Madalena’s Bar review: outstanding food, natural wine and service at this sunny South Freo spot

Burping at the table is considered polite in some cultures. Eating with your hands is customary in others. And at a recent sunny lunch in South Fremantle, I rued that it was not acceptable in our culinary traditions to lick the plate. My visit to Madalena’s Bar was a long time coming. It’s coming up on seven years since it opened on the southern end of the South Terrace strip and despite my love of natural wine, which it specialises in, I only found myself there recently for a friend’s birthday. The party was in the newly opened upstairs bar and the vibes were high. But what struck me was the quality of the food and wine; a marinated capsicum and goats cheese number, washed down with a glass of Vino Volta’s Different Skins, still haunted my dreams weeks later. So I decided to venture back for a lunch, to see if everything was as delicious in the daytime. The dining room was full of Freo character — wooden chairs and cascading plants, shelves of natty wine, mirrors and bookings written on the window near the door gave it the relaxed vibe the area is known for. Devastatingly, the Different Skins is only available by the bottle but we consoled ourselves with two glasses from the extensive menu, including a Skinsy Sauvignon Blanc from Si Vintners and a chilled red from South Australia’s Table Wines ($15 each). First, a couple of the Albany rock oysters ($5.50 each); if they are on the menu, this seems as close to a no-brainer as you get. A-plus, plump and minerally as always. Next, we opted for a Coral Bay pink snapper crudo ($28), which arrived pretty as a picture; white fish blushing pink, dotted with squares of nashi pear, dressed in olive oil and flecked with Geraldton Wax. It was fresh and delicate, and the native plant gave it a flavour quite unlike anything I’ve had. Off to a flying start. The blue tuna ($34) is nigh on a perfect dish. Creamy Ajo Blanco, meaty tuna flesh and crunchy pepitas come together to make a spoonful of flavour and texture you wish would never end. I worried it would be hard to put the canned sardines we feed our greyhound out of mind when we ordered the oily fish here ($22), but there was no resemblance. Here, the fish nestles next to dobs of pesto and aioli, for a winning combination. We opted for the Antarctic toothfish ($44) over the Fremantle octopus (the memory of a recent doco on our little tentacled friends was too fresh) and had no regrets. The fish was incredibly tender and the sauce had all the coconut and spice notes of Brazilian moqueca, subtle enough not to overwhelm. That was the theme of Madalena’s — perfectly prepared, high quality seafood, with just the right amount of thoughtfully paired sauce to elevate the dish, but not overpower. In a lull after our mains but before dessert, the waiter approached with two complimentary glasses of dessert wine; she explained that our chocolate fondant would be a few minutes late. This is great service; we didn’t need to complain or even side-eye her — indeed, we hadn’t even noticed the wait yet — but she pre-emptively made us feel cared for. This is what turns a good restaurant experience into a great one. And it turns out the fondant was worth the wait: delightfully bitter, with dark cacao crisp, fruity quince and a thyme ice cream that was its perfect match. Madalena’s is not cheap, but for a special occasion, its great produce, simple but thoughtful cooking and fantastic service would make it hard to beat. The verdict: 18/20 Outstanding food, wine and service. A lovely way to spend a sunny couple of hours in Freo. Madalena’s Bar 406 South Terrace, South Fremantle Open Wednesday-Thursday 5-10pm, Friday-Saturday noon-late, Sunday noon-10pm. Contact 0459 250 952, madalenasbar.com.au Bookings Yes