STAZIONE NOVELLA

Within seconds of entering Stazione Novella, we were magically transported to a little corner of Italy. This wine bar on the corner of Staunton and Aberdeen Streets pays homage to the bars around the train station in Florence. Friendly and welcoming, Stazione Novella offers all-day casual dining; think toasted panini with freshly brewed coffee, charcuterie and cheese platters – all using the finest Italian ingredients.

We visited early evening and the bar was abuzz with the afterwork crowd. The all-Italian drinks menu offers an interesting selection of wine, cocktails and liqueurs. We opted for a crisp and refreshing Aperol Spritz ($88), the perfect blend of Prosecco, Aperol and soda, topped with a slice of orange.

From 5pm to 9pm daily, the bar offers “Aperitivo”, featuring complimentary delectable bite-sized finger food, perfect to nibble on while chatting with friends. We helped ourselves from the seemingly endless platters on the bar. I loved the lightly toasted crostini topped with a smooth pea puree and balsamic glaze. The smoked chicken crostini was light and flavoursome and the soft, sweet prosciutto di Parma hit the spot. But the true show-stopper was the freshly toasted bite-sized panini oozing with melted mozzarella – simple but perfect. 52-56 Staunton Street, Soho stazionenovella.com

– KATE WOODBURY Stazione Novella is the ideal spot to enjoy a lunchtime panini or to meet friends early evening before heading on for dinner – though, we enjoyed the Aperitivo so much that we skipped dinner and headed home!