Good Food hat 15 / 20 How we score Seafood $$ $$ Welcome to Fremantle: the port city of Western Australia and a town synonymous with fishing and seafood. Consider the Mendolia family and the Fremantle sardines that they catch: two factors that helped put Freo on the seafood map. Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, despite not being as active as it once was, still attracts tourists and locals.
Keen anglers, meanwhile, still wet lines at the South Beach groyne, near the bridges and at other locations in the 6160 postcode. Among the newer additions to this seafood story is Madalena’s, a breezy, two-storey bar and restaurant that opened in late 2018. In some ways, Madalena’s presents like a classic South Freo eatery.
Sandstone walls and patio furniture conjure a relaxed atmosphere. Tables and chairs dot the sidewalk. Fish rules its A5 paper menu.
But while much of Freo’s fishing heritage is tied to Italian and Greek migration, Madalena’s origin story is set in Brazil. Or more specifically, the town of Madalena that owners Dani Flauzino and Joel Rees once called home, and the neighbourhood bars that made Madalena such a fun place to live, work and play. Equally unconventional is the food that Madalena’s serve.
You’ll often hear folks say that seafood is at its most delicious when it’s had the least done to it. When it’s served raw or cooked briefly, perhaps with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Think of it as the mariner’s version of that well-worn chef soundb.