Australian foodies are delighted after discovering a hidden gem Italian restaurant with “2000s prices” including $12 large pizzas, $7 pastas and $3.50 coffees.
Cafe Perri is in Carnegie, 12 km southeast of Melbourne’s central business district.
Diners have been raving about the “incredible” variety and prices of the menu, which offers everything from breakfasts to classics like lasagna and traditional desserts.
“Prices are going up in stores, but my local Italian is still going strong,” one man shared on Reddit alongside a photo of the menu.
‘Pizza for 7 dollars? $5 pasta? $3.50 coffee? [This is] really wild.’
Australian foodies are delighted after discovering a hidden gem Italian restaurant with “2000s prices” including $12 large pizzas, $7 pastas and $3.50 coffees.
The photo went viral and hundreds of people were surprised to see such affordable prices in the current financial climate.
‘5 dollar calzone?! That’s ridiculous! My place is $22 on Sydney Road, and they’re not even Italian!’ one shared.
“$3 coffees in 2024. These guys are doing God’s work,” wrote another.
“Meanwhile, my local pizzeria in Sydney charges $26 for a ‘large 13-inch’ pizza,” said one upset customer.
Others said they were willing to travel far from home to get one of the cheap meals.
“I’m tempted to travel from Queensland to eat there,” wrote one Brisbane resident.
‘I’m not at Carnegie, but if I were, I’d head there. Those prices are incredible nowadays,” said another.
Cafe Perri is located in Carnegie, 12 km southeast of Melbourne’s central business district.
Cafe Perri opened its doors to customers in late 2022 and is 50 meters from Carnegie train station. It quickly gained a loyal and regular following that has until now called it its “best kept secret.”
“They opened and charged these cheap prices from the beginning, it’s not like they were a 30-year-old establishment that refused to raise prices,” one man marveled.
Another theorized that one of the reasons few places can keep their prices low is because of real estate.
‘They probably own the building, so they can do this. Commercial real estate rents are so high that it is impossible to offer prices like these without incurring losses,’ one surmised.
“Sure, it would be nice if we saw that more companies own the building they operate in and that the low prices reflect that, but that doesn’t mean other companies are raising prices,” said another.