Mortadeli

You'd think this Nedlands gem had been here for decades given how chummy customers are with the man behind the counter.

We rocked up smack bang in the middle of their lunch rush to find the pint-sized takeaway deli a buzz with hospital workers, office staff and elderly folk—all happy to endure a 15-minute wait just to wrap their mitts around one of these loaded Italian sandwiches.

The menu is plastered on a chalkboard above the deli counter, where you'll find co-owners working in partnership to fill sandwich after sandwich with lashings of freshly sliced continental meats, antipasti and other housemade fillings—with staff occasionally running out from the kitchen with crispy onions, meatballs or freshly fried prawns.

Choosing is not easy. Its namesake, The Mortadeli, is a great place to start though, made with thinly sliced mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream, semi dried tomatoes and fresh rocket. Similarly, you can't go wrong with something simple like the Caprese (prosciutto, for di latte, rocket, basil, heirloom tomato and balsamic) or Pavarotti (parma ham, stracciatella, figs, rocket and balsamic).

For something with a bit of heat, The Diavolo is another winner. They've thrown in a thick layer of stracciatella to save your gob from the spicy nduja, calabrese salami and fermented chilli, but it still packs quite the punch.

While seafood fans will wanna check out their salted cod roll (the Bacala Montecata)—a crunchy bread roll loaded with a creamy salted cod and potato mixture (on both sides, thank you) and topped with juicy Sicilian olives, capers, anchovies and a coupla huge handfuls of crispy, thinly sliced fried onions. Trust us, the smell of those onions alone will convince you to give this one a whirl.

There's also the Porchetta roll—think thinly sliced roast pork roll (made in house), lightly seasoned ricotta, roasted peppers, rocket and truffle oil. Plus, the classic Continental roll slaps here too.

Whatever you choose, you can expect generous portions (they're not skimping on anything), a well-balanced mix of fillings, and of course, the highest quality ingredients. Plus, incredibly charming 'ciao bella' service that'll keep you coming back.

Each sanga will set you back $17-$18, which might sound a little steep at first, but we reckon it's more than reasonable for one of the best sandwiches in Perth.

Mortadeli is open seven days a week at 23A Hampden Rd, Nedlands WA.