The Best Restaurants in East Perth for Wonderful Waterfront Dining

As the Swan River snakes from the Indian Ocean, reaching inland to the hills, Perth's highly coveted waterside dining spots elevate WA's finest produce into another realm.

Inner-city East Perth is one neighbourhood to score a riverside seat in, as it features some of the city's best waterside restaurants for a special night out. Travellers, it's wealth of hotels also provide, with expertly crafted dining if you just can't handle a night out on the town.

You might also like to savour these seafood restaurants or head to the coast for some of Fremantle's best bars.

Without further ado, these are the East Perth restaurants to have on your radar. 

UMA

Peru meets Perth at UMA. This East Perth restaurant opened in 2019 - and is a gorgeously refined venue that epitomises Peru's culture - vibrant, warm and welcoming. 

UMA in pre-Incan dialect directly translates to mountain and water (waterfall). The space is fun, with a custom designed wallpaper mural “Amazonia” featuring animals found in the Peruvian Amazonia, except for a hidden Southern Brown bandicoot, that incorporates a touch of WA.

The restaurant was designed by leading Perth design studio State of Kin who drew inspiration from the iconic works of Australian painter John Olsen. The restaurant's colour palette of burgundy, dusty blue and terracotta is uniquely Australian, while at the same time represents the many layers of Peruvian cuisine.

Led by Executive Chef, Xerxes Bodhanwala (known as X), UMA transports diners to Peru's streets, paddocks and oceans with it's bold flavours paired with local ingredients. With Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese influences, Peruvian cuisine is extremely diverse...and the array of elegant and exciting dishes on offer here a proof in the pudding. 

Sip on one of UMA's signature Pisco sours or indulge in a wine list that features a variety of Latin American Malbec. Then it's time to feast. On sensational ceviche, soulful beef stew tamales, pollo asado with charred salsa con aji and plenty of cassava chips. 

Pan Pacific Hotel, 207 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth

Egawa-ya

Serving edomae – meaning high-end sushi – the Omakase 12-course degustation at Egawa-ya would have to be one of Perth's most understated yet decadent dinners. Reserved for an exclusive 10 people, the service almost surpasses the food. Tucked away next door to the Pan Pacific Hotel, even if we could reveal the menu reliant on produce freshly sourced from the ocean and paddock, we probably wouldn't because half fun is in the big reveal. One thing we can share, though, is that you're going to have to book well in advance to score a seat at this innovative Japanese restaurant.

1B/197 Adelaide Tce, East Perth

Brown Street Grill

Situated in Bright Tank Brewing Co, chef Stuart Laws serves WA up on the plate at Brown Street Grill. The magical dining process begins with the open-concept kitchen featuring a Mesiano wood-fired pizza oven, and a custom-built charcoal grill built in Bakers Hill by JAGRD Wood Fired. If all of this hasn't awakened your taste buds, then perhaps the wagyu fat potatoes, oven-roasted Shark Bay scallops or 1kg Bluff Knoll T-bone will get the juices flowing. Drinks are sorted by the onsite brewery, as well as a smattering of local wine makers and spirit distillers, making this one of the most sophisticated East Perth restaurants to add to your foodie bucket list. 

100 Brown Street, Perth

Eastside Social

If you're hankering for something light yet hearty, fresh yet flavoursome for lunch, this East Perth restaurant is the one to book. Settle into Eastside Social's bright and beautiful interiors for a delicious dose of well made, usual suspect dishes. Think market fresh fish with chimichurri, blue swimmer crab linguine and rib-eye steak, served with a garlic bone jus, house made thrice cooked chips, watercress (an added half crayfish with garlic butter comes extra). Just as good at breakfast or dinner, this East Perth spot (sitting pretty in the Ibis) is one for all, including the kids. 

69 Adelaide Terrace, East Perth

Bistro Bellavista

Hello, hearty Mediterranean feast! Wood-fired pizzas are calling at Bistro Bellavista, an East Perth restaurant that's bound to put a smile on your dial. In warm environs, indulge with friends and order one of everything, from calamari fritti and antipasto specials, through to housemade lasagna, gnocchi Sorrentina and the mortadella, mozzarella and pistachio pizza. Bon appetito!

150 Bennett Street, East Perth 

Art of Seafood

Beluga caviar, grilled WA lobster and Shark Bay clams are just some of the stars of the menu at the Art of Seafood, along with several meatier options like the Black Angus fillet. Such high-grade ingredients are well deserving of the location, perched On The Point along the Swan River. The snack menu is equally decadent, with natural oysters aplenty, or take the celebration up a notch with the Sunday High Tea, where a glass of bubbles is never far from your reach. It's one of the finest East Perth restaurants to book into, for the ultimate seafood adventure. 

306 Birdlya Drive, East Perth

Tempayan Bay

Despite WA's obsession with Bali (and rightly so), Indonesian restaurants are few and far between in Perth. So imagine our delight when we stumbled across Tempayan Bay, serving dishes from across Indonesia while showcasing WA's fine produce. Gado gado, Blora chicken satay from Central Java, beef rendang from West Sumatra and tempeh (fermented soybeans) from our beloved Bali all feature at this cosy restaurant sat across the road from Langley Park, and metres from the Swan River.

78 Terrace Road, East Perth

Gioia On The River

Meaning joy in Italian, Gioia lives up to its name in this understated waterside location on Claisebrook Cove. Spaghetti marinara in a tangle of squid, mussels, prawns, clams and lobster, and tenderly seasoned Black Angus sirloin are just some of the delicacies selected in their prime at this traditional Italian albeit East Perth restaurant. Given the clandestine location, it's the ideal setting for many a special occasion, or for a romantic rendezvous over the everchanging Mediterranean menu.

74/20 Royal Street, East Perth

Enjoyed our showcase of the best East Perth restaurants? Since you're in the area, check out our Perth guide and make a staycation of it with a room with a view at some of Perth's best hotels.