If there’s one thing the Italians have nailed, it’s the art of dining. Spirited wine-filled conversations with your nearest and dearest, plates of pizza, bowls of pasta making their way around the table interrupted only by the occasional clinking of glasses and raucous laughter. La Calabrese, located on level one of Ocean by Meriton (opposite COAST Beach Bar & Kitchen), has been designed to facilitate these kinds of hearty interactions, with comfortable leather booth-style seating running down the centre of the dining room, an open kitchen filling the air with irresistible aromas, and the team jovially conversing in their native Italian tongue. The menu opens with aperitivo such as woodfired focaccia with house-made black-garlic butter, fresh local oysters and calamari, alongside antipasti of burrata and the venue’s speciality, insalata di Polpo (octopus, puntarelle, olives, cherry tomato confit, potatoes, parmesan foam and Italian dressing). The primi page offers a clutch of freshly made pasta and gnocchi options such as homemade ravioli, beef cheek, sage butter and parmesan fondue. There’s a scattering of mains for those who don’t subscribe to the sharing is caring philosophy, alongside some seriously mouth-watering pizzas that range from classic to modern. The bases are made in-house using their own blend of flours, fermentation processes and techniques to deliver a dough that walks the line between perfectly crisp and chewy. As for the drinks, there’s a geographically diverse selection of wine that the knowledgeable team is only too happy to walk you through, alongside imaginative cocktails and Italian beers. If you’re keen to eat, drink and be merry, check out La Calabrese.