Capri

Capri is a well-established Italian restaurant on the bustling South Terrace strip. It’s unassuming from outside, with a classic striped awning and full-height curtains concealing a relaxed dining room.

Inside, the decor hasn’t changed much since 1954, when now-late wartime migrants Oddone and Genuina Pizzale took over as owners. The walls are still lined with mid-century wood panelling and framed paintings of idyllic Italian villages. Vinyl chairs and basic tables are the only new additions, which the Pizzales picked up from an old boarding house in the 1970s.

The menu has mostly stayed the same since the 1950s, too. When the Pizzales’ now-late son Corrado and his wife Maria took over, they kept the traditions alive. (Their children and grandchildren help run it today.) To start, expect a complimentary bowl of chicken broth during lunch service, or minestrone soup at night.

For mains, there’s heartier, no-nonsense dishes including spaghetti marinara, plump ravioli alla bolognese, veal scaloppine piccanti (with fresh tomato and chilli) and bistecca di fileto alla panna e funghi (fillet steak with creamy mushroom sauce). Capri also lets you choose your own adventure with a handful of sides to add to your main.

This flexibility extends to the drinks menu. Wine and beer are BYO, so you can choose your favourite bottles to bring along. There’s also the usual soft drinks and chinotto.

Capri’s fare isn’t strictly traditional or inspired by its glamorous namesake. The menu was inspired by regions across Italy, with leanings to the north, and adapted slightly for the Australian palate at the time. The Pizzale family sources veggies from local market gardens, meat from Torre Butchers in Northbridge, and seafood from Sealanes in Fremantle. It all makes for simple yet consistently delicious Italian food.

To finish your meal, you might go for boozy-but-light tiramisu, fluffy baby pavlovas, or Maria Pizzale’s signature dish: caramel stick date pudding.