Fremantle has a secret… the best Italian outside of Italy!!

Ruocco’s is part of Fremantle. Opened in 1978 by Matteo Ruocco, it claims to be the first restaurant in WA to have used a wood-fired pizza oven and you can taste every one of those 38 years in its food. It’s this resilience that has its tables full every night.

This depth of flavour is what brings people back and it is certainly what brings us back! The restaurant setup is traditional and basic, making you feel like you have entered a small eatery somewhere in Tuscany.

The menu is quite expansive offering almost every Italian dish imaginable. The size of the menu concerned me a little the first time we visited and sometimes this can be an early indicator of a ‘quantity vs. quality’ problem, thankfully this is not the case. I am yet to order a dish that hasn’t surprised or impressed me.

Once we realised that, the hardest question becomes…Pizza or Pasta! and what a difficult question that is!

The pizza’s are outstanding! The secret is in the base. The dough is handmade on-site and the bases are freshly rolled to order. One of our favourites is the Roucco’s Speciale – peperoni, bacon, ham, mushrooms, kalamata olives, mozzarella, tomato base. This pizza is a flavour tornado, each mouthful is happiness. 

The pasta’s are just as mind-blowing.  We are addicted to the Gnocchi Ragu and Tagliatelle al Nero di Seppia. These two pastas have an incredible depth of flavour. The gnocchi is especially fantastic – rich, decadent, gooey and covered with cheesy goodness. Our other favourite, the tagliatelle, is made with squid ink that gives it a vivid black colour and a subtle ocean flavour which perfectly compliments the array of seafood.

If you want mind-blowing Italian that mixes traditional dishes with out-of-control flavour, Ruocco’s is the place!!!

The Fremantle Food Trail Team

  • Venue: 7/10
  • Food: 9.5/10
  • Service: 8/10
  • Overall: 8/10

Check out our other reviews of fantastic Freo eats by clicking here