# Best Cafes in Exmouth | Where to Eat and Drink at Ningaloo Reef
Canonical: https://bookfromowner.com.au/guides/wa/coral-coast/ningaloo-reef/best-cafes/
Type: BestOfGuide
Location: Ningaloo Reef, Australia's Coral Coast, Western Australia
Last updated: 2026-06-01

> An honest guide to the best cafes, coffee spots and casual dining in Exmouth and Coral Bay — the Town Beach van that opens at dawn, SOSO's healthy plates, Whalebone Brewing's reef-side pizza, and where to eat in Coral Bay village. With who each suits and what to skip.

## Quick Answer
- Best for: Reef visitors, active travellers & remote workers
- Price range: $$–$$$
- Vibe: Relaxed, reef-town and coastal
- Distance: 1,260km north of Perth (2hrs by plane)

## Featured Properties
- Exmouth Escape Resort: 4.5/5 (428 reviews)
  Book direct: https://exmouthescaperesort.com.au/
  Exmouth Escape Resort — Ningaloo Reef
- Ningaloo Caravan and Holiday Resort: 4/5 (960 reviews)
  Book direct: https://exmouthresort.net.au/
  Ningaloo Caravan and Holiday Resort — Ningaloo Reef
- Potshot: 3.8/5 (887 reviews)
  Book direct: http://www.potshotresort.com/
  Potshot — Ningaloo Reef

## FAQ
Q: What are the best cafes and restaurants in Exmouth?
A: Whalebone Brewing Company is consistently rated the top dining experience in Exmouth — craft beer, wood-fired pizza, live music Thursday to Sunday, and a family-friendly outdoor yard. For the best coffee and healthy breakfast, Social Society (SOSO) on Thew Street is the standout. The Ningaloo Bakehouse & Cafe (Ross Street Mall, since 1963) is the reliable everyday option. For a serious dinner, Adrift Cafe on Huston Street (BYO, chef-driven menu) or Whalers Restaurant at Exmouth Escape Resort (fully licensed, bookings essential). Confirm current hours, as Exmouth's dining scene reduces in the off-season (November–March).

Q: Where should I eat in Coral Bay?
A: Coral Bay is a very small village with a handful of options. Fin's Cafe (30 Robinson Street, open 8am until late) is the main anchor, with a seafood-forward menu covering breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Reef Cafe (Robinson Street, open from 6pm) serves Italian pizza, pasta and schnitzel for dinner. Between the two you eat well enough for a few days without driving to Exmouth. If dining variety is important, Exmouth is the better base.

Q: Is Exmouth good for vegetarians and vegans?
A: Better than you might expect for a remote WA town. Social Society (SOSO) specifically caters to vegetarian and vegan diners with a thoughtful, produce-focused menu, and Adrift Cafe offers South Indian dahl and other non-meat dishes. Whalebone Brewing has vegan pizza options. The Bakehouse and Short Order Local are less accommodating for strict dietary requirements.

Q: Where can I get a good coffee before a morning reef tour?
A: Short Order Local at Town Beach is the dawn pick for a coffee and brekky roll before a 7am boat departure — it opens early and is a short drive from the tour operators' departure points. Social Society (SOSO) is the best sit-down option for a quality flat white and breakfast plate if you have a little more time. The Ningaloo Bakehouse is the reliable fallback if the others are busy or closed.

Q: Do Exmouth cafes and restaurants keep regular hours?
A: Not always. Exmouth operates on a seasonal economy driven by the dry-season (April–October) visitor influx, and several venues reduce hours or close between November and March during the heat and cyclone season. Always check current trading on social media or by phone before visiting, especially if you're planning a special meal or arriving outside the peak April–October window.

Q: Are there good food options for families with children in Exmouth?
A: Yes — Whalebone Brewing is the standout family venue, with a large outdoor yard, sandpit, old dinghies for kids to explore, and a casual menu. Short Order Local on Town Beach has a natural family setting on the foreshore. The Ningaloo Bakehouse is quick, easy and familiar for kids. Whalers Restaurant at the Exmouth Escape Resort is a calmer, table-service option for families wanting something slightly more formal.

## At a Glance
- Top-rated venue: Whalebone Brewing Company — craft beer, pizza, live music, family-friendly
- Best morning coffee: Social Society (SOSO) — healthy menu, eco-conscious, popular with reef visitors
- Town institution: Ningaloo Bakehouse & Cafe — on Ross Street Mall since 1963
- Dawn coffee spot: Short Order Local — colourful van on Town Beach, brekky rolls and filter coffee
- Best dinner: Adrift Cafe (Huston St) or Whalers Restaurant — the serious food options
- Coral Bay: Fin's Cafe (Robinson St) — open breakfast through dinner, fresh seafood focus
- Opening hours: Exmouth hours vary; always check before visiting during the off-season (Nov–Mar)
- Dog friendly: Short Order Local and several outdoor areas — check on arrival

## Featured
- 1. Whalebone Brewing Company — The town's best evening — craft beer, pizza and live music
  - Why people love it: It's the full Exmouth evening in one place — locally brewed beer, wood-fired pizza, live music and a yard full of reef-town character.
  - Don't miss: The house-brewed ales and Ningaloo Spirits gin, paired with a wood-fired pizza under the outdoor lights with live music.
  - Good to know: Gets very busy Friday and Saturday evenings in peak season — arrive early or expect a wait. The food is casual brewery fare, not fine dining; for the serious one-dish dinner, Adrift or Whalers is the call.
- 2. Social Society (SOSO) — Exmouth's best all-day cafe and healthy breakfast
  - Why people love it: It's the good-coffee, healthy-food anchor that reef visitors need before a full day on the water — rare this far from a city.
  - Don't miss: A well-made flat white and a fresh vegetarian breakfast bowl before a morning boat tour or drift snorkel.
  - Good to know: Small, fills fast on weekend mornings; the menu is seasonal and varies, so you won't always get the same dish. Outside peak season, verify current hours before making the trip.
- 3. Short Order Local — Dawn coffee on Town Beach — the most Exmouth start to a day
  - Why people love it: It's the perfect reef-morning start — coffee in hand on Town Beach, the Indian Ocean in front of you, and a boat tour to catch at 7am.
  - Don't miss: A takeaway coffee and brekky roll on Town Beach at first light, before any boat tour or Cape Range drive.
  - Good to know: A van, not a cafe — no table service, limited seating and a small menu. For a sit-down breakfast, head to SOSO or the Bakehouse instead.
- 4. Ningaloo Bakehouse & Cafe — The town institution since 1963 — pies, pastries, everyday coffee
  - Why people love it: It's the 60-year institution that keeps Exmouth fed every morning — honest baked goods, fair prices, and the kind of reliability that a remote town earns over decades.
  - Don't miss: A fresh pie or pastry from the bakery case, fuelling up before a Cape Range day trip.
  - Good to know: It's a bakery, not a specialty cafe — don't come expecting a single-origin pour-over or a brunch menu. The sweet spot is the pies, the pastries and a straightforward coffee to go.
- 5. Adrift Cafe — The quiet achiever — serious food tucked off the main road
  - Why people love it: It's the surprise — genuinely thoughtful, specific cooking in a tiny cafe in one of WA's most remote towns, and still BYO.
  - Don't miss: A feature dinner night (curry or seasonal menu) with BYO wine — the one meal in Exmouth that surprises you.
  - Good to know: Small, books up on feature nights and can feel informal compared to a restaurant setting. Check social media for current hours and menu before making a special trip.
- 6. Fin's Cafe, Coral Bay — The all-day anchor in Coral Bay village
  - Why people love it: It's the cafe that makes Coral Bay work as a self-contained reef base — a genuinely good seafood menu on the doorstep of the bay.
  - Don't miss: A seafood lunch at Fin's within walking distance of the Coral Bay snorkel beach — the closest you'll eat to the reef itself.
  - Good to know: Coral Bay has very limited dining options — if eating variety matters, Exmouth is the better base. Fin's can be stretched for a longer stay, so mix it with the Reef Cafe for dinners.
- 7. Whalers Restaurant — The sit-down resort dinner when you want to stay clean
  - Why people love it: It's the reliable fully-licensed sit-down dinner in a town where the alternatives are BYO or a brewery — local seafood, proper service, no need to drive anywhere.
  - Don't miss: A booked outdoor table for a licensed dinner on the last evening, after a week of reef activities.
  - Good to know: A resort restaurant, so priced accordingly — not the adventurous local dining pick, but a reliable, genuinely good option. Book ahead; it fills on busy weekends.

## What travellers say
- [positive] Better than expected for the location: Visitors consistently express surprise at the quality — particularly Whalebone Brewing (pizza and beer), SOSO (healthy breakfast) and Adrift (serious cooking) — given how remote Exmouth is.
- [mixed] Small scene; limited variety: After a few days, visitors note the limited dining options, especially in Coral Bay. Most travellers plan their eating around the activity schedule rather than the dining itself.
- [mixed] Check hours in the off-season: Several cafes and restaurants reduce hours or close between November and March. Reviewers who phone ahead eat well; those who assume city-style trading hours sometimes arrive to a closed door.
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: 
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: 
- [positive] What a recent visitor said: