Oyster Season Is Officially On—Here’s Where To Score Albany Rocks All Summer Long
Summer is well and truly back here on the west coast, and so are WA's iconic salty, slurpable seafood snacks: Leeuwin Coast Albany Rock Oysters.
Straight from the pristine waters of Albany way down in the Great Southern, these briny, buttery little beauties are popping up on menus all over Perth, and we’ve got the intel of where you can get shucked this summer.
Dive in, here’s where to knock back freshly-shucked Albany Rock Oysters this summer in Perth.
La Cabaña
South Freo’s sun-drenched taqueria is serving their Albany Rock Oysters with a bit of spice, smoke and sass. The Morita Vinigarette—made with fresh raspberry, beetroot, morita chilli, cranberry for a subtle sweetness and a pinch of secret spices—is good enough to drink, but we recommend washing it down with the oyster slammer, a 30ml tequila shot with sangrita roja and house chamoy.
Canteen Pizza
Pizza might be their claim to fame, but this summer, Canteen Pizza is making a compelling case for bitter, boozy and briny snacks. Their Albany Rock Oysters arrive topped with a Negroni granita that’s as refreshing as it is rousing. Go for a glass of Jo Landron Atmospheres NV and all of a sudden your visit to Canteen is less of a pizza pit-stop and more of a bougie bonanza of bubbles and bivalves.
Servo
Keeping it fresh, fun and just a little bit fancy, Servo’s Albany Rock oysters come all dolled up with a summer-coded strawberry mignonette. The pretty pink sauce is sprinkled with chives, delivering a sweet-and-savoury symphony to each and every oyster. Snag a seat in the sunny courtyard and sip on a spritz for the ultimate summer arvo at Servo.
Papi Katsu
Oysters, but not as you know them. At this underground izakaya, the seafood snack de jour is given the Papi Katsu treatment, with an oyster chawanmushi added to the menu. Here, they come swimming with uni in a pool of smooth, savoury clam and caviar fumet. Even if those words don’t mean much to you, you know it’s going to be next level if superstar chef Shane Middleton is behind it.
Cantina di Lulu La Delizia
Just when we thought Lulu La Delizia couldn’t get any better, chef-owner Joel Valvasori and his team went ahead and opened Cantina di Lulu La Delizia, the charming walk-in-only extension of Subi’s molto bene Italian joint. Both the OG site and the new offshoot are shucking Albany Rock Oysters all summer, but only at the Cantina will you find them served with a tangy pickled shallot vinaigrette, perfectly paired with a zesty Pecorino Abruzzo Contreras.
Light Years
After orbiting the East Coast food scene, Light Years finally touched down in Perth earlier this year, and boy oh boy are we glad it did. Set in a grand heritage space smack bang in the middle of the CBD, culinary director Robbie Oijvall and chef Alex Tintori are dishing out modern Asian plates that’ll bring a party to your palate, and you best believe that Albany Rock Oysters will be a summer staple on the menu. Served with jalapeno and micro coriander, they're spicy, herby, and best washed down with the Netflix And Chill— a Light Years signature cocktail in which popcorn-spiced rum meets macadamia, passionfruit and lemon.
Rockpool Bar and Grill
It would be amiss to talk oysters in Perth without tipping a hat to Rockpool. The West Oz seafood fine-dining institution is reliable, refined and rarely rivalled, and the freshly-shucked Albany Rock Oysters are no exception. Don your best attire, take a seat in the swish dining room, order yourself a dirty martini and oysters served classically with mignonette sauce, and sip and slurp the night away.
Shirley’s
It’s a classic for a reason: a good dousing of mignonette and splash of hot sauce is all Albany Rock Oysters need to shine at Shirley’s. Culinary heavyweight Kenny McHardy and his head chef Justine Tangarorang are shucking the slippery suckers to order, with each oyster going for just $2 a pop. Pair with a Galafrey 2024 Mount Barker Reserve Riesling and you’ll be fueled for a balmy, breezy evening in Freo.
Got a serious case of oyster cravings? Get your fix at one (or all) of these spots or head to Leeuwin Coast for more on how to make this summer its shuckin’ best.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Leeuwin Coast and proudly endorsed by Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.
Imagery: Supplied.