Idyllic sums up the scene at Canteen Pizza. Across the road from my favourite beach in the world, this addition to the Cottesloe strip is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Salame

Tonight is Christmas Eve and the Freo Doctor is only lightly wafting through the expansive open windows of this corner block. Transformed into a vibrant restaurant in an enviable position, the lessons learned from Il Lido down the road are everywhere.

There is the excellent translation of beachside casual comfort, a natural link between the feel across the road into the restaurant. You can be quite comfortable in boardies and thongs, but won’t feel out of place in jeans and a shirt too. There is the focus on the product offered, and plenty of well trained staff enjoying being part of something new and a little bit different.

Bufala

Before sunset it can be very bright in the restaurant, meaning there are lots of people in sunglasses looking like they might just as well be poolside in Italy. Not many meals offer sunset as a complimentary side and we are pleased to accept, along with a couple of pizzas, a baby cos salad, and a few choice summer beverages.

Both the Bufala and Salame pizzas are excellent. That traditional Italian thin crust that wasn’t heard of during my childhood, provides a crisp base that has been pulled from the oven just at the right time, before crispiness turns into charcoal. The San Marzano tomato base is fresh and properly seasoned, and all the various ingredients on both pizzas are classically combined. The only improvement would be a bit more topping near the crust.

Baby cos salad

The baby cos salad is simply served in collections of full leaves, dressed with vino cotto (sweet and balsamic like) with parmesan scattered in between. To wash it all down I try both the WA brewed Gage Roads Single Fin, and the Victorian craft Stomping Ground Pale Ale from Collingwood, with the latter my preference. Really I should have done the Italian thing with an Aperol Spritz like Catherine did!

As we walk out of Canteen Pizza packing a couple of delicious Sicilian cannoli for later, the night sky is taking over. This is a fabulous addition to the dining scene in Cottesloe, with reasonable prices making it a regular proposition for locals, and large gatherings.