Little Creatures | Fremantle
Little Creatures at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour ticks many of my ‘great place’ boxes. By the water. Lively noisy atmosphere. Housed in a live brewery. Casual tasty food. Great beers. Full of character (& characters). Appeals to a wide demographic. Variety of seating areas. It’s such a distinctive venue in this city, so when we hosted an equally food-lovin’ visitor from Sydney during the Easter long weekend, Little Creatures was at the top of the tour list. Despite the fact it was super crowded being a public holiday & a perfect sunny warm winter’s day, we found seats quickly & settled in for lunch.
Unfortunately my two favourite Little Creatures dishes, oysters & chilli mussels, were sold out. Fortunately there were other delicious options on the menu to share between three people:
Marinated octopus. Over many years of visiting Little Creatures, it’s impossible for me not to order this. Perfectly cooked slices of tender octopus in a light marinade of herbs, olive oil & lemon juice. My favourite appetiser whilst waiting for other dishes to arrive. Completely forgot to take a photo of it though.
Roasted pork belly with roasted potatoes & apple puree. Juicy pork slices with a crispy crackling top. Would have liked a larger portion of pork & fewer potatoes.
Tomato, boccocini & basil wood-fired pizza. A classic combination, but this pizza was served lukewarm, perhaps from sitting on the kitchen pass too long.
Grilled salmon with chips & salad. An overflowing plate of those delightful Little Creatures frites. The salmon was surprisingly cooked to perfection with a crispy skin exterior. After asking for a small serving of aioli on the side, this was one of my favourite dishes of the day.
Food It’s honest tasty food served from the bustling open kitchen, done quickly & done well. I know people’s opinions vary greatly on the quality of food here, but rarely have I had a negative food experience over the many years of being a Little Creatures lunch & dinner patron. I’m yet to try the breakfast though.
Service The lack of uniforms can make it difficult to distinguish a casually-dressed staff member from a diner. The wait staff service can vary from friendly & efficient, to abrupt & impossible to flag down. But food is usually delivered quickly.
Design The soaring peaked roof of the industrial tin shed, sunny courtyard at the front & marina deck at the back, open kitchen & bar, communal tables & an active ‘cellar door’ brewery operation all combine to create a truly unique vibe that draws me back again & again. I like to take new diners to Little Creatures & just watch their reaction as they take it all in. How they gradually relax & get into the swing of things. Very Freo & very enjoyable.
Highlight The marinated octopus. Plus it’s good fun.
Lowlight Our food arrived before our drinks. That’s a first. The bar was definitely struggling to cope.
Rating 3.5 beers out of 5.
Will we be back Yes.
Details Little Creatures 40 Mews Rd Fremantle T 08 9430 5555 W www.littlecreatures.com.au
