Where to eat in Eyre Peninsula
From freshly shucked Coffin Bay oysters to waterfront pubs, this is where the Eyre Peninsula eats well.
The Eyre Peninsula is South Australia's seafood larder, and eating here means eating close to the source. This is a coastline where the oysters are pulled from the lease in front of you, the tuna comes off boats at a working marina, and the best meal of the trip might be eaten standing in waders on the water.
Oyster country
Coffin Bay, Ceduna, Smoky Bay, Cowell and Denial Bay together form one of the world's great oyster regions, their cold, clean gulf waters growing a Pacific oyster regarded as among the finest anywhere. Whether you shuck your own on a farm tour or order a dozen at a foreshore bar, the oysters are the headline act.
Waterfront tables
Beyond the leases, the region's towns line up their kitchens along the water. Port Lincoln's landmark hotels look out over Boston Bay, the marina pubs pour local beer beside the fishing fleet, and gulf towns like Whyalla put their tables right on the foreshore. Come hungry and follow the coast.
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Coffin BayCoffin Bay Oyster Farm Tours
A hands-on Coffin Bay experience where you wade into the lease in waders, shuck a freshly pulled oyster on the water and learn how they are farmed. It is the single best way to taste the region's most famous catch right where it grows.
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Coffin BayCoffin Bay Oysters
The reason so many travellers point their cars at the Eyre Peninsula in the first place - oysters grown in Coffin Bay's pristine, nutrient-rich waters and regarded as among the finest on earth. Order them by the dozen and eat them as fresh as it gets.
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Coffin BayOyster HQ
A relaxed waterfront bar and eatery on the Coffin Bay foreshore, serving the local oysters every which way alongside other seafood. The bay views and easygoing setting make it the natural place to sit down and order a plate.
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Port LincolnPort Lincoln Hotel
Port Lincoln's landmark waterfront hotel, with a restaurant and bar overlooking Boston Bay. It is the town's go-to address for a sit-down meal with a view across the water.
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Port LincolnMarina Hotel Port Lincoln
A waterfront pub and accommodation overlooking the Port Lincoln marina, pouring local beer beside the moored boats. A classic, unpretentious spot for a counter meal and a cold drink by the water.
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Port LincolnLincoln Cove Marina
The working heart of Port Lincoln's billion-dollar tuna industry, a marina lined with fishing boats and waterside eateries. Come for the freshest possible seafood and the buzz of a genuine fishing port.
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Port LincolnBoston Bay
The vast, sheltered bay that Port Lincoln is built around, more than three times the size of Sydney Harbour and the source of much of the region's seafood. Its calm waters feed the tuna fleet and the oyster leases that supply local tables.
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CedunaCeduna Oysters
Ceduna, with neighbouring Denial Bay and Smoky Bay, forms a major oyster-growing district at the top of the peninsula, celebrated for its briny Pacific oysters. It is the place to taste the far west's catch and time a visit around the region's oyster festival.
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CedunaSmoky Bay
A peaceful oyster-farming village near Ceduna with a long jetty and a popular foreshore caravan park. Quiet, scenic and squarely focused on the local oysters straight from the water.
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CedunaDenial Bay Jetty & Oysters
A historic jetty and oyster-growing settlement near Ceduna, with calm-water fishing and farm-fresh oysters. A low-key detour for travellers chasing the far west's seafood at the source.
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CowellCowell Oysters & Jade
An east-coast town on Franklin Harbour prized for its oysters and home to one of the largest jade deposits in the world. Cowell rewards a stop with fresh shellfish and a genuine working-harbour feel.
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WhyallaWhyalla Foreshore & Marina
Whyalla's redeveloped beachfront and marina, with calm Spencer Gulf swimming, a playground and waterside dining. A relaxed family-friendly spot to eat by the water at the gateway to the peninsula.
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