The legendary conti roll, WA’s most iconic sandwich, consists of a crusty roll filled with mixed continental meats (traditionally coppa, mortadella and salami) combined with a delicious assortment of Italian-style vegetables. You may be surprised to know that the conti roll was actually a West Aussie creation. Originally called a ‘panino’, the sandwich appealed mostly to local Italians but, by giving it an English name, it became very popular with other members of the community. Although it was tough, we rounded up some of the best places to get a conti roll in Perth.
Conti roll from the Re Store
The Re Store
With two locations in Northbridge and Leederville, The Re Store was one of Perth’s first delis to be serve up continental rolls and they are famous for them. Made with fresh bread from the original recipe used at the Vastese Bakery, their rolls are crusty on the outside and soft on the inside – just the way they should be! John Re opened The Re Store in 1936 and shortly after, the conti roll was born. He used to watch men come into the store for lunch and buy an assortment of meats, cheeses, antipasti and bread, so, he thought ‘Why don’t I do that?’ Well, we’re sure glad that he did!
Conti roll at Angelo Street Store
Angelo Street Market
Angelo Street Market have an assortment of different conti rolls for you to choose from, with their signature rolls available daily in store. They only use the best and freshest ingredients and have a broad range of fillings to suit all tastes. They even have a collection of rolls that form part of ‘The Family’, including The God Father, The Conti, The Nonna, and Uncle Paulie. But what makes them really stand out is that they are the home of the 1.2 metre conti roll. This massive conti roll will feed up to 10 people and is a delicious combination of smoked ham, sopressa, pepper mortadella, marinated eggplant, and spanish olives, all rolled up in a sesame seed sourdough roll from North Street Store.
Located in the heart of South Perth, Angelo Street Market first opened store 1988 and are known state-wide for their selection of fresh antipasto and charcuterie, bakery, smallgoods, cheese and traditional take-home meals.
Conti rolls being made at Delissimo
Delissimo
This secret spot is tucked away in East Victoria Park, and trust us, you are going to want to go looking for them! Delissimo’s traditional continental rolls consist of Ham, Salami, Mortadella and their Delissimo antipasto mix which contains semi tomatoes, melanzane and olives. Delissimo go the extra mile in making your conti roll fresh on the spot for you, which means you can load it up with as many ingredients as you please. They make them in regular and jumbo size fresh crusty rolls, so will satisfy appetites of all sizes.
Delissimo is a European style delicatessen located in East Victoria Park. People from all over Perth flock there each week to order their fresh Delissimo cold cuts, cheeses, coffee, cakes and, of course, their legendary continental rolls.
North Street Stores famous conti roll
North Street Store
Cottesloe's North Street Store specialises in making the best bread for their conti rolls. Their baguettes are made with only flour, malt, water, salt and a healthy dose of their sourdough starter. It is then baked directly on the hearth of the oven for a thin, deeply golden crust, with a chewy, creamy crumb. To top it all off their rolls are then stuffed full of Princi’s free-range shaved leg ham and house made sporessa, swiss cheese, dill pickles and homemade aioli. It truly is a NSS classic that any conti roll fanatic needs to try.
Since opening in early 2018, North Street Store have grown to offer a wide variety of bread loaves, sweet treats and conti rolls. Their mission statement is to ‘shape a world where people eat better’, and this is a constant driving force for the owners and staff who work there. When you head in to grab a conti roll, be sure to pick up a few cinnamon scrolls as well.
Freshly baked conti roll at Bark
Bark
When it comes to Bark’s conti rolls, they like to keep it simple. Freshly baked bread that is crusty on the outside and light on the inside, their rolls have just the right amount of filling. There are three conti rolls you can choose from; an original classic made with salami, mortadella, cheese, olives, sundried tomato, pickled peppers and rocket; their ‘Deluxe’ with 3 meats, coppa, marinated egg plant and artichoke; or the Vego conti roll which features marinated artichoke and olives and is a great option for vegetarians out there. As always, their rolls are made fresh to order.