La Stazione

FOOD & DRINK Four of us dined on a quiet Friday night in early December. We ordered the bruschetta for an entree, which was a hefty 16 pesos for four pieces. Each piece of crispy toast had creamy cheese with lashings of ripe tomatoes. It was smothered in a tangy bbq sauce and topped with a smattering of green bay leaves. It was a nice, colourful dish, neatly presented to the table on a smart white plate. For my main, I played it safe, choosing my fav, spag bol ($27), whilst the others chose pizzas, pizzetas, calamari and green vegetables. The calamari was fresh and tasty with a chewy texture. My spag bol was a winner. It was arranged in a kind of mini tower with al dente spag, tender mince cooked to perfection and finished off with a sprinkling of coriander and grated cheese. Portion sizes were adequate, without being too large or too small. Everyone enjoyed their meals. AMBIENCE I loved the casual, laid back and relaxed ambience of this place. There is inside and outside seating. We chose to sit outside, which was perfect, it being a balmy summer night in the Sunshine State. The raised terrace is situated above street level, so whilst I sometimes eschew outside dining due to car noise and fumes, this was not the case at L.S., and we heard no car noise nor breathed in any noxious fumes. Tables are well spaced out, so acoustics were fine and we had no trouble conversing. It was only about half full on a Friday night with most diners sitting outside. The whole place, inside and out, has been tastefully decorated with an exposed brick wall on one side and a fancy bar counter at the far end. It has masses of low hanging lamps and wooden floors inside. The upholstered chairs were firm and comfy. Tables are neatly laid with crisp white napery and elegant stainless steel cutlery. It all looks tidy, clean and hygienic, and one can’t underestimate the importance of these last two, in this new Covid world. SERVICE There were three young male servers on duty, and they were all friendly, helpful and polite. When we arrived we were warmly greeted and made to feel at home straightaway. Although we’d booked a table, Rodney, our server allowed us to choose where we wanted to sit. Orders were quickly taken and drinks, entrees and main courses came out a steady clip and in the correct order. And these guys were just super nice throughout the evening. We arrived at 6.30pm and by 8.00pm, we were done and dusted, and that’s just how we like it. COST Lucky for us, as members of the Entertainment Club, we received a discount of 20%, so that lopped 27 pesos off our bill of 135, and brought it back to a reasonable 108 pesos, which I guess in these times of hyperinflation, isn't bad value for money. For that we got two schooners of dark ale, two cold drinks, a shared starter and four main courses. TOILETS There are no toilets inside the restaurant, so you need to walk outside, past the next door Ribs and Rumps and down a long corridor. Staff will give you the code to type into the keypad. But it sounds worse than it is. It isn’t hard to find, the code will keep it private for restaurant patrons only, and once through the locked doors, you’ll find ample toilets, male, female and disabled; and they were clean and well provisioned. PARKING We found easy street parking fairly close to the restaurant where restrictions end at 7.00pm. There are generally always spots available on Railway Pde, or alternatively, in one of the nearby side streets. SUMMARY We had a fab evening here and everything ran smoothly. I especially enjoyed the cool, casual and relaxed vibe, sitting outside on the terrace, well away from traffic noise and fumes. Food was high quality and staff were attentive and efficient, and they made us feel welcome. Add to that, ample clean toilets, easy street parking and good acoustics, and you have all the ingredients for a perfect night out with family or friends.

You know the Restaurant Gods are smiling when you find a place that ticks all the boxes. Food, service, location, ambience, and did I mention service?! I found this place by sheer luck and I’m glad I did. The pizzas were tasty, made to order and the substitution of ingredients was seamless. My friend asked for cheese substitution and I asked for a straight ingredient swap. Both changes were a non issue. This was even more amazing because this was done on their pizza special night where all large pizzas bar the seafood ones are $15! There was no stoic rules that are usually synonymous with house specials. This was truly appreciated. The service was friendly, had humour and was delightful. It definitely made the dining experience very enjoyable. The ambience and vibe in the restaurant was very pleasant. It was charming and eloquent and the music was just the right volume where you could still converse. (Kudos to whoever curated that playlist!) By the way, Sam - you sold yourself short by only charging $5 a question….we would have paid more 😂 I also look forward to your business web page being updated. 😊 Thank you Rodney for your service and crème brûlée dessert recommendation…it was a winner! First time diner, I look forward to returning. Grazie tutti!

Excellent food selection. Service was impressive quick and efficient. The quality and taste of the food presented to us were fantastic. The servings were huge. The food was bursting in flavour and freshness of the salad as an accompaniment. Overall, very pleased with the food, service and ambience. ⭐⭐⭐Definitely highly recommended