391 Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9227 8020
Website
Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 - 20:00
Located on the left side of the main entrance to the North Perth Plaza, Ecco! is a very small unpretentious restaurant with a lovely alfresco area that is very popular and sought after when the weather is good.
Ecco! is one of those underrated unpretentious real Italian restaurants that specialises in wood-fired pizzas (oil and tomato sauce based) and classics of the Italian Cuisine like tomato-based gnocchi, pasta, lasagna, cannelloni, arancini, and meat dishes, and a few antipasti prepared in the house. This is not a sophisticated new-vogue Italian cuisine, there is no fancy stuff here, just traditional Italian recipes. As the old man told me, "I have no studies, I am no chef, but I can cook Italian food as in the old days". That is a big thumbs up for me. The place is quiet during the day, but it is a regular spot for first and second generation Italians, a fact that always shows that the food served there is authentic.
The Pasta alle Vongole is the best dish I have eaten there, and one the best PALV that I have eaten in Perth in the last years. Pasta al dente, flavoursome, with the right amount of everything. Perfect. And the serving was huge.
On the contrary, the Pappardelle al Ragu were average, not al dente, and lacked a bit in flavour. Very much the so-so thing I prepare at home myself.
Their pizzas I have tried here are very nice and flavoursome, with a thin crisp base, and traditional simple ingredients, and no added sauces. Wood-fired ovens really give the pizza an unique flavour and texture that makes of any pizza a good pizza.
They serve breakfast from Friday to Sunday, and they have a mix of traditional Australian favourites with more Italianized bites.
The servings of most dishes are really generous, man-sized, and you won't leave hungry. You will probably leave with a doggy bag. Pizzas are on the medium size, not too big, not to small.
The place has three main downsides, which, in a way explains why they don't have a larger clientele. The first one is that the place it is a bit Spartan and lacks a bit in character; people love old traditional trattorie, just because of their charm, so they could just give their place the feeling of one of those. Just saying. The second one is that the place is just a BYO. The third one is that the price of some of the pasta dishes is a bit expensive taking into account that the ingredients used in some recipes don't cost much.
Ecco! is not a fancy place, but it is perfect for quiet munchers looking for simple traditional Italian recipes and pizza.
MIND - They do take-away - Hurrah.
FIX IT - Their website is very minimal and needs a bit of update. There is not reference whatsoever to opening hours. Also, the takeaway menu link corresponds to the fixed menu link, and vice versa.
