Escape the office and use your lunch break to enter the world of Italian aperitivo with a campari and gourmet sausage roll at Peel Street's La Moka.

Manuel Francesconi was a different man when CityMag saw him last. He was in the build-stage of La Moka at 16a Peel Street and the project was wearing on. However, good things do come to those who… persist. The timing couldn’t be better either, with La Moka emerging ready to cure the chilly bones of Adelaide’s current cold snap with hearty food, good coffee and a stiff drink at almost any time of day.

La Moka is a strong addition to Adelaide’s evolving coffee culture. A firm step away from the “third wave” coffee movement in the specialty sphere, a short black from La Moka is perfectly extracted through the San Marco Leva machine. Just watching your coffee come to fruition as the elegant lever returns smoothly to its upright position will warm you up. The resulting cup of black liquid is bold but syrupy with a flavour that encourages a conversation as bright as the cup it’s delivered in.

Manuel, his wife Linda Mercorella and friend Antonio Frasca seem to have sliced off a little piece of that wonky boot in the Mediterranean and flown it to Adelaide. We’re not just saying that because of Manuel’s legitimate and loveable accent either. It’s the kitchen as well as the coffee as well as the long shelf of light, pre-dinner spirits which all combine to make this little bar a good time, day or night.

Our pick (and we’ve been a couple times now) is the house-made gourmet Italian sausage roll. It’s a perfect pastry-wrapped hunger-stopper. Similarly – the toasted sandwich selection is spot on, with each bit of fresh bread layered with high quality mozzarella or salami. Oh, and there’s Campari. Always Campari!