky is blue and the sun is firmly in position, head down to the well-known Cable Beach House for a long, slow breakfast overlooking the ocean. Think fresh tropical fruit, eggs cooked your way and strong coffee in the warm morning breeze.

Afternoon adventures

camel train on cable beach in broome at sunset — Join a camel train at sunset. (Credit: C J Maddock)

When you’re ready to explore, carve a path along the Minyirr Park Trail – a gentle 1.5-2km track through coastal bushland with spectacular views of the dunes. Refuel at the nearby Spinifex Brewery for lunch with its low-key, outdoor beer garden. There’s even an outdoor playground if you’re travelling with young humans.

Walk off your lazy lunch by watching (or joining) one of the beach soccer or volleyball games, or even try Silent Beats Broome – a silent walking disco through the dunes. Or book a spot on the famous camel trains, watching the sun drop below the horizon along the way. They’re a constant reminder of the fascinating history, landscape and cultural mix in this part of the country.

Evening degustation

server at Cable Beach Club — Stop into the Cable Beach Club. (Credit: Tourism WA)

As the day closes, watch the world-famous Cable Beach sunset from the appropriately named Sunset Grill at Cable Beach Club. This open-air terraced dining spot overlooking the beach is the kind of place where the view takes centre stage.

While you sip on a lychee, lime & lemonade mocktail or a local beer, enjoy the bustle of life and nature outside as the day comes to an end.

For dinner, nab a table at the Bali Hai Cafe, where they offer pan-fried crispy barramundi, Abrolhos Island scallops and deep-sea snow crab. When you’re ready for bed, check in to Pinctada Hotel Broome – a lush, tropical resort with palm-dotted gardens and a large, lagoon-style pool to cool off in.

Beyond the beach

Beyond the wide, open beach and never-ending sky of Cable Beach, there are many more reasons to visit North West Australia. These are just a few.

Unmatched experiences

Shinju Matsuri Festival's popular Long Table Dinner on cable beach — Join Shinju Matsuri Festival’s popular Long Table Dinner. (Credit: Tourism WA)

Engage with the history of the land and its people on an Indigenous cultural tour exploring everything from the local wildlife to the tastes of bush tucker. To understand the importance of pearling to this town, take a tour of Chinatown, or head outside of town to the live pearl harvests at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, one of Australia’s oldest pearl farms.

Learn why Japanese pearlers were central to Broome’s pearling success and visit the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia, where 900 Japanese pearlers were buried – a testament to the risks and rewards of this dangerous profession.

And book ahead every spring for when communal tables, freshly cooked local fare and festoon lighting fill the beach for the extremely popular Long Table Dinner on Cable Beach. It’s a highlight of the Shinju Matsuri Festival, along with the Floating Lanterns Matsuri, where you can personalise a lantern and gently release it into the sea to honour those you love.

Dining discoveries

Further your culinary adventure at the laid-back Sunday Sesh at Matso’s Broome Brewery. Chow down on smoked crocodile or Aussie barramundi while kicking back to a local DJ as the heat of the day fades.

For more tunes, the beautiful outdoor Bay Club at the Mangrove Hotel is a great choice for dinner with live music, DJs or an event that stretches on into the early hours. Still hungry? Pop by Johnny Sausage for Italian-influenced meals paired with impeccable wines.

Natural beauties

Gantheaume Point cabnle beach broome — Experience the striking colours of Gantheaume Point. (Credit: Tourism WA)

Avoid the crowds and head to Town Beach for a quieter vantage point to see the phenomenal Staircase to the Moon – a natural illusion where the rising full moon is reflected on the tidal flats, creating a shimmering ‘staircase’ stretching up to the sky.

Just south of Cable Beach are the deep red cliffs and dramatic ocean views of Gantheaume Point, where 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints can be seen, revealed at low tide. Or head to Roebuck Bay to visit the internationally significant wetlands, where vast tidal flats are home to shorebirds and coastal fauna.

Between October and March, watch turtles nesting and hatchlings emerge from the sand. You’ll be holding your breath as they make their way down to the shoreline, ready to start their life in one of Australia’s most beautiful landscapes.

For more on Cable Beach and Australia’s North West, visit australiasnorthwest.com.

9 bustling breweries and pubs in Fremantle