Funtastico

Funtastico in Rokeby Road was something of a Subiaco institution — but then declined in reputation; however last year it was taken over once more by the original owners who have restored it to its place as a food destination in the suburb. We visited not long after that reincarnation and this week returned to see how things were progressing.
The dining room is a large, airy and well lit space, bar to one side and kitchen/​pizza oven to the other; good sized tables, benches and seats, clean lines — and quite striking wall art.
We were quickly met, greeted and seated; throughout our stay the service was efficient, friendly, and professional.
The menu covers a range of Italian themed dishes — pasta, risotto, seafood, steak and a pizza menu is also available as well as a quick lunch specials list .
Lady FWO opted for the fish of the day, while I went for an entrée serve of chilli mussels.
The mussels — plump and plentiful were tender and juicy, swimming in a decidedly spicy sauce of chilli, garlic and tomato and came with crusty toasted bread to mop up the remains. They were very good indeed — the only thing missing was a finger bowl which I reckon is de rigueur with a dish of this sort. Still zesty, zingy and hit the spot.
The fish — gold band snapper — pan fried was succulent and tender sitting on a bed of zucchini spaghetti — crunchy, well-​seasoned. Again a very good dish, well-​cooked and presented.
Since we were here last the wine list has been refined and has a well-​rounded selection of wine both by bottle and glass — a bottle of 2013 Rockford Alicante Bouchet was soon at our elbow — a grape variety little known in Australia this wine from the Barossa is pale fuschia in colour, strawberry and citrus on the nose, a little mid palate sweetness, but finishes more off-​dry than sweet, with flavours of strawberry and red apple. Pleasant warm weather drinking.
So our earlier thoughts were confirmed — Funtastico is well and truly back on track — turning out very good food, a great atmosphere, with well trained, friendly and professional waiters, in the heart of the Subiaco food strip. Recommended

Pizza is my thing. I have been known to eat pizza three times in a day and Funtastico always gives me a fix.
The whole menu is good and it’s always filled with groups of people laughing and having long lunches and dinners, which I think shows a great restaurant.
It’s somewhere that I always want to revisit and I’ve never eaten something that wasn’t gorgeous.
Also, props for their use of fresh tuna! It’s hard to get fresh tuna (that isn’t with sushi) that doesn’t come with an exorbitant price tag.

New to Subiaco and tried the pizza (lots of pizza places in Subiaco) and by far it is the best we have had since we moved from the U.S. We understand that they have been closed for remodel and taken over by the original owners. Great place to eat!

Funtastico has been a staple in the Subiaco dining scene for quite some time, and I have memories of scrimping together my coins and small notes back in high school days to come here for dinners with my friends. These days it’s still reasonably busy, and the serving sizes are quite generous. I do feel like the flavours I once experienced there aren’t at such an impressive level but if you ever want a decent pizza or pasta, it’s not a bad place to visit.

It is hard to know how to rate the warhorse of Subiaco; it has been all bit an institution here and for many years led the pack, but today despite some attempts it feels dated and tired and perhaps needs a spark to enliven it?
The food is still decent, and the staff nice if not overly friendly or engaging unless you are a regular, but compared to some of the new kids on the block I find it lacking in some character.
For a quick meal, or a business lunch it is a perfect spot; if you are looking for a romantic dinner or special occasion perhaps look further afield; though this is all based on personal taste of course.

Funtastico, not sure about the restaurant name but the food was great. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great service which is a very nice change in Perth.

At the beginning of the night we thought we were going to give 5 stars. They said they didn’t have red-​bull, but the manager decided to take a walk to the shops to get some. Then the stars started falling…
The last meal was delivered to the table about 10mins after the first (and the last meal was a pasta). Water was not provided, and when it finally was it was in tiny glasses delivered by a girl who looked upset about being there.
The eye-​fillet was a good size and pretty well cooked (but you pay for it).
Overall I’ll check someplace else out next time.

Funtastico may not be the most visually appealing place to dine, but the food is actually very decent for looking like a run down diner. You can’t be too picky when you’re looking for dinner at 9pm I guess.
The service wasn’t spectacular… I wanted dessert but they never asked. Their loss I guess. The area that you have to walk through to get to the restroom is less than acceptable, it sort of grossed me out. I don’t think Australia has really hit the bathroom appeal movement yet.

Funtastico is an ok place. It isn’t really memorable in any way, it isn’t good it isn’t bad it is just ok. The service is ok, the food is ok, the presentation is ok and the pricing is ok. I can’t really see why you’d eat here when you have the world at your oyster in Subiaco. The only time I eat here is if I’m really lazy and can’t be bothered walking anywhere else. Sorry Funtastico.

Funtastico is past its heyday.
Easy Italian, cocktail bar and alfresco dining that spilled out onto the once trendy Rokeby Rd; Funtastico used to be the hot place to dine on a Friday or Saturday night.
Funtastico has been gathering cobwebs since it’s originator Albasio La Pegna, packed up for greener pastures in Claremont. The same red and white décor stands, as does the neon-​red letters above its doors (literally gathering cobwebs).
Funtastico is in dire need of a revamp; it doesn’t invite the same lively, sexy vibe it did in 2003.

The name «Funtastico» conjures up images of a cheery, bright and casual place — how can a place with «fun» in its name be anything less? Well, surprisingly it can be — «Funtastico» is not a fun establishment at all. Instead, it is a upscale Italian restaurant on the Rokeby Road café strip in Subiaco.
There is something off-​kilter about Funtastico’s atmosphere. Corporate, sleek yet trying to be irreverent — these concepts are mutually exclusive and therefore Funtastico feels like a restaurant experiencing an identity crisis.
The food is good, although their prices are exorbitant. Their pizzas are small for their price, and when there are so many places making pizzas nowadays for much cheaper, it is a wonder that Funtastico is still in business.
If you are looking for somewhere to eat in Subiaco, there are plenty of other places on Rokeby Road.

Somehow I befriended three wealthy kids in my first year at uni (not all that surprising being in Perth I suppose), and annoyingly for me Funtastico was their restaurant of choice. It’s not that the whole menu was crazy expensive — I usually ordered pizza which I could get away with for under 30 bucks. It was more the feel of the place I didn’t like, it was fake and soulless and really quite unnerving. Fortunately we’ve moved on from Funtastico, but the sick tummy feeling whenever I walk past it still lingers. Note: this sick tummy feeling was not food related. The pizzas were pretty good from memory.