Top Eat and Drink in Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie’s rich history as a gold rush town means it has a long legacy of feeding hungry (and very thirsty) miners. But today, this modern town of 30,000 residents has more to offer than simply filling those hard-working bellies. Read on for where to find food to satisfy every budget, appetite, and palette.

Coffee

First things first, let’s get your day started right with Queen Bee’s Coffee, a goldfields institution with three convenient locations making it hard to miss. You’ll find Queen Bee’s coffee shops selling drinks, breakfast, sandwiches and cakes in Burt Street Boulder and near Coles Supermarket in Kalgoorlie. Plus, their mobile coffee van is mostly found on weekends near Centennial Park, right beside the 72-hour recreational vehicle park.

Located on Hannan Street, Gold Bean Coffee is a fabulous option for great coffee, breakfasts and light lunch. Grab a seat in the tiny, art-filled alleyway and soak up the fun vibes.

If you need a caffeine fix fast, try the Proper Gander Espresso, a hole in the wall café in Kalgoorlie, where you can phone ahead to make things even faster.

Casual bites

Kalgoorlie has plenty of options for those seeking a quick meal or snack. Lemongrass Thai and Vietnamese Cuisine has a great range of meals bursting with flavour, with family-friendly dine-in or takeaway.

Perhaps Japanese is more your style? If so, Kyoto House in Hannan Street will fit the bill. Try their range of ramen noodles, sushi, or a bento box filled with a main, rice, salad and miso soup.

For friendly service and a great Italian feed, pop over to Mamma Mia’s Trattoria inside the Star and Garter Hotel. All the Italian satisfying classics are here, like pizza, pasta, gnocchi, chicken parmigiana and tiramisu for dessert, all served on the quintessential red and white checked tablecloths.

For tasty goldfields-made craft brews, head to Kalgoorlie’s own micro-brewery, Beaten Track Brewery. This super relaxed brew pub offers beers and ciders, plus burgers and chicken wings, for dine in or takeaway.

In a historic building in Boulder, drop in to Café Dharma and dig into breakfast or lunch. The offerings here range from eggs benedict, to generous burgers, house-made cakes and pastries, and a selection of curry specials that you’re welcome to take away. Up the road at South African Gourmet, try the authentic takeaway curries or bunny chow, boerewors, or biltong.

Pub Grub

In its heyday, Kalgoorlie was a bustling and dusty metropolis of 200,000 people, and it was dripping in wealth. Its federation-style hotels bear testament to this era of opulence, and many of them are still operating today.

In Hannan Street, the Palace Hotel (from 1897) has the elegant Balcony Bar and Restaurant with indoor tables by the bar, plus outdoor seating on the wide verandah. There’s a diverse menu of high-end pub food, including steaks cooked to your liking, seafood, and pasta. Downstairs, you’ll find the Irish Pub, with its own casual menu including Irish favourites like beef and Guinness pie, Irish stew, and Kilkenny battered fish and chips.

Probably the most prominent façade in Hannan Street is the York Hotel, one of Kalgoorlie’s grandest pubs, with its Anglo-Dutch architecture, and several ornate domes. Grab a drink on the upstairs verandah at sunset before dining in the stately Restaurant 259 dining room, or grab a meal in the bar. Try the Flagship Sandwich including a Scotch fillet steak, a pizza, or even a healthy salad.

Just a 25-minute drive out of town, the Broad Arrow Tavern is a destination in its own right. Set in a ghost town, this rustic outback pub is famous for its graffiti, which covers every square inch of the interior. Check the Facebook page for live music in the beer garden, and order the classic Broady Burger with a cold beer.

Something fancy

West Bar and Grill is found in the Rydges Hotel, and offers refined, modern Australian cuisine. The specialty here is their grilled West Aussie steaks, straight from the butcher’s block. Pair your meal with something from the extensive wine, beer and cocktail list.

For a modern take on a Kalgoorlie bar, join the locals for a cocktail at a Kalgoorlie institution, De Bernales Bar and Bistro. This place is an all-day diner, serving breakfast and good coffee from 6am, and opening until late at night. The food is Australian-European cuisine like pizza, steak, and chicken parmigiana. On weekends, there’s often live music or a DJ.