La Dolce Vita

One leaves and another takes its place. Culina gave up its old space in Dempsey to move to large shiny new digs a stone's throw away, but now the space it vacated is home to a new gourmet deli and restaurant. Italian restaurant group Da Paolo has installed a trattoria-cum-retail shop featuring a wide range of homemade pasta, cold cuts, cheese, bread and desserts. There's even a wood-fired oven for making sourdough and pizza. The 5000 sq ft restaurant offers all-day-dining from breakfast of spicy Italian meatballs and free range eggs on sourdough toast, to lunch and dinner items like braised beef cheek pappardelle. It's also a chill out spot perfect for Italian aperitivo hour, where you can linger with a vermouth-based Old Fashioned cocktail made with a smoked orange flavour.

Da Paolo Dempsey is at #01-13, Block 8, Dempsey Road. Tel: 6261-3128