Italian Street Kitchen Raine Square — Restaurant in Perth

Amazing food. One of the best meals I have ever had! We will definitely be back. My partner and I ordered the calamari, lamb ragu, prawn pizza and tiramisu x2.

Calamari: SO tender, very lightly battered, not too oily, served with garlic aioli. This was really tasty, however it didn’t have anything that made it stand out or differentiate it from good calamari at other restaurants.

Lamb ragu casarecce: the ragu was so flavourful, and the lamb was falling apart. The mint lifted the dish and made it feel not too heavy. The menu said it was served with gremolata, however we didn’t get any, but I think it would have been nice as it was a fairly rich dish. The casarecce was far more than just a vehicle for sauce; it stood out in its own right! It had a slight chewiness without being too dense or heavy. Serving size was adequate, but could have been a tiny bit bigger. This was my partner’s favourite of the dishes, and he usually doesn’t like traditional Italian food at restaurants as his nonna was a chef who handmade the pastas he ate when he was growing up, and he always compares it to hers! He was even hesitant to go to Italian St Kitchen at all as he is always disappointed when we get Italian food at restaurants.

Prawn and nduja pizza: the flavour combination was inspired! The prawns were perfectly cooked, which can be difficult on pizza; the zucchini was a little charred in some places which added a nice smokiness; the ‘spicy’ nduja added a subtle umami undertone, but we couldn’t detect any spiciness unfortunately; the mint lifted the whole thing. The pizza base was very thin, floppy and a bit soggy on the bottom, but surprisingly not in a bad way? It was kind of nice that the base was so thin, as it let the toppings really shine. The crust was chewy and soft and charred. The pizza was quite oily, but not so much that it significantly detracted from the overall experience. Would definitely recommend.

Tiramisu: ORDER THIS. DON’T GET ONE TO SHARE. SKIP THE MAINS, JUST GET 3 TIRAMISUS. Maybe I’m being hyperbolic? I don’t even know. I would probably do this next time I visited (and then my stomach would regret it later). Tiramisu is my favourite dessert, and I have extremely high standards for it. This exceeded the standards, and set a whole new bar. I really liked how it was scooped out of a giant bowl at the table! Novel and homely feeling. The whole thing was beautifully balanced, with the creaminess and sweetness of the mascarpone, the texture of the savoiardi and the bite of the espresso and cocoa powder. In other tiramisus I have often found that the middle of the savoiardi that hasn’t been soaked in espresso can be dry, however the middles of these biscuits were so fluffy, moist and melt in your mouth! It wasn’t overly sweet, and felt light and not too heavy. I was a little bit worried about having tiramisu at night due to the caffeine, especially as I don’t drink coffee, but I slept fine. Maybe I was just in a food coma!

Service: it was slightly above average and decent/adequate for a fancy restaurant. Not so amazing that I would mention it, but also not so horrible that I would mention it either. It was service that was in the background, not service that added to the experience. Our waitress was friendly and polite, mostly attentive but sometimes hard to get a hold of. We had to ask for table water refills. She did manage to find me a long handled teaspoon for my tiramisu though, which was nice. It felt weird that the tiramisu was served with very large table spoons, but maybe that’s just me 🤷🏽‍♂️ The food came out quickly, and empty plates were cleared away promptly, but not so fast that we felt like we were being rushed.

Atmosphere: cosy and warm without being claustrophobic. Dim lighting with lots of dangling vines. Rustic/vintage vibes, while also feeling fresh and modern. They have really hit the nail on the head in terms of ambience! Good acoustic dampening; the restaurant never got loud, even when it got very full.

Tl;dr? Go here and get...

A Delightful Culinary Surprise at Italian Street Kitchen Despite not having a reservation on a seemingly busy evening, Italian Street Kitchen graciously accommodated me, finding A Delightful Culinary Surprise at Italian Street Kitchen Despite not having a reservation on a seemingly busy evening, Italian Street Kitchen graciously accommodated me, finding a lovely table that allowed for a relaxed hour and a half of dining. This initial flexibility set the tone for a truly excellent experience. The service throughout the meal was exceptional. Our waiter was a perfect blend of friendly and professional, attentive without being intrusive, and happy to answer questions about the menu. And then there was the gnocchi. As a long-time lover of this Italian staple, I can confidently say the gnocchi at Italian Street Kitchen was the best I have ever had. Light, pillowy, and utterly delicious, it was clear it was made with skill and quality ingredients. Beyond the standout pasta, the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was charming and inviting. It struck a wonderful balance, feeling both vibrant and intimate. Adding to the positive experience was the very reasonable price point for the high quality of the food and service received. Italian Street Kitchen offers fantastic value, making a superb Italian meal accessible. I left Italian Street Kitchen thoroughly impressed and already planning my next visit. It's a gem that delivers on all fronts – food, service, atmosphere, and value. a relaxed hour and a half of dining. This initial flexibility set the tone for a truly excellent experience. The service throughout the meal was exceptional. Our waiter was a perfect blend of friendly and professional, attentive without being intrusive, and happy to answer questions about the menu. And then there was the gnocchi. As a long-time lover of this Italian staple, I can confidently say the gnocchi at Italian Street Kitchen was the best I have ever had. Light, pillowy, and utterly delicious, it was clear it was made with skill and quality ingredients. Beyond the standout pasta, the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was charming and inviting. It struck a wonderful balance, feeling both vibrant and intimate. Adding to the positive experience was the very reasonable price point for the high quality of the food and service received. Italian Street Kitchen offers fantastic value, making a superb Italian meal accessible. I left Italian Street Kitchen thoroughly impressed (and mentioned that to the manager) and already planning my next visit. It's a gem that delivers on all fronts – food, service,...

Our evening started with high hopes, as we arrived on time for our reservation. Unfortunately, the service quickly set a tone of frustration. Upon being seated, we weren’t offered drinks or even water. Ten minutes passed and despite looking around and trying to get someone’s attention, we were left waiting. Eventually a staff member from the front desk approached us asking if we had a reservation, despite the fact that the gentleman who seated us was standing right beside her. It was an odd and unsettling start.

After this, still no one came to offer drinks. We then noticed a QR code on the table and after waiting without any communication decided to order our own drinks. At this point, it was clear that the restaurant's sequence of service and communication was nonexistent. The restaurant seemed to be staffed with plenty of waiters but none were actively attending to the tables and more focused on resetting and clearing tables no one was doing at which was frustrating.

Eventually we did receive our second round of drinks, but not without further confusion. A person who appeared to be a manager came over to double-check the drink order. He asked if we wanted vodka with lemonade or soda to which we replied lemonade. However, the drink still arrived with the wrong mixer. At this point we were simply trying to make the best of things.

We then ordered more drinks and our food couple pizzas with lovely based pepperoni and an Italian sausage was an interesting taste with hardly any sausage on the top it was a bit embarrassing for the venue and the price wasn’t cheap, gnocchi and a lamb ragu which was tasty . By the time we finished our mains we were still waiting for our drinks. We tried waving down the waitstaff but to no avail. The drinks took so long to arrive that we lost patience so we decided to leave. When we went to pay we discovered that our drinks had never even been ordered.

We chose to take our business elsewhere. It’s unfortunate because the restaurant had the potential to offer a great dining experience but the lack of attention, disorganisation and poor service were significant turn-offs. We won’t be returning...