Firstly, I would like to highlight that my dining companion insisted that I use that headline. His insistence suggested that a failure to take advantage of the linguistic similarities between ‘Tuscanic’ and ‘Titanic’ would mean that I had failed as a journalist, friend and, indeed, human being. Some might say that images of a doomed ship might starkly contrast the enthusiastically positive review I am about to give, but let’s gloss over that in the name of wordplay.

So what do you think of when you hear ‘Italy’? I think of a land where calories are but a fearsome myth which no sensible person would let interfere with a divine feast of fresh produce and culinary delights. And this is exactly what I found last night at Tuscanic.

Tuscanic is a deli-café-restaurant hybrid right in the heart of Soho, whose aim is to bring the gastronomic Italian tradition of merende - a snack favoured by older-generation Italians - to this thriving London district. While this makes it an ideal stop for lunch, Tuscanic offers much more than that considering that it is open until 11:30pm on weekdays (midnight on weekends) and hence is a perfect stop for some after-work culinary indulgence. It’s actually hugely refreshing to see an establishment which places so much emphasis and enthusiasm on the quality of the food. So many people I know these days see ‘food’ as some sort of unnecessary obstacle that one wolfs down before getting as blindingly drunk as possible; they may even be known to chant the phrase which makes me shudder: ‘Eating is cheating’. I’m not sure quite why that phrase irks me so much. Probably because we’re not sixteen anymore and life isn’t an American Pie film. But I digress. There is none of that as Tuscanic where food is seen an indulgent luxury as opposed to an onerous necessity.

The best way to approach the menu is to try and share courses with your dining companion(s) enabling you to sample as much as possible. Start with a soup. They have a variety of four Tuscan recipes but I would particularly recommend their tomato and bread soup which is the house speciality; it is amazing how something so incredibly simple can be so very appetising. Kind of like Matthew McConnaughey.

Next, opt for Il Misto – a selection of Tuscan cured meats and cheeses served on a wooden tray along with selected breads, focaccia and breadsticks. Now be warned. If you are planning on ordering more food after this, opt for the small board – not the large. The ‘small board’ is not as small as the name might suggest and I speak as someone with a very healthy, voracious appetite (Seriously. Someone at work once asked me if I knew that the Krispy Kreme I was eating had been left out from the day before. I knew. Oh God, I knew.).

The meats include salami, raw ham and prosciutto; the latter being a favourite of mine when teemed with a portion of pecorino cheese. The meats genuinely do melt in your mouth like some sort of tantalizing Meat IceCream (N.B. Trademark this idea) and are complemented by some fresh jam of which you can buy a jar to take home if you so wish. You also must try the olive oil when sampling the focaccia; I do love how Italian cuisine is the one time where it’s totally acceptable to just use oil as a casual dip.

If you still happen to have room (and we just about did), there are a number of Italian staples for dessert. The chocolate cake is delicious but very rich, so only a small amount is needed. We also sampled some biscotti and sweet wine; dipping the biscotti in the wine insures it is infused with the alcohol giving it a pleasant kick. I’m not actually sure whether you’re meant to do this or whether I committed some form of Tuscan sacrilege but it tastes great so do it anyway.

Tuscanic source their produce locally in Tuscany and import to the UK, so you can be sure you are getting premium and genuine Italian ingredients; the owners are very careful to select their products from artisans and small producers in lieu of mass produced items. More details about this are available directly from their website. Considering the high quality of the food, the prices are reasonable for the Soho area and, I assure you, it is certainly a great deal cheaper than flying over to the Tuscan sun itself…

For more details on Tuscanic including their menu and list of suppliers, please click here