Perche' No — Restaurant in Tucson

One of the best Italian restaurants in Tucson, and hands-down the best-priced!

I have now visited Perche No on three separate occasions, and I have been blown away each time by the quality of the food, the originality of the menu and the price point during the lunch period. If most of your "Italian" restaurant experiences have consisted of choosing whether your pasta is drowned in a red or white sauce, Perche No is the breath of fresh air you didn't know you needed.

My partner and I selected the restaurant for a "budget lunch date" after splurging a bit too hard on other Tucson fine dining options. By the end of our meal, we both were wishing we could go back in time and trade our expensive dinner the night before with the reasonable and much more filling fare at Perche No.

On our first visit, we ordered the bacon wrapped dates appetizer; I ordered the short rib tortellacci and my partner had the gnocchi allo zafferano. We both shared bites of each other's plates and found them to be very well-made, flavorful, and above all well-priced. By forgoing cocktails we managed to have a satisfying lunch date while spending less than $20/person.

On our second trip, my partner ordered the tortellacci for himself and I went for the gnocchi al gorgonzola, which has a powerfully sharp flavor not for the faint of heart (but definitely for the gorgonzola fan).

By our third trip, we rounded up a small group of Tucson locals who had never tried Perche No. By the end of the afternoon we had done the unthinkable: ordered and shared three appetizers and three desserts along with our entrees, everyone at the table eager to try a bite or share a bit of their own food.

I heartily recommend Perche No's entire menu, especially if you're looking for quality Italian food that doesn't come out of a...

This charming little bistro serves some of the best Italian food in all of Tucson. I’ve been for both a casual lunch and a romantic date night, and one thing I love about this place is that it’s simple and unfussy, yet warm and intimate. Although it is a smaller place, it doesn’t feel cramped at all. With that being said, it fills up quickly, so reservations are recommended. As others have mentioned, acoustics aren’t the best, but even with a nearly-full house it isn’t unbearably loud.

The food is truly delightful. It has the comfort and mastery of traditional Nonna cooking, but with bold, sometimes unexpected flavors and elevated presentation. Everything I’ve had has been delicious, but the Asiago crusted sea bass filet was outstanding. When I read that it was served with sweet chili sauce and tomatoes over a bed of linguine alfredo and grilled asparagus, I was dubious if the flavors would work together. Now I know in Chef Bruno we trust - this man knows what he is doing! The short rib tortellacci was also so, so good. Rich and complex with a great mouthfeel. Don’t sleep on their desserts, either. It nearly put me into a coma but the Mascarpone Limoncello cake was the perfect way to end the meal.

Service was impeccable. Every person we encountered was friendly and our server, Makinzie, was wonderful. Drinks were always full, food arrived quickly, and dishes were bussed promptly but we never felt rushed. Prices are very reasonable for the quality of food, service and overall experience.

I highly recommend Perche’ No and I look forward to seeing what delicious specials they come...

Update : 0 stars after their response where they left out details. They left out the fact they told my mom that they have a new hostess who vastly overbooked their reservations as well. Also we went next door to the ramen place and sat down right away. Neither it or the taco place next to it ever filled up before the show. After the show I walked past multiple restaurants on the way to my car; none of them were full. The show itself only filled up about 2/3 of the theater so it wasn't a "crowded" night like they state. They also opened 10 minutes early and let other people just walk in off the street. If you open early how can someone plan to get there at open and hope to secure one of the rare tables for a walk in? So no I won't take down this review becuase people need to know how you snub your nose at those who don't have reservations and how you treat them. If you want the number of stars to go up I highly suggest you find a way to make this right and change your reservation policy.

RESERVATION ONLY! 😡. Showed up right at opening to get a table before a show at the fox. Watched multiple people walk in before me. Restaurant didn't open until 5 so there was no way to get reservations beforehand. Multiple empty tables. Walked in alone to get a table ready for my elderly aunt and family the lady asked if it was only one and seemed able to seat me at that number but when I said there was 5 she said it was all reservations and couldn't seat me until 5. The restaraunt was around 20 percent full at...