171 The Esplanade, Scarborough
Ph: 0455 865 586
www.lacapanninaperth.com.au
Modern Italian lands on Scarborough’s shores
Idyllically located above the new Scarborough Beach Oceanside Swimming Pool, Italian restaurant ‘La Capannina’ boasts some of the most magnificent views across one of Perth’s premier and iconic beaches. La Capannina is part of Scarborough’s new redevelopment precinct and is the gateway to the foreshore and popular Esplanade, making La Capannina the perfect place to dine when visiting the area.
The name ‘La Capannina’ means ‘small hut’ in Italian, but this beachside restaurant is anything but small. The tasteful décor might be reminiscent of a beachside hut, think tropical island hideaway, but La Capannina is a spacious 350-capacity venue with both an indoor and outdoor balcony setting.
Historically, Italians have been crossing the globe and landing on Australian shores since the First Fleet but the influx of Italian migrants after WWII helped put their culinary stamp on Australian menus. Arriving with fierce optimism and a strong work ethic the Italians brought with them traditional recipes and the opening of restaurants across Australia.
Enter La Capannina in 2017 – an Italian restaurant where two Italians, Manager Riccardo Zivillica and Executive Chef Raffaele Fusco, are passionate about continuing the tradition of those Italians who came before them. Committed to creating authentic Italian dishes they infuse a modern twist by sourcing their ingredients locally.
La Capannina is in honour of the famous restaurant in Forte dei Marmi (Toscana), which became iconic during the economic boom from 1960 to 1980 catering to guests of all walks on one of Italy’s most beautiful beaches.
Enter La Capannina in 2017 – an Italian restaurant where two Italians, Manager Riccardo Zivillica and Executive Chef Raffaele Fusco, are passionate about continuing the tradition of those Italians who came before them. Committed to creating authentic Italian dishes they infuse a modern twist by sourcing their ingredients locally.
La Capannina is in honour of the famous restaurant in Forte dei Marmi (Toscana), which became iconic during the economic boom from 1960 to 1980 catering to guests of all walks on one of Italy’s most beautiful beaches.
Reigning from Naples, Executive Chef Raffaele Fusco has been in the restaurant business since he was 15-years-old. Raffaele said, “At a young age I came to the conclusion that culinary art is my healthy obsession.” Passionate about using only the freshest ingredients Raffaele shared, “My traditional Italian cooking has evolved through techniques and innovation thanks to the constant research for the native and local products of Western Australia.”
The mere mention of Naples should get clued-in gourmands’ mouths watering since the region is well known for its rich coffee,
amazing pizza and silky mozzarella. It’s little wonder that Raffaele is determined to bring the authentic flavours of Naples to La Capannina’s tables.
The mere mention of Naples should get clued-in gourmands’ mouths watering since the region is well known for its rich coffee,
amazing pizza and silky mozzarella. It’s little wonder that Raffaele is determined to bring the authentic flavours of Naples to La Capannina’s tables.
Baked in a traditional Marana Forno pizza oven imported from Italy, La Bufalina is laden with fresh tomato sauce, silky buffalo mozzarella, Parma prosciutto and shaved Parmesan. Accompanied by a glass of the organic 2017 Coffele Castel Cerino Soave (Veneto, Italy) you have a match made in Napoli heaven. Served chilled, this wine tastes of fresh citrus blossom, minerals and the savoury fruits of rockmelon and pear and the finish is long and fresh.
As the day begins and the morning tide slowly crawls up the beach, the aroma of coffee lures beach goers from the sand, swimmers from the pools and holidaymakers from the boardwalk.
We began our tasting with a couple of breakfast dishes. The hearty La Contadina featured spiced Italian sausages on a bed of beans cooked in a rich sauce with roasted corn and whole sweet cherry tomatoes that pop in your mouth. The dish is topped with a crunchy pastry basket with smoked mozzarella and two generous slices of toasted artisan sourdough laden with free-range fried eggs.
If you are looking for something a little different for breakfast try the ApriCotta, which delivers on fresh taste and spectacle. The dish arrived looking like a work of art with freshly sliced dragon fruit, kiwi fruit, and peaches sitting on top of homemade granola and coconut yoghurt. The hero of this dish is the apricot dumpling, which was succulent and sweet and brought the whole dish together.
As the day begins and the morning tide slowly crawls up the beach, the aroma of coffee lures beach goers from the sand, swimmers from the pools and holidaymakers from the boardwalk.We began our tasting with a couple of breakfast dishes. The hearty La Contadina featured spiced Italian sausages on a bed of beans cooked in a rich sauce with roasted corn and whole sweet cherry tomatoes that pop in your mouth. The dish is topped with a crunchy pastry basket with smoked mozzarella and two generous slices of toasted artisan sourdough laden with free-range fried eggs.
If you are looking for something a little different for breakfast try the ApriCotta, which delivers on fresh taste and spectacle. The dish arrived looking like a work of art with freshly sliced dragon fruit, kiwi fruit, and peaches sitting on top of homemade granola and coconut yoghurt. The hero of this dish is the apricot dumpling, which was succulent and sweet and brought the whole dish together.
The weather was warm and sunny and rather than begin our day with coffee we opted for a cocktail. Manager Riccardo Zivillica, who hails from Treviso, a town known as the gateway to Venice and famous for its prosecco, has a background in cocktails and bar service. He recommended we try the breakfast Bellini’s made with prosecco and freshly made fruit nectar; refreshingly apt for the climate. If the decorative touch of the little flowers was meant to make you feel like you were on a tropical holiday it certainly achieved its goal.
Feeling comfortable and soaking up the uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean we decided to taste two seafood dishes from the lunch
and dinner menus. We opted first for – Lo Scoglio – black ink and white spaghetti with mussels, clams, prawns and squid in a garlic, cherry tomato and white wine sauce. Keeping with seafood, our second tasting was La Grigliatona (GF) – a sumptuous selection of fresh mix grilled seafood consisting of Morton Bay bugs, Shark Bay king prawns, sword fish and tubes of squid served with chilli-lime mayonnaise (made in-house) and seasonal roasted vegetables. This impressive dish will undoubtedly keep patrons returning for more.
Feeling comfortable and soaking up the uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean we decided to taste two seafood dishes from the lunch
and dinner menus. We opted first for – Lo Scoglio – black ink and white spaghetti with mussels, clams, prawns and squid in a garlic, cherry tomato and white wine sauce. Keeping with seafood, our second tasting was La Grigliatona (GF) – a sumptuous selection of fresh mix grilled seafood consisting of Morton Bay bugs, Shark Bay king prawns, sword fish and tubes of squid served with chilli-lime mayonnaise (made in-house) and seasonal roasted vegetables. This impressive dish will undoubtedly keep patrons returning for more.
These dishes were accompanied by a glass of the 2017 Xanadu Chardonnay (Margaret River, WA). With its intense fruit flavours of fresh pear and citrus, this modern style Chardonnay was suitably paired with the seafood dishes.
We completed the meal with the Cannoli Siciliani – freshly made cannoli filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate, and orange zest. The cannoli was well paired with the dessert wine 2015 Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Passito (Marche, Italy). Sublimely smooth, super clean and creamy yet not at all cloying or overly sweet.
Don’t be misled, this is no beach hut as its name implies but an establishment where subtle luxury and casual style are entwined. At La Capannina the atmosphere is relaxed, casual and unpretentious, yet with an air of civility about it, so those wishing to dress up for cocktails at sunset can be Instagram ready— #lacapanninaperth.
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, La Capannina is rapidly carving out a name for itself on the restaurant landscape. Avoid FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and have Raffaele, Riccardo, and the team cater for your next event, whether it is a romantic dinner for two or family function. La Capannina is for everyone!
We completed the meal with the Cannoli Siciliani – freshly made cannoli filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate, and orange zest. The cannoli was well paired with the dessert wine 2015 Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Passito (Marche, Italy). Sublimely smooth, super clean and creamy yet not at all cloying or overly sweet.Don’t be misled, this is no beach hut as its name implies but an establishment where subtle luxury and casual style are entwined. At La Capannina the atmosphere is relaxed, casual and unpretentious, yet with an air of civility about it, so those wishing to dress up for cocktails at sunset can be Instagram ready— #lacapanninaperth.
Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, La Capannina is rapidly carving out a name for itself on the restaurant landscape. Avoid FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and have Raffaele, Riccardo, and the team cater for your next event, whether it is a romantic dinner for two or family function. La Capannina is for everyone!
by Tina McLennan
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Let us know what you think about this venue by leaving a comment on our Facebook page!
