Ciao Italia — goodbye Italy, hello Perth

This corner neighbourhood Italian eatery feels like you’re stepping foot into a welcoming family home. A comforting and intoxicating scent of garlic bread and chilli mussels fill the air as you enter, combined with familiar Italian music. With no bookings, make sure you arrive early to avoid large lines down the street.

The traditional chequered tablecloths and sounds of clinking cutlery, laughter and chatter over red wine make for a cheery atmosphere. A mealtime conversation starter, the chicken parmigiana is literally the size of your head, and arguably one of the tastiest in Perth.

You’ll feel like you’ve been whisked into an authentic European dream with the dishes that grace the tables. The very popular Ciao Italia pasta features fettuccine mixed up with marinated chicken strips, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and spring onions in a creamy white sauce. With parmesan to top it off, you can’t go wrong with this dish.

The traditional Sicilian pizza is layered with a fresh tomato sauce base, mozzarella cheese, mild Italian sausage, bacon, black olives and extra ricotta cheese.

The quick service will surprise you, as the kitchen is small, but not to be underestimated. Ciao Italia pump out meals at rapid speeds with a selection of tasteful banter to go with the large portions.

Be sure to ask for the chilli as an accompaniment to pizzas and pastas, the traditional spicy bowl of chilli will warm you up faster than the heat from the wood-fire pizza oven and makes for a perfect, spicy topping.

Lastly, going to Ciao Italia and not getting the tiramisu is, as according to the waitstaff, “like going to Rome and not visiting the Pope.”

The much-loved house dessert is coated in lashings of double cream and layers of coffee liquor drenched sponge fingers topped with a mascarpone cream cheese and dusted with cacao, who could say no to that?