Nonna’s South Fremantle review: April Ooi visits South Terrace pizzeria in search of Perth’s best pizza

I have never understood people who leave the crust, which is, in my opinion, the best part of the pizza. When I visited Nonna’s Pizzeria & Cucina, I fully expected to see my pet peeve at play. However, looking around, there was not a single leftover crumb in sight. It wasn’t until I had a bite that I discovered why. The South Fremantle eatery is a busy spot on a Saturday night. I didn’t make a reservation, and thankfully there was one spare high table outside. It’s a pretty fancy pizza joint, so we actually had a starter before tucking into the main event. We tried the vitello tonnato ($20) — thinly sliced sous-vide beef in a colourful splash of creamy mayo, tuna sauce, pickled onion and capers. This was a complex plate and I enjoyed the tender beef. It had that green oil to it that wine bars love to splash on just about every dish. I don’t think it was needed here. Sans green oil, it is a solid dish. The pizza we landed on was the capricciosa ($26). It was a decent-sized pie, good enough to share. We got it for the artichokes, but it also had plenty of olives, ham, a few mushrooms and plenty of milky cheese. The tomato sauce base was a little tart for me, but I’m sensitive to tomato. My boyfriend had no issue with it. The highlight was the pizza base. The surface of the crust was smoky and charred, with just the right number of blackened spots, and it was puffy; when you bite into it there is a very satisfying chewy quality to the dough. It really was outstanding. By way of drinks, my go-to is usually an Aperol but instead I ordered Nonna’s namesake cocktail ($17). I’m no cocktail expert but this was deliciously drinkable. For those who dig an Aperol, this is everything you love but elevated with a bitter grapefruit twist and sweetened with agave. For dessert, we shared a slice of Basque cheesecake ($14). It came served with a muted orange sauce, and I really appreciated how toned down the orange was. Sometimes I feel as though restaurants add sauce as more of a decorative piece, but here the addition was meaningful and complemented the rich, creamy, toasted cake perfectly. Nonna’s has perfected the basics. It’s simple yet effective and I want to go back as quickly as I can, just to get another taste of that life-changing crust. Nonna’s Pizzeria & Cucina 388 South Terrace, South Fremantle OPEN Wednesday-Friday: 5pm-9.30pm, Saturday: 12pm-9.30pm, Sunday: 12pm-8.30pm CONTACT 6185 1762 BOOKINGS Yes THE VERDICT A gem of a woodfired pizza spot that also does killer drinks and a memorable Basque cheesecake. 16.5/20