Located a quick sandy-footed dash from Currumbin Creek, it’s highly likely you’ll smell Aperitivo Cafe & Panini Bar before you see it. The neighbourhood noshery specialises in Italian-style bites and is the handiwork of husband-and-wife duo Matteo and Liana Secci. The display cabinet is brimming with freshly made focaccia pugliese sitting pretty next to buttery, flaky croissants and pastries from Burleigh Baker, authentic sfogliatelle handmade in Mermaid (if you know, you know) and pistachio-topped cannoli. In true Italian style, pastries and coffee headline the morning menu with Melbourne’s Niccolo Coffee beans flowing through the machine. Come midday, the cafe offers a selection of six loaded panini-style sandwiches, made using Matteo’s 24-hour fermented focaccia as a base and layered with a mouth-watering assortment of toppings such as freshly sliced mortadella with pistachio, ricotta cheese, tomato and evoo (hand-pulped olives). There’s a limited grocery line featuring Italian-made cook-at-home pasta, the venue’s own Adam’s House Made Tomato Relish (featuring Liana’s brother’s recipe) and the seriously addictive Balocco Cubes flavoured wafers. At its core, Aperitivo Cafe & Panini Bar is about community.