La Lola is back. After a two-year closure for renovations, the popular Nedlands trattoria has opened its doors with a new dining section and a re-vamped main dining room. The massive wood fired pizza oven has gone – replaced by a high-tech Italian electric pizza oven used by many of Italy’s top pizzerias. The pizzas are now made in the thin and crispy, Roman style with punchy classic toppings. Sorry, but ham and pineapple doesn’t get a look in. Thank god.
Lo Lola's pizzas.
The menu has changed too, although it hasn’t strayed far from its authentic roots with classic pasta and meat dishes. Cotaletta osso buco, pork belly, simple grilled fish are highlights of the ‘secondi’ menu. Antipasti dishes include
Owner – and Atomic Coffee proprietor – Michael De Marte says all pasta is made in house.
“Good produce is the key to good food and we make everything we use,” De Marte told the Good Food Guide.
“Importantly we wanted La Lola to be at a good price point to make it affordable for regular customers who might want to come a few times a week.”
“Nothing is over $30. Our mains start at $24 and pasta dishes start at $19,” Mr De Marte said.
La Lola’s new chef is Shane Sanders, who worked under head chef Pete Manifis at In Contro in South Perth.
So, what happened to the darkly lit, sexy drinks space at the back of the venue? It is currently a store room for the venue’s dry goods while the new restaurant sorts itself out, but it will be back in all its glory – including the ceiling height picture of a sultry Gina Lola Brigida – in April 2018.
Lo Lola's dining area.
When it first opened five years ago, we called La Lola “one of the sexiest dining spaces in WA.” It still is.
