Tropico North Beach, Shop 1 / 105 Flora Terrace, North Beach WA 6020, Phone 9246 2878.
Happiness … What struck me straight away was how crowded Tropico North Beach was. For a Tuesday lunch time it was bustling and there was a small queue for a table.
Xena and I opted for bench seats by the window overlooking the Street. And, with the window open and a fresh breeze blowing, this proved to be a good choice. The staff were especially friendly. Water and menus arrived very promptly and we settled back and relaxed.
On spying the wood fired oven, it was deemed necessary to have pizza. Especially as everyone around us seemed to be eating great looking pizza. The pizza Margherita came with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella and a good sprinkling of fresh parmesan.
The crust was perfectly cooked and very much to my taste. Thin and crunchy, like a Roman pizza. The San Marzano tomatoes were really sweet and luscious. A nice touch. This is seriously good quality pizza and will probably become my benchmark. All pizza eaten in the future will have to live up to this standard.
We also ordered a snapper taco. Which, at $7.50 was good value. With a nice piece of firm white fish, guacamole, lime and salsa. Really fresh tasting and just look at that salsa.
On the food front, Tropico North Beach also do a range of small plates of food. Tapas, if you like. With crowd pleasing favourites like Fried Whitebait, Brazillian Cheese Bread and Battered Sweet Potato Chips. Oh, and, the seemingly obligatory French Fries. Which all looked sensational as plates were set down on tables near us.
I ordered my usual cappuccino. Only because the coffee smell permeating the building was very appealing. It was delicious. The interesting thing about the coffee was that it appeared to come in a take away container. But no, it was an actual ceramic cup. Very cool. Will & Co are a Bondi based Coffee Roasting Company.
Overall, the Tropico North Beach experience was very enjoyable. They deserve extra kudos for décor, service and, wow, those wood fired pizzas.