Nunzio's Restaurant — Restaurant in Fremantle

Disappointing. We went on the recommendation of a couple who had been previously and raved about the food/service. We (a group of 9) were there on a quiet WED evening.

Our server was clearly dishing up an attitude and as a result was no where to be seen for most of the night. When she was there it was splashing water and wine all over the place. One guest asked for a wine menu to try something different.. the wine list came but she never reappeared to take her wine order. #fail.

Now onto the food.. ENTREE 3 out of 9 ordered an appetizer and they were fine. The cuttlefish was tasty & the eggplant was great.

MAINS 2 x Pork Medallions - highly praised by the 2 who had the same item on previous visit. 1 x Duck Ravioli - was nice. 1 x Risotto Carnaroli - was delish 1 x Pappardelle, Beef Brisket Ragu - was nice 1 x Gnocchi (entree size) Perfect.

2 x Lamb Rump - flavorless and needed oomph. Meat was tough. Not enough of the capsicum smear underneath to raise the dish.

Finally onto the $48 steak listed on the menu as "Beef eye-fillet, 230 gr.,Gorgonzola demi-glace, mash potato, walnuts, seasonal vegetable."

I'm hoping that asparagus wasn't the only vegetable in season... however you would be warmed to know that you get an additional stem of asparagus. YES 2 x stems! #winning, just a shame that I don't eat asparagus and palmed this off to my partner. The mash potato was baked into a slice and lacked seasoning & flavour (pint of salt maybe - oh there was none to be be seen on the tables anywhere.) The gorgonzola demi-glace was so minute that I ran out of sauce before even getting 1/3 way through the meat.

Now on the prize winner.... you would expect a semi decent restaurant to have a supplier that ensures quality meat. Maybe it was just this piece but the eye fillet (although cooked perfectly medium-rare as requested) was a tough piece of road kill. Even cutting with the supplied steak knife was difficult. This was a MAJOR fail in my eyes. I was ready to advise the server of the fact the meat was quite tough, however she was once again no where to be seen to check on our meals.

Given the size of the meal versus the price - expect to spend a fortune to feel satisfied. Few of us were still hungry afterwards.

Most enjoyed their meal, however several did not and the service was appalling and slow. To be advised there would be a long wait for meals is fine.. but seeing that the patronage was low and the server sitting down at the front of house, more attention to detail is needed.

Nunzio --...

⭐☆☆☆☆

This was the most dishonest dining experience we’ve ever had. The waitress pretended to be helpful, suggesting we “try a few small pieces of pasta” so we could see the style of the restaurant before ordering mains. She made it sound complimentary, or at least like a small tasting. Instead, we were served seven full bowls of the same gnocchi – which half of us didn’t even want – and then charged $140–$180 for it.

On top of that, we were hit with $70 for bread and olives we never ordered, plus constant upselling and “advice” that only pushed the bill higher. The so-called fresh pasta mains were raw in the middle and completely inedible.

At the end of the night we paid $1000 for 7 people for a meal that was misleading, poorly cooked, and grossly overpriced. This isn’t genuine service, it’s a trap. Fremantle has plenty of good Italian restaurants – this is not one of them.

UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO THE OWNER’S REPLY: Thank you for your response. I want to clarify that my review reflects my genuine experience as a paying customer. It’s disappointing that instead of addressing the issue, you chose to dismiss it as “wild assumptions” and “defamation.” Nobody expects complimentary food — what we objected to was the way items were suggested and then charged without clear explanation. If this happens often enough that multiple reviews online mention similar experiences, it’s worth reflecting on whether clearer communication is needed. As for the pasta, food preferences vary and I respect authentic cooking methods, but this doesn’t excuse the way our concerns were handled. Offering drinks and desserts only after raising the issue doesn’t erase the fact that we felt misled. I hope you take this feedback in the constructive spirit it’s given, and consider reviewing how items are offered and explained to avoid future...

⭐☆☆☆☆

The biggest scam was the so-called “tasting entrée.” The waitress made it sound like a few small complimentary samples so we could choose our mains. Instead, she brought seven full bowls of gnocchi we didn’t want and charged us $140+ for them.

On top of that came $70 for bread and olives we never ordered, they made it sound complementary, undercooked mains, and constant upselling none ordered foods. We ended up paying over $1000 for 7 people for food that was average oe poor at best.

This place thrives on tricking customers, not serving authentic Italian.

Fremantle has plenty of good Italian restaurants – this is not one of them.

Update:

This review is simply the least we could do. It was our friend’s anniversary, and we chose to stay calm, laugh, and enjoy the night rather than argue. We wouldn’t have minded an extra couple of hundred dollars in that context. But writing an honest review is our choice, and we feel it’s important to share what happened.

If you look at my profile, you’ll see I regularly leave genuine 5-star reviews. This one is different because the situation was not acceptable. You cannot charge people $5 per piece of bread or $18 for a handful of olives without asking, and then present them as if they were complimentary. Anything chargeable should be ordered and clearly listed on your menu.

If you have a special dish or a “chef’s creation” for the night, like every other restaurant in Perth (and around the world), it should be written on a a special menu and explained as an option — not presented as if it’s a complimentary tasting, only to appear on the bill later. Saying “I just spoke to the chef, he’ll make you something to try and test while waiting for mains” is not the same as giving...