Sorrento Restaurant – Northbridge, Perth WA

Sorrento Restaurant is an iconic Perth institution. Conveniently located in the heart of Northbridge, it serves traditional regional Italian cuisine from Abruzzi, Rome, Sicily and Calabria.

Sorrento Restaurant – a classic Italian

Sorrento first opened its doors on William Street in 1949 with Mr Ribaudo and Mr Romeo at the helm and later (after Mr Romeo’s departure), just the Ribaudo family.

After its relocation to James Street, Alfonso & Tina Di Lanzo acquired it in 1982 where it remains a family owned & operated business.

After years of resisting trends ‘the Sorrento’ continues. The dining room with its classic arches, vintage Italian ceramics and white table cloths will transport you to a place that is long forgotten in Perth but will remind you of any great trattoria in Italy.

Sorrento Restaurant of James Street, Northbridge is a classic Italian restaurant. Here, tradition, family and friends run deep and links, history and connection are vital.

Much of what is on the menu will be familiar to Australian diners. The key point of difference, however, is with the detail.

Whether it is pizza served with spicy N’duja sausage or the way the kitchen prepares home-made pasta and gnocchi, you will enjoy the care and attention of a restaurant that has been delighting Perth diners for over 50 years


Please note – it has been announced that after 72 years, Alfonso Di Lanzo has been forced to shut his legendary Northbridge establishment, Sorrento. Unlike the Covid-related restaurant obituaries we’ve reluctantly written since 2020, this closure is far more unusual.

Weirdly, the growing homelessness issue in James Street, Northbridge is the culprit. It appears that homeless people sleeping rough in the restaurant entrance and across the road (where Dome Cafe and Positano were tenants) has caused a drop-off in custom and an inability to operate the restaurant. You can read all about it here.

To help you find an alternative venue please check out our guides to dining out in Perth. If you are still looking for Italian cuisine, then read this.

If it’s pizza that you crave, we’ve selected Perth’s best pizzerias here.

Fancy seafood? Check out our guide to Perth’s finest seafood establishments here. Simple fish and chips? Try these eateries.

Perth has some excellent Japanese restaurants and we’ve collated many of the best here. Fancy Ramen? – try these venues

What about a steakhouse or a vibrant bar? A trendy cafe? The city has many.

And we’ve even got you covered if your tastes run to high tea experiences or hearty breakfasts and brunches.

Alfonso Di Lanzo

Prominent restaurateur and Northbridge veteran, Alfonso is still very present in the business. The restaurant has been in his family for more than 70 years – you could say that the Sorrento is in his blood. Luckily for us, Alfonso has been a daily reminder of this tradition and stability in the kitchen for decades.

Sorrento Restaurant has fine-tuned a well-honed strategy – provide simple classic Italian fare made from quality ingredients served in a warm and welcoming environment. And it’s a winning philosophy.

In a city where few traditions survive and few longstanding restaurants remain, three generations of the family are ensuring the essence and philosophy of this trattoria is still being maintained.

Sorrento Restaurant is an iconic Italian restaurant that remains an institution both in Northbridge and the Perth dining scene. Give it a try.

Are you hosting an event and keen to find a caterer? See our rundown on Miss Maud Catering.

The Sorrento is kid-friendly

The classic design and trattoria decor of the Sorrento (high ceilings and solid arches) makes the restaurant kid-friendly, whilst also allowing for a couple to dine quietly in one part of the restaurant and for business lunches to proceed without interruption.

Families with children can relax and enjoy dining together without feeling uncomfortable or intimidated . Colouring-in pages? Absolutely. Fresh pencils? A given. Kids menu? You bet.

If you have special requirements Sorrento can rise to meet the challenge. Not a fan of gluten? You are covered, too.

And the wine list is the thing of beauty – catering to a very wide range of budgets and tastes, both local and imported.

We believe a vital expression of our Italian culture is through food & hospitality. Our motto is – ‘Don’t mess with tradition’. It’s all about real food – not fashion – just old school honesty.

Alfonsi Di Lanzo
Italian ingredients - like you find at the Sorrento Restaurant

ANTIPASTI E STUZZICCHINI (STARTERS)

$6 Olive Miste House cured mixed olives $4 Pane Della Casa Plain bread $10 Garlic Bread (4 slices) $6 Bruschetta Tomato or grilled capsicum & parmesan cheese on grilled sourdough $8 Arancini Della Casa Rice balls filled with bolognese and peas $12 Polpette Di Carne Meatballs with tomato sugo $16 Cacciatore e Olive Al Forno Oven-baked Italian cacciatore sausage with olives & crostini $25 Antipasto Della Casa Mixed plate of salami, cheese & house-prepared antipasti (for two) $16 Melanzane alla Parmigiana Baked eggplant, tomato, cheese $16 Calamari Fritti Flour dusted flash-fried calamari with aioli $19 Gamberi Sorrento Prawns with garlic, tomato, cream $8 Stacciatella Chicken broth with egg & parmigiano $10 Minestrone Homemade vegetable soup

SALADS

$20 Insalata Caprese – Tomato, buffalo mozzarella, basil, extra-virgin olive oil

$10 Insalata Mista Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, tomato, extra-virgin olive oil, red-wine vinegar

BAMBINI (FOR CHILDREN)

$10 Spaghetti Bolognese or Napoletana $12 Ham & Pineapple Pizza $12 Pollo Alla Milanese Crumbed chicken thighs & chips $13 Pesce e Patatine Fried fish & chips

PASTA E RISOTTO

$16 / $22 Penne All’Arrabbiata Penne with tomato sugo & chilli $17 / $23 Spaghetti Alla Carbonara Spaghetti with bacon, egg, cream, pecorino cheese $18 / $24 Fettucine Al Funghi e Pollo Fettucine with mushrooms, chicken & cream $30 Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Gamberi Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, prawns, touch of chilli & toasted bread crumbs $30 Linguine Alla Marinara Linguine with mixed seafood & tomato

$30 Risotto Alla Pescatora Risotto with mixed seafood, tomato & saffron $26 Risotto Funghi Misti Risotto with mixed mushrooms.

Specialty Home-made Pasta:

$26 Gnocchi Al Pomodoro o Gorgonzola House-made potato gnocchi with tomato sugo or gorgonzola

$25 Lasagne Della Casa House-made lasagne with meat & Béchamel

$26 Tortellini Con Spinaci e Ricotta Spinach-and-ricotta-filled tortellini with tomato sugo

SECONDI (MAINS)

$28 Cozze All’Arrabbiata Chilli mussels $30 Satimbocca Pork escalopes pan-fried with prosciutto, sage, white wine, roast potato & vegetable $28 Scaloppine Alla Zingara Pork escalopes pan-fried with garlic & chilli, roast potato, vegetable $28 Scaloppine Al Limone Pork escalopes pan-fried with lemon, roast potato, vegetable $28 Scaloppine Alla Marsala Pork escalopes pan-fried with Marsala, roast potato, vegetable $30 Pollo Parmigiana Crumbed chicken with tomato sugo & cheese, roast potato, vegetable MP Bistecca Alla Griglia Steak of the day MP Pesce del Giorno Fish of the day of the day

CONTORNI (SIDES)

$8 Verdure Del Giorno Daily vegetables $8 Patate Arrostiti / Patatine Fritte / Purè di Patate Roast potatoes / Chips / Mashed Potato $7 Spaghetti Bolognese Side serve to meat & chicken dishes

PIZZE ROSSE (with a tomato base)

$18 Margherita Tomato, mozzarella, basil $19 Napoletana Tomato, mozzarella, olives, capers, oregano $25 Capricciosa Tomato, mozzarella, ham, mushroom, oregano, olives, anchovies $26 Calabrese Tomato, mozzarella, soppressa salami, n’duja (spicy Calabrian salami paste), roasted pepper, chilli, shaved parmesan $26 Caprese Tomato, cherry tomato, black olives, oregano, basil, buffalo mozzarella $26 Sorrento Tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, rocket, parmigiano $20 Tropicale Tomato, mozzarella, ham, pineapple $24 Vegetariana Tomato, mozzarella, eggplant, capsicum, mushroom, cherry tomato, basil (scusa: no ‘half-half’)

PIZZA EXTRA TOPPINGS

$5 Prosciutto $3 Anchovies $4 Ham / Soppressa salami / N’duja $3 Vegetables / Olives

Dylan Cole

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