Rottnest Island Food & Drinks

Rottnest Island food and drink splits between cafes and takeaway around the Thomson Bay settlement, beachside bars and restaurants, and picnics put together from the general store or brought from the mainland. Here is where to find each, plus the island rules that affect a day of eating and drinking, and the things to do on Rottnest Island to pair with a meal.

Cafes, bakeries and takeaway near the ferry jetty

Dome Cafe is a short walk from the ferry jetty, overlooks Thomson Bay and is fully licensed, with coffee and a varied menu. The Lane Cafe does breakfast and lunch in the main settlement, and Frankie's on Rotto adds pizzas, pasta and salads with local wines and beers.

Rottnest Bakery stocks cream buns, vanilla slices, donuts, pies, sausage rolls and bread, plus coffee, cold drinks and gelato. At Geordie Bay, Geordie's Cafe and Art Gallery serves coffee, juices, smoothies, cakes and salads to dine in or take away.

Beachside bars and restaurants

Pinky's looks over Pinky's Beach and Bathurst Lighthouse, with cocktails and meals built around WA produce. Isola Bar e Cibo sits on the beach with Italian-style drinks and simple dishes using WA produce, and Lontara at Samphire Rottnest serves a Southeast Asian-inspired menu with local produce, also beachside. Hotel Rottnest is beachside too, with a view over the bay.

Eating on the water: dining cruises

A dining cruise is the other way to eat on a Rottnest Island visit, and the Rottnest Island dining cruises page covers sailings built around a meal. The Luxe Seafood Cruise shows the style: a 4-hour sail on a 69ft charter boat with a seven-course seafood banquet, a welcome cocktail, a fruit platter and complimentary wine, beer and soft drink. It runs from November to April and leaves Thomson Bay Fuel Jetty at 11.30am.

Picnics, barbecues and bringing your own

The Rottnest General Store sells groceries, liquor, cold drinks, ice creams, meat, fruit and vegetables, and general stores operate in the Settlement Mall and at Geordie Bay. Barbecues are available at Thomson Bay and Geordie Bay, and lighting fires is not permitted on the island.

Drinking water refill points are at Thomson Bay, Army Jetty, Kingstown Barracks, The Basin, Vlamingh Lookout and Geordie Bay. Visitors are asked to carry at least 2 litres each, or 3 litres in hot weather, because supply is limited outside the main settlement, and to take their rubbish off the island where possible.

Pairing a meal with a day on the island

Perth day tours return from the island at 5pm, which leaves time for a late lunch at Thomson Bay before the ferry. Browse Rottnest Island tours for the day trips, activities for cycling and skydiving, and cruises and ferries for the crossing.

Frequently asked questions

Can you buy food on Rottnest Island?

Yes. Rottnest Island has cafes, a bakery, takeaway venues, beachside restaurants and a general store around the Thomson Bay settlement and at Geordie Bay, including Dome Cafe, Rottnest Bakery and Pinky's.

Can you take food to Rottnest Island?

Yes. Visitors can bring their own food and drink to Rottnest Island, and barbecues are available at Thomson Bay and Geordie Bay. The Rottnest Island Authority asks visitors to carry their rubbish off the island where possible.

Is there a bottle shop on Rottnest Island?

The Rottnest General Store sells liquor alongside groceries, and licensed venues such as Dome Cafe serve alcohol on Rottnest Island. Street drinking is not permitted.

Is there drinking water on Rottnest Island?

Yes. Drinking water refill points on Rottnest Island are at Thomson Bay, Army Jetty, Kingstown Barracks, The Basin, Vlamingh Lookout and Geordie Bay, and access is limited outside the main settlement, so carry at least 2 litres each.

What is there to eat on Rottnest Island?

Rottnest Island has bakery pies, cream buns and gelato, pizzas and pasta at Frankie's on Rotto, and beachside meals built around WA produce at Pinky's, Isola Bar e Cibo and Lontara.

Can you drink alcohol on Rottnest Island?

Yes. Licensed venues on Rottnest Island sell and serve alcohol, and the Rottnest Island Authority says guests can enjoy alcohol quietly. Street drinking is not permitted, and infringements and eviction from the island can apply.

Rottnest Island eats well for a car-free island: a cafe by the jetty, a beachside table or a picnic at one of the barbecues, with a tour or cruise built around it.