What Italian Food Should You Order at an Italian Restaurant in Perth?

You take your seat. The menu comes. Then comes the hard part – garlic prawns or carpaccio? Gnocchi or pappardelle? Crispy duck or lamb? Everything on the menu seems to be amazing and the waiter is already heading back your way.

That’s the beauty of Italian food in Perth. The city is packed with incredible Italian restaurants. All serve handmade pasta, fresh WA seafood, slow-cooked meats, rich sauces, and desserts worth saving room for. But if you don’t know the secrets of ordering in an Italian restaurant, you could easily end up ordering too much food, skipping the signature dish, or filling up well before the best part comes along.

Fortunately, Italian dining follows a beautiful, time-tested structure. Once you know the rules, the whole experience becomes easier, more relaxed, and far more delicious.

This guide walks you through exactly what to order at an Italian restaurant in Perth; course by course. From antipasto and handmade pasta to mains, wine pairings, and desserts, everything you need for the perfect Italian dining experience is covered.

The Traditional Italian Meal Structure: How Italian Food Menu Works

Before you order, it helps to understand the structure of a traditional Italian meal. It’s not complicated; it’s actually quite logical. Think of it as a journey, not a race.

A proper Italian menu is divided into these courses:

You don’t have to order every course. Most diners pick two or three. The classic pairing is antipasto + primo, or primo + secondo + contorno.

The golden rule Italians live by: Don’t rush. Each course is its own experience. Let it breathe.

Begin with the Aperitivo: The Italian Way to Start the Evening

Before the food arrives. Before the menu is even opened. Italians will start with an aperitivo.

The aperitivo is a pre-meal drink. It’s meant to be either sparkling or bitter. The word aperitivo derives from the Latin term ‘aperire‘ which means to open. There’s just one job for it to do which is stimulating your appetite. 

By opening up the palate, slowing the pace, and making it clear that now things have begun, the aperitivo prepares the Italians for a real feast. It’s an integral part of dining in Italy and never served in haste.

At Prego, you’ll find the best aperitivo in the form of the Lamberti Prosecco DOC and Bellussi Veneto Prosecco DOCG. Crisp and dry, these Italian drinks were made with aperitivos in mind. If you’re willing to try other types of sparkling wines on offer by the glass, make sure you take a glass or two before having an antipasto. 

Ordering tip: One aperitivo is enough to get you started. It shouldn’t be too strong.

With the palate primed and the mood set, the first course can begin.

Start Right: The Best Antipasto to Order at an Italian Restaurant in Perth

Antipasto literally means “before the meal.” It’s the opening act; the thing that wakes up your appetite and sets the tone for everything that follows. A good antipasto should ideally be shared. Order two portions, open some wine and enjoy each other’s company.

What to order at an Italian restaurant:

One should always consider ordering some bruschetta to start off with as it is almost always the right choice. The Trio of Bruschetta at Prego is definitely worth trying. It consists of three varieties of the dish, which include: 

• White anchovies with roasted capsicum
• Fresh tomatoes with bulgarian sheep feta and basil 
• Chickpea puree with Spanish onion and pickled cucumber

Prefer to have something light and refreshing as the first dish to have? The Crispy Haloumi with Mediterranean Salad is an excellent choice. This dish combines crispy salty cheese and fresh greens. It is clean and very delicious, especially when shared by two.

Want something more filling than just bruschetta? The Mediterranean Falafel with Tahini and Mediterranean Salad would be a great option.

The antipasto sets the pace. Get it right and the rest of the meal flows naturally. That brings us to the part everyone came for.

The Primo Piatto: Pasta, Gnocchi, and the Art of the First Course

As antipasto serves as an opening, a primo piatto is a real story.

Primo is a dish based on carbohydrates like pasta, gnocchi, risotto. These are the Italian dishes that remain unforgettable and make a customer return again and again.

So, when you go to an Italian restaurant in Perth, the first thing to ask is: “Are the pastas house-made?” In case you visit Prego, the answer is: yes. All pastas are made here, and can be felt with each fork.

House-Made Italian Pasta

The pasta menu offered by Prego is really impressive. The best among them include:

• House-made Pappardelle with meatballs and cotechino sausage in tomato sauce, topped with parmesan cheese; wide, ribbon-shaped pasta in a ragu sauce that has been patiently developed, layer upon layer. This is the pasta that will make you shut your eyes the first time you taste it.
• House-made Tortellini stuffed with Lebanese zucchini and tiger prawns, WA scallops, and wrapped in pancetta; the dish that is worthy of the signature stamp. It is the union of the locally sourced scallops and tiger prawns, folded into hand-stuffed pasta with pancetta that truly defines the specialness of Italian food in Perth.

Gnocchi

Everything there is to know about an Italian restaurant’s kitchen can be revealed by its gnocchi. When made well, they are delicate, fluffy, and even dangerously soft. When not, they tend to be heavy and rather unremarkable.

Prego offers its House-made Gnocchi with vongola, crab meat, chilli and garlic in a rose sauce. It’s a perfect combination of delicate shellfish and velvety potato gnocchi served in a complex sauce with just the right balance between richness and liveliness.

Alternatively, for a more classic option, one may opt for the House-made Gnocchi with rich tomato sauce, buffalo cheese, basil and olives – an authentic Italian dish in the truest sense.

The Secondo Piatto: When Italian Restaurants Go Beyond Pasta

Here’s something most people get wrong about Italian food, which is pasta is not the main course. The secondo Piatto; the meat or seafood main, is the centrepiece of a proper Italian meal. Think of the primo as the warm-up. The secondo is the headline act.

At Prego, the second course options reflect both Italian tradition and Perth’s exceptional local produce.

Seafood Mains

Perth’s proximity to some of Australia’s best seafood gives Italian restaurants here a real advantage in this department.

• The Garlic and Chilli Tiger Prawns with pesto cream and tomato balsamic. Available as an entree and a take-away favourite, it is one of those dishes that looks simple and tastes extraordinary. The heat of the chilli, the depth of the pesto cream, and the freshness of the prawns work together seamlessly.
• The Octopus, baked in the wood-fired oven with chilli, garlic, field mushroom, chickpeas, couscous, and pomegranate vinegar is a bolder choice, and a brilliant one. Wood-fired octopus has a smokiness and tenderness that you simply can’t replicate in a conventional oven.
• The Fish of the Day is always worth asking about. In Perth, it carries genuine meaning as chefs here have access to extraordinary WA waters, and whatever lands on your plate will be seasonal and fresh.

Meat Mains

• Crispy Duck, cooked in the wood fired oven, paired with pear polenta, red wine, and gorgonzola sauce, forms the signature meat dish at Prego. It comes as no surprise that it features in the degustation menu; the combination of crispy skin duck cooked twice and paired with the pear polenta and gorgonzola is one of those rare times when everything fits.
• Lamb Neck, slowly braised in the wood fired oven with yogurt, lamb jus and roasted potatoes is comfort food taken up a notch. Braising the lamb neck in the wood fired oven for such a long time softens it to the point of tenderness. The yogurt balances the dish very well.
• Veal Fillet, briefly fried and then served in potato puree in a Marsala sauce is the sophisticated choice for the night. Elegant, delicate and the type of dish which goes very well with an Italian Nebbiolo.

Ordering tip: The secondo and your contorno (side dish) should be ordered together. Italians treat the side dish as part of the main course. They’re not an afterthought. 

A plate of Wood-fired Seasonal Vegetables or Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic alongside your lamb or duck completes the picture.

Don’t Skip the Dolce: The Italian Desserts Worth Saving Room For

Always order dessert at an Italian restaurant. Always. Not because you have to, but because Italian dolce is genuinely good. Skipping it would mean ending the meal with the secondo sitting as the last word. Dessert in Italian dining is a gentle landing. A soft full stop after a rich story.

Tiramisu

The most iconic Italian dessert in existence. At Prego, the Tiramisu is made the traditional way; mascarpone cheese, espresso-soaked savoiardi, and a dusting of cocoa. There are no shortcuts. It’s the real thing. If you’ve never had house-made tiramisu at a proper Italian restaurant, this is where that changes.

Lemon Tart with Flamed Meringue

A sharp, bright contrast to the richness of the meal. The tart lemon curd balanced against the sweet, flame-kissed meringue is one of those desserts that feels light even when you’re full. Served with vanilla bean ice cream on the degustation menu; a perfect finish.

Cioccolatino — Liquid Centre Chocolate Fondant

For the chocolate lovers. Scented with orange and cardamom, with a molten centre and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream alongside. This one is genuinely hard to say no to.

Kunéfé

One of Prego’s more distinctive offerings. It’s a house speciality of layered shredded filo and haloumi cheese, spiced sugar syrup, and roasted pistachio. It’s warm, sweet, crispy, and unexpected. If it’s your first time seeing it on an Italian menu, trust it. Order it.

End with the Digestivo: The Italian Full Stop

You’ve had the aperitivo. You’ve worked through the courses. The dessert plate has been cleared. And now, in true Italian tradition, comes the digestivo.

A digestivo is a small after-dinner drink, typically a liqueur served in a shot glass and sipped slowly. The name says exactly what it does. It aids digestion after a rich, multi-course meal. In Italy, it’s as much a ritual as the coffee that often accompanies it. You don’t skip it. You savour it.

The most common Italian digestivo are:

• Limoncello – refreshing, tangy, and sweet; the sunny side of finishing up
• Grappa – crafted from grape skins; stronger and more complex; the classic Italian pick
• Amaro – a bitter digestive, the choice of an experienced diner looking for complexity over sweetness

In addition to its consumption, the digestif serves to put a full stop to the meal. It signals that the party isn’t over yet. Given how important the dining table is to this culture, the digestivo is an excellent ending to an excellent meal.

Just ask your waiter what options are available. A good digestivo after Prego’s tiramisu or lemon tart will keep you buzzing all the way back home.

What to Drink with Italian Food in Perth

Italian food and wine are inseparable. In Italy, dinner without wine is essentially breakfast. In Perth, the wine culture is equally serious. And at Prego, the wine list is one of the most extensive you’ll find at a fine dining Italian restaurant in the city.

Match Your Wine to the Italian Course

The simple rule is this: lighter food, lighter wine. Richer food, bolder wine.

Prego’s wine list features Italian classics from Tuscany, Piedmont, and Veneto alongside outstanding WA selections from Margaret River, Pemberton, and Frankland River..

A Note on Aperitivo

Start the Italian way; with a Prosecco or a light sparkling before you look at the food menu. It primes the palate, slows the pace, and puts you in exactly the right frame of mind for a long, enjoyable Italian evening.

8 Tips for Ordering Italian Food Like a Local in Perth

Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, these tips will make every Italian meal better.

1. Read the specials first: The chef’s daily specials are where the best seasonal ingredients end up. Always ask or look before deciding.
2. Ask what’s house-made: House-made pasta, gnocchi, and bread are signs of a kitchen that cares. At Prego, everything is made in-house.
3. Share the antipasto: Order two or three starters for the table. It’s more fun, you try more, and you don’t arrive at the primo already full.
4. Let the primo be the primo: In Italian dining, pasta is a first course; not the main event. Don’t load up on it if you’re planning a secondo. Taste it properly and then move on.
5. Order the gnocchi once in a while: People default to pasta and miss what gnocchi can do. A good kitchen’s gnocchi is revelatory. Prego’s is excellent.
6. Match your wine to your dish, not the whole meal: Order a glass per course if you can. It genuinely changes the experience.
7. Always order dessert; or at least share one: You’ll regret it if you don’t. The tiramisu and lemon tart at Prego are not optional in any moral sense.
8. Book ahead: Perth’s best Italian restaurants fill up quickly, especially on weekends. A reservation means you get the table you want, the service you deserve, and no standing at the door wishing you’d planned ahead.

Wondering where to actually experience all of this? Hungry for a Proper Italian Meal in Perth? 

Come to Prego – Floreat’s Italian Restaurant for Fine Dining Done Right

Prego Italian Restaurant in Floreat has been one of Perth’s most loved Italian dining destinations for years. The kitchen is passionate. The menu is built around authentic Italian tradition; house-made pasta, wood-fired mains, handcrafted desserts, and a wine list that gives you genuine choices.

Whether you’re planning a quiet dinner for two, a family gathering, a birthday celebration, or a corporate function, Prego is the kind of place that makes every occasion feel special without making it feel stuffy.

Choose from:

• A La Carte Menu for full flexibility
• Set Menu for a curated three-course experience
• Degustation Menu for a complete Italian fine dining journey 
• Takeaway Menu when you want restaurant-quality Italian food at home

Book Your Table Now

FAQs

• What is the most popular Italian food in Perth?

Homemade pasta, wood-fired pizza, antipasto, gnocchi, seafood pasta, and tiramisu are among the most popular Italian dishes in Perth. At fine dining Italian restaurants, house-made tortellini, crispy duck, and fresh WA seafood are especially popular.

• What should I order at an Italian restaurant for the first time?

Start with a shared antipasto like bruschetta or calamari, then choose a house-made pasta or gnocchi. If you want the full Italian dining experience, add a meat or seafood main and finish with tiramisu or lemon tart.

• What is antipasto at an Italian restaurant?

Antipasto is the traditional starter course in Italian dining. It usually includes shareable dishes like bruschetta, carpaccio, calamari, cheese, olives, and marinated vegetables designed to begin the meal lightly.

• What is the best thing to order at an Italian restaurant?

The best Italian meal usually starts with antipasto, followed by a house-made pasta or gnocchi. For a fuller dining experience, add a seafood or meat main and finish with a classic dessert like tiramisu.

• What Italian food is good for cholesterol?

Mediterranean-style Italian food can support healthy cholesterol levels. Olive oil, seafood, legumes, vegetables, and tomato-based dishes are generally lighter choices. Grilled seafood, Mediterranean salads, and vegetable-based dishes are often good options.

• What makes Italian food in Perth different from other cities?

Perth’s Italian food stands out because of its fresh WA produce, local seafood, and Mediterranean-style climate. Ingredients like Fremantle octopus, WA scallops, tiger prawns, and seasonal vegetables give Perth Italian restaurants a fresher, more local flavour.

• Is Prego Restaurant good for a special occasion?

Yes. Prego Restaurant in Floreat is a popular Perth destination for birthdays, anniversaries, family dinners, and corporate functions, offering set menus, degustation dining, and a warm fine dining atmosphere.