Siena's

Siena's in Leederville is one of Perth's top family Italian restaurants, taking up residence on the Oxford Street strip many years ago and providing a warm mix of hearty food with relaxed, kid-friendly surroundings.

Siena's is quite large; its many cane tables are peppered across slate floors amongst photos, art, fountains and other Italian memorabilia. Extensive murals of Italy across a couple of the larger walls, set the scene of the Italian countryside.

Families of all kinds frequent Siena's as they appreciate an environment where they're not only well catered for but also truly welcome. One of the biggest draw cards is the unique children's playground where parents can overlook through a large glass window. It's designed to allow families to relax and enjoy their a meal whilst watching their kids be distracted, I mean have fun on the playground. The kids love it and the parents, well, need I say more?

If you love traditional Italian food then Siena's won't disappoint. It provides a perfect mix of delicious food, great value and generous servings. The menu is vast and varied; you'll find all the favourite Italian standards on there from pizzas, salads and breads to pasta, meat dishes and vegetarian meals.

For entrees, explore the fruits from the traditional wood-fire pizza oven. If you've never tried Pizza Bread, then try it here. It's a wood-fired pizza base with different 'toppings'. Siena's offers three styles: oregano and olive oil, pesto sauce and parmesan cheese and finally tomato chilli sauce with parmesan. A fantastic appetizer that can be a lighter alternative to garlic bread.

Other entrees include various salads, calamari, chilli mussels, antipasto, potato croquettes filled with mozzarella and black pepper, tomato bruschetta and roasted capsicum bruschetta and of course, olives and hot sausage.

We tried a Vegetariana pizza for entrée, one of 18 traditional wood-fired pizzas available at Siena's. It was a great way to start the meal, boasting Mozzarella, roasted capsicum, fresh artichokes, Kalamata olives and mushrooms. The chunky tomato sauce was tasty, the toppings plentiful, the base was the perfect mix of thick and thin, with a crispy crust, and the size was ideal for two to share as an entrée, or for one to dine on for a main. The Channybearup 'Wildfly' Cabernet Merlot from our southern Pemberton wine region was a great complement.

The combinations of pizzas at Siena's seem endless, from simple favourites to more complicated recipes. Standout pizzas at Siena's include the Pizza alla Calabrese with tomato, Mozzarella, ricotta, grilled eggplant and oregano; the Quattro Stagioni with tomato, Mozzarella, mushrooms, artichokes, capsicum and sausage (served the traditional way with the toppings separate, or all mixed up) and the Calzone di Ramma with t omato, mozzarella, leg ham, mushrooms, onions and olives all wrapped up into a parcel.

For mains we enjoyed the Calamari Griglia and the Garlic Prawns, two dishes that are amongst Siena's best-sellers. The calamari was marinated and simply grilled with golden fries and a side salad. The squid was fresh and tender, with a refreshing chilli taste; a great light yet hearty meal. The prawns were pan-fried in freshly minced garlic and were of great texture. Simple food, simply prepared and great tasting.

Do you enjoy pasta? Well there's no lack of that at Siena's! With over 20 different pasta dishes using fresh pasta and local ingredients, you'll find it hard to choose your dinner. Choose from spaghetti, rigatoni, fettucine, home-made gnocchi and well just about any type of pasta you can imagine. The servings are liberal and great value for money.

For meat and seafood lovers, there's a large variety of mains, including various chicken breasts and parmigianas, veal scallopine, fillet steaks and local fish of the day, chilli mussels and the extensive Siena's fishermans plate for one or two.

Desserts, cakes and coffees are also available all day including classic Il Gelato Italian homemade icecream. Siena's is open everyday for lunch and dinner and can cater for functions of up to 160 people. So if you're seeking some good old fashioned Italian cooking in a family-friendly environment then head to Siena's any day of the week.

By Shenade Unicomb