No Mafia

No Mafia is a very small, small bar in William Street serving up excellent Southern Italian styled food and with a great range of wines little seen around town. Anyway, recently I have been reading quite a few of Donna Leon’s books, her police series set in Venice featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. He, and his colleagues, seem to spend an inordinate amount of time eating and sitting in small bars, in between solving crimes, and I was drawn by the prospect of something similar — well not solving a crime, but sitting in an Italian bar, so went along to No Mafia.
Long and narrow with a few banquette style booth seats towards the rear, stools at the attractive little bar on one side and more small benches — about the right size for two people — attached to the other wall along with some stools, it has a pressed tin ceiling over the bar as well which adds to the overall charm.
In the mood for something light, and a drink or two, I started with a basket of Bread in Common sourdough, and a plate of marinated Fremantle sardines. The fish were fresh, tender and juicy, the marinade briny and oily, and went very well with the crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Taking a word of advice from the enchanting waiter, who informed me that she had tasted this particular wine in Italy and had only recently been able to source it in WA, I began with a glass of Tenute Delle Terre Nere Etna Bianco — a Sicilian white, made on the volcanic slopes of Mt Etna, from an eclectic blend of Carricante, Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia and Minnella grapes; this is a very interesting drink. Straw coloured it has a distinct grapefruit nose, while the palate — crisp and clean has flavours of lemon, mandarin and the aforementioned grapefruit, with good acid and a long and satisfying finish — a great food drink.
Now getting into the Italian mood, I chose a glass of Fiegl Ribolla Gialla — this from the other extreme of the country in the north east near the border with Slovenia. This white wine has been made more in the style of a red — left on the skins to pick up tannin and a slight oxidization — it is somewhat cloudy, soft orange in colour, with a honeyed aroma and a touch of stone fruit; on the palate it exhibits flavours of pears, peaches and spice; a different wine, not unlike dry sherry, perhaps not to all palates, but with food, excellent.
They also offered an Italian rosé which appealed — another Sicilian, Donna Fugata, made from Nero D’Avola and Syrah, it is brilliant pink, strawberry and apple blossom aromas, and sharp raspberry and cranberry flavours, finishing dry and clean.
These wines wrapped up my food so far, but cheese called and so with that, I went for a final drink selection — a glass of Moscato di Cagliari, from Sardinia.
The cheese, nutty and buttery, was served with a splash of sweet, runny honey and bread, while the wine, made from Muscat had a perfumed nose of musky fruit, and a sweet palate full of the flavours of peaches, nectarines and tangerine.
No Mafia has rightly carved out a niche in the busy William Street/​Cultural Precinct area and is well worth a visit. The food and wine will not disappoint — and the service is simply splendid. I went away satisfied indeed — although the only crime I solved was deciding it would be a crime not to get along there to try the food and wine for yourself — tell them Commisario Brunetti sent you!

Love this place. Sensational food and beautiful service. By far my favourite place in Perth too eat and let the day just go by

No Mafia is currently my favorite place to eat. I find their staff knowledgeable & friendly & the food outstanding.
Last night I went with a group of 5. We selected the $ 35 a head chef’s choice — they ask if you have any dislikes /​allergies etc & then you basically get a bit of everything — what’s not to like?
Our waitress was helpful, fun & recommended some lovely wines — she added the extra icing on the cake.
Can’t wait to go back again

«An Italian Gem! Solid menu and drinks list»
Stumbled across NoMafia while exploring Northbridge, the place was busy and decided this was a good sign to stop for dinner.
An Italian restaurant without pizza and pasta may seem risky but once you try the food you won’t feel like you’re missing out. We sampled aranchini, meatballs and croquettes and they tasted as if they were hand-​made by an Italian Nonna from Sicily.
The wine list was a delight and with the tapas and Italian white you are bound to have a good night! (Sorry for the bad rhyming).
+ Small but perfect menu
+ Good service
+ Nice atmosphere perfect for solos, couples or groups
— Couldn’t find a fault. Great value and delicious food

What a gem. I don’t often go back to places but will be back here for sure. From the fresh salumi and olives, charred salami wrapped around fresh ricotta, to devine meatballs, and pork loin dressed with pistachios, olive oil and peppercorns (the highlight) — good lord, you can feast at this place. But it’s the cosy space, great service, tasty wine list and amazing prices that make this dangerously tempting for a regular weeknight stint. Was here on a fairly quiet Thursday night though — the small space would be interesting on the weekend.

The staff felt like family in about 30seconds. Hospitality at its best! We had to sit at the bar in front of the cash register. At first it seemed like it was going to be weird… but no. It just meant the staff chatted comfortably with us. Encouraged us to try certain menu items.
I’m in love with the staff!
The seating… argh those high stools that don’t seem designed tall enough for the bar area mean my back is still hurting. but really who cares with the food being so amazing.
We had the buffalo mozzarella, Potato croquette, squid tubes, meatballs, canaloni and zabaglione
Omg omg omg!
Just go there! It’s awesome.

I have been to No Mafia on a few occasions now and I must say I have a soft spot for this lovely, relaxed Southern Italian wine bar. It has a lovely rustic charm to it which combines cleverly with the modern décor. No Mafia may be small in size but it is definitely big in character! You may choose to sit out front and indulge in a little people watching or you may choose to sit in one of the comfortable booths, both options are great.
The staff are exceptional and always warm and welcoming! On our second visit, the gorgeous staff member Amanda remembered us and made us feel very special. I was so very impressed that she remembered in detail everything about me, including my drink preference! Service of this calibre is what distinguishes No Mafia from other establishments and makes every visit a memorable one.
The food is exceptional here as there is a huge emphasis on using fresh, seasonal produce. It is Italian cuisine with a modern twist. On one occasion I tried the seasonal mushrooms with the dried olives and corn purée. This dish was drizzled with truffle which enhanced the flavours of the mushrooms. Last week I called in at lunch time and tried the oh so delicious lunch special. I opted for the antipasti platter which at $ 15 was a bargain. I munched my way through bright green Sicilian olives, flavoursome potato croquettes with prosciutto and Parmesan and tasty buffalo mozzarella. I also enjoyed the enoki mushrooms tidily wrapped up in grilled eggplant, fresh mortadella and toasted sourdough bread! The house made limoncello rounded up the meal nicely. I must say it packed a punch and I will definitely be going back for more. The Noccello Limonade is so refreshing and has a lovely lavender garnish.
Subtle yet elegant touches all round makes No Mafia one of my favourite bars in Perth. Visit No Mafia for a truly enjoyable dining experience!

What. A. Wine. List.
It’s stellar. Few in numbers, but expertly chosen. There are some reds that will knock you out cold. They’re very agreeable wines, but nothing too risky. Most will suit any palate, but I hope to see some bigger, bolder reds on the list in the future.
The food was nice. It didn’t blow my mind, but it was nice. The only thing I didn’t like were the thrice cooked potatoes.
Mostly, I like the wine. Did I mention that already? I’ll probably go back to try some more dishes, but I’ll definitely go back to drink.
Also they did split-​billing. So rare to find, but so grateful when they’re found! Thank you!

No Mafia… No fuss!
Classic Southern Italian, even down to the laid-​back service, hole-​in-​the-​wall, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it feel. There’s not much to the clean, subway-​tiled, oyster-​bar décor, but it’s certainly romantic in its own way. Seafood reigns supremo, as any true Sicilian knows — the Fremantle pickled sardines envoke the sea — briny and firm, the seared Swordfish serves as a clean foil for the sardines — paired with a squeeze of lemon and slightly bitter broccoli with crunch.
It’s also refreshing to stop in for a proper apertivo — No Mafia makes a killer Americano — the cocktail, not the coffee — utilizing Antica Formula as the sweet vermouth.

After a quick query with our waiter for an elaboration on the flavours, a couple of us choose the noccello limonade ($ 15.00) which is a simple drink made of frangelico, limonata and garnishes of lavender and lemon.
I know it feels like a big call, but I have to say this is one of the best cocktails I’ve had. Simplicity is the key here and the balance of the lovely hazelnut liqueur and the tart lemon is spot on. I liked it so much I kept it as my drink of choice for the rest of our long dinner.
We’re so busy all chatting that it actually takes us about an hour before we order the food. Credit to our waiter, he was so patient and bubbly — checking in occasionally but also not rushing us to make our choices. Throughout the entire evening we really noticed just how fantastic the service was.
Once we do make our choices, the food comes out quite quickly. First to come out is the fresh la marchesa mozzarella with basil and sea salt ($ 19.00) and a side serving of Bread in Common sourdough ($ 4.00). Cute little jars of virgin olive oil and sea salt are brought out to our table to accompany the bread.
I love love love cheese and in particular mozzarella. This one, while a little pricey, is pure quality. It tears apart, melting in my mouth. It needed a bit more salt though but that was an easy fix as I stacked some cheese and basil onto the bread, sprinkling salt to taste. It is just so fresh, simple and beautiful. It’s quintessentially Italian without even a trace of pretence.
The sourdough is beautiful. Crusty on the outside, fluffy soft on the inside. I’m a big fan of Bread in Common so I really appreciate the effort they put into their staple bread — it’s the perfect vessel to accompany that simple but beautiful mozzarella.
The swordfish ($ 21.00) comes with bottarga, beach banana, broccoli, lemon and fink oil (this is now tuna on the menu apparently). A small size plate but flavour wise it’s lovely — delicate and slightly unctuous in texture. The salad on the side looks uncomplicated but there’s a nice contrast between the freshness of the ingredients, and the sweet and salty beach banana. The bottarga (mullet roe) is powdered and crumbled over the top, offering another flavour element to the dish. I really enjoyed this plate overall — we all did.
When the eggplant parmigiana with basil pesto and parmesan cream ($ 20.00) comes to our table it’s starting to get a little darker and by then we’re onto another round of drinks. The parmigiana is just beautiful, stunning really. Crunchy on the top and well formed on the inside with grilled eggplant, cherry tomatoes and that moorish parmesan cream.
For me this was a truly memorable dish. It had texture, depth of flavour, and spunk from that punchy pesto. I will definitely order this again next time I drop by No Mafia for a feed.
To get some added veggie goodness we get a serve of the local greens with garlic, fini oil, red pepper flakes and sea salt ($ 12.00). It’s quite a simple dish but I like the flavours and the varying textures, with the snow peas blanched lightly to retain a good snap to them.
There’s definitely a great kick of garlic which we all jokingly agree that lucky we’re all eating it so we’ll all have stinky breath! For the price it’s probably not the biggest serving of greens — I would have liked to see a bit more on the plate, however you can really tell the freshness so I was happy to wear the associated tag for the taste.
Our final dish for the evening is the pork loin with pistachio paste and pink peppercorns ($ 26.00). I was expecting big things from this dish after the really delicious previous ones but sadly for me, this was the course I enjoyed the least.
The pork was cold and definitely needed some attention with seasoning. The pistachio paste is a mild flavour so while it works well with the pork, the dish was calling out for something with more oomph to lift each bite. The fat on the pork was largely unrendered leaving it a little cool and jelly like. Still edible for someone like me, but for Anna and Kerrie who don’t usually eat such high ratios of fat on their meat, it was too much to handle. I guess you could say this dish wasn’t quite up our alley.
All up I have to say I really liked No Mafia and think it’s a great addition to the dining scene here in Perth. I’m definitely already looking to go back and try the triple cooked potatoes with chilli and garlic, the beef carpaccio and what I’ve been told are heavenly mushrooms. A return to No Mafia is definitely on the cards. Soon I hope!

Lots to like about this new Southern Italian wine bar BUT loses a star for slight awkwardness.
The great stuff first. Well — the service! Probably a few too many floor staffs posters on a Friday night but it did mean super attentive.
The wine list — BEYOND INSANE. Just totally fabulous. Now you aren’t going to get a Chardonnay here, and certainly not a Savvy Blanc. It’s all Italian and it’s all totally fabulous. Cheapest glass of wine is $ 6 (ummmm — bargain much?), and there’s some super crazy varietals including a Passerina (white wine grape which is almost extinct — yes I’m totally serious).
The food is all made to share, a few vegetarian dishes but lots of meat and fish (just how the real Sth Italians like it!). Stellar dish was the pork loin with pink peppercorns and pistachio paste.
Loses a star cause: No Mafia has taken over the old Jus Burgers site on William Street. Remember that place? Well it’s critical to this review. Because a takeway burger join has been converted into a bar, it means that the real estate inside the bar is an INCREDIBLY narrow corridor. So narrow the poor staff who work there literally press themselves against your table or each other to get by one another. Meaning they’re all super skinny. So if you can get past people pressing up in your personal dining space, then cool. Just probably doing dine inside if you’re over 50.
Love love loved it!

Hit this little spot on a lovely day off work with my husband. Emphasis is on little, but that makes it so much cuter of a lunch date spot. We opted to sit at the front and watch Northbridge go by. The warmth of the day certainly helped the Southern Italian feel, and put us in the mood for our food.
We both started off with a cold brew which was refreshing and had giant ice blocks which I always like. But it had a touch of the bitterness that hot coffee cooled gives. I’m no coffee expert though, so it could’ve just been the style of beans they use. It was by no means bad, just not the best I’ve had.
The food though more than made up for it. We shared three dishes and each was delightful. The swordfish was bright and nicely fishy with an almost tataki ratio of cook to raw. Perfect. Still crisp broccoli and greens rounded it out well. Next up was the best mushroom dish I’ve ever eaten. Various types of sautéed mushrooms (with some enoki crisped up, served on top of sweet corn purée with dried olives and truffle oil. sheer heaven. We jumped at the suggestion of some Bread in Common sourdough to mop up the oily saucy goodness. And lastly we had the pork loin on pistachio paste with red peppercorns. The pork was perfectly cooked and tender, the pistachios lending a richness and the peppercorns brought a lightly dill-​flavoured zing.
I’ll definitely be coming back here on a day we can also sample the wine list because that’s the only thing that could’ve improved the meal.

FringeWorld — Week 2. True to the Über Blondes adventurous nature, and replete with tickets to two edgy shows, she pointed us at the newish No Mafia in William Street.
Directly opposite everyones fave, Bivouac, this skinny venue is unimposing and I think a lot of punters still think it is «that» burger bar from like two months ago and don’t give it a second look.
Its not and it is the freshest thing in this cramped part of Northbridge. Mounting a new food adventure like this, with solid competition within 100 metres, in every direction, is no mean feat but they have and its an absolute eye-​rolling winner.
Luckily we were in town early so we decided to book a table then have a quiet Coopers at PICA bar before dinner, then head off to our shows. The first contact with the staff set the tone for dinner — a genuine warm welcome and a guaranteed table. Sweet — and an achievement for a Saturday night in Northbridge.
On our return the same beaming, lovely girl waved us to a table as we entered and we grabbed an uppity one near the entrance. For an «Italian» restaurant the menu is about as un-​Italian as you can get. No steaming bowls of pasta, no lasagne and definitely no garlic bread. Hmmm.
The wine list is almost ALL Italian with less than half a dozen local wines on offer. We kicked off with a bitterly cold Andreola Dirupo Prosecco from Veneto ($ 8) and on a warm evening it was the perfect choice. Crisp and lemony, stunning stuff.
The menu is a small plate foodies dream come true and we ventured off with the Potted Tuna with olive oil and garlic ($ 12.50). Presented in a small screw top jar with
delicious Bread in Common bread, the small chunks of fish were beautiful and the portion was the perfect size for a starter.
Ever one for forging new territory the Blonde ordered the Triple Cooked Potatoes with rosemary and chill ($ 13), Seared swordfish loin with beach banana, broccoli and lemon ($ 21) and the Asparagus, Zucchini and Sugar Snaps with white balsamic and cucumber relish ($ 17).
The food is nothing short of spectacular but almost outdone by the high quality service. The serving size is perfect for having multiple dishes and if, like us, you appreciate excellent Italian wine you must eat here.
Just a word about the wine. The lack of locals whites and reds on the menu is a bit daunting at first but our waiter, Mitch, took us on a travelogue for a couple of whites that we were hovering over.
Its not often that you strike staff who know so much about all the wines on offer, and there are over fifty on the list, and he pointed out the Albanello & Zibbibo 2013 Occhipinti «sp68» ($ 13) from Vittoria, Sicily and a Capolemole Lazio Bianco from Lazio near Rome ($ 13). Both perfect wines and well worth trying if you are looking for something new.
If you are a dessert person you are seated at the right place. The Zabaglione strawberry biscotti ($ 14) was perfect and washed down with a delicious Pantelleria Passito liqueur from Pellegrino in Sicily ($ 14) it was the perfect end to one of our better food events so far.
The five stars are equally shared by the food and service.

Loving No Mafia, I have been pleasantly surprised by the menu; with interesting take on dishes I have seen before and some new ones to tryout; the service is quick and efficient (usually — though on one occasion a dish came 30min late, after we had already ordered dessert!).
I have been enjoying mostly the vegetable dishes as they are creative and really tasty, which for a avid meat eater is really saying something. The drinks menu is pretty good and best yet it is not yet so popular that you cannot get in at 6PM though they deserve to be busier.

The food is excellent in quality, the service is fantastic with very helpful staff if you’re not sure what to order. Love the casual feel of sitting at the bar to have a meal. The only downside is it is super pricey for the portion sizes, not great if you’re super hungry.

Came here for dinner recently and was really impressed. There’s not a lot of booths for groups but they do take bookings so best to call ahead. The prosciutto was delicious and a generous serve. The steak was a real highlight! Cut into slices for sharing but melted in my mouth! Can’t wait to have it again. A little pricey but service was good.

Visited No Mafia before a Fringe show. We didn’t have a lot of time so just grabbed a quite bite. We opted for the prosciutto, mozzarella and twice (three times?) cooked potatoes. The portions are quite small but the food is great.
Service was outstanding to the point it was almost too attentive. We had three waitstaff check on us in a 5 minute period. All staff were really knowledge of the menu and we’re able to accommodate to dietary requirements with ease. Good for gluten free diners, as the owners are both coeliacs so are aware.
Lovely selection of wines. Really enjoyable visit!

I had a lovely dinner with a group of friends at No Mafia over the Christmas break.
It’s a Southern Italian wine bar, with mostly bar seating. There are a few booths for groups of four or more, so make sure you book ahead if you come with a group.
The menu had something to please everyone, cured meat, fish, steak, cheese, unique vegetable dishes and more. IIt’s so refreshing to see an Italian restaurant that doesn’t just served pizza, pasta and a few meaty classics.
I shared the sword fish, steak, mushrooms and thrice cooked potatoes with friends. All the dishes were great, particularly the steak. It was pleasing to see such a wide array of mushrooms on one plate too. I also tried some of my friend’s mozzarella which had a wonderful punchy flavour to it.
The main meat dishes are small-​ish and don’t come with sides, so $ 20 – 30 for the meat dish, then you have to order potatoes or mushrooms, greens on top of that to go along with the meat. This means it can get a little costly, so watch out for that when ordering. I recommend one meat dish and one side per person, add incredible Bread In Common bread and mozzarella for starters too if you’re really hungry.
Staff were lovely and helpful, and suggested some great wine for our table. I will definitely be back.

A tiny and bustling little casual eatery in the old Jus Burgers property, make sure and book a booth if you are dining as a group of four or more. Otherwise it’s seating at the bar or high tables for couples and super trendy lone diners.
We went for the $ 35 a head set menu and every dish was a winner. Highlights were the excellent beef, the divine mushrooms, the mozarella, plump Freo sardines and that Bread in Common bread.
Their seasonal bellini was a miss (over-​sweet and too warm), so I stuck to the waiter’s recommendation of Campari and chinotto after that.
All in all, great value in a fabulous location. Will definitely be back.

Southern Italian inspired small plates.
So we strolled into here late on Saturday evening looking for somewhere new to eat dinner in Northbridge and chanced upon this reasonably new establishment at the site of the Jus Burgers.
To wash down our meal we went with a Godfather Old Fashioned with a cinnamon infusion and some white wine to go with our selection. The wine servings are smaller than normal standard size at 100 ml but also come at a cheaper price.
For the food we started with the Beef Carpaccio (this was wrapped around sardines and tasted really good), then moved onto the Swordfish with capers (very refreshing), next we tried the tuna (Susan’s favourite) and finished with the pork loin (well cooked and the sauce completed the dish).
For desert we opted for the Cannoli, chocolate and ricotta cheese and we were not disappointed. Staff were very attentive and approachable and service was very professional.
My only minor gripe is that the tables along the wall are situated at a height (bit too high) that makes eating dishes with a fork and knife quite awkward. Try getting a seat in the booths if possible to avoid this but be aware they reserve these for bigger groups of customers normally. As they have only been open a week or so we were assured they would be remedying the bar table heights soon.