Without knowing that this little deli set in the De Beauvoir neighbourhood near our home had a bit of a cult following, it has become one of our favourite places to go to for a quick on-the-go coffee, takeaway salad or last-minute food shop.

The small shop is packed with quality ingredients, such as yoghurt from Neal’s Yard, Monmouth’s coffee, Chegworth Valley vegetables, Dusty Knuckle bread, Pump Street chocolate, amongst others. We’ve discovered what are now some of our absolute favourite products in this little deli such as El Navarrico’s jars of chickpeas, Purely Pesto’s taramasalata, The Fine Cheese Co crackers, Dusty Knuckle’s Potato Sourdough, Seggiano’s dried pasta, Pinneys of Orford hot smoked salmon to name a few.

So much so that during the peak of lockdown we used their home delivery as we simply missed these products too much! On days when we’re a little short on time, a quick dash to De Beauvoir deli provides us with great coffee, delicious sandwiches, and wonderfully tasty salads. They make their on-the-go food all in house and really offer quality and scrumptious options - I would know, I’ve genuinely tried them all!

Monte’s is perhaps our little lockdown love-affair. We’d heard of a great Italian deli around Islington but never could locate one that held the promise of a plentiful and quality offering of Italian produce. Until one day, we stepped foot by chance into Monte’s Delicatessen.

The cheese and cured meats counter is stocked with a delicious array of our Italian favourites: Pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham and N’duja. Their antipasti are absolutely lovely too with delicious sun-dried tomatoes, peppers and olives. We in fact specifically used their products to make our focaccia.

You’ll also find an impressive selection of dried pasta, sweet treats, wines, condiments and a few fresh seasonal produce such as wonderful cantaloupe melons, tomatoes, or lemons. If you like Italian products this will be your happy place!

Ahh, Quality Chop House Shop..! Another lockdown discovery for us, and what a glorious one it is! This London deli, set adjacent to the much-loved restaurant by Exmouth market, is a bit like a mini mecca for foodies. There, you’ll find a curated selection of seasonal fresh vegetables and fruit, the Estate Dairy cream, dried pasta, olive oils, honey & jams, Pump Street chocolate, as well as more niche (but some of our favourite) ingredients like scarmoza, ‘nduja, or kewpie mayonnaise.

The shop also has a high-quality butchers section (not entirely surprising given the cult reputation of their sirloin steak), which really emphasises the benefit of buying meat less often but better.

What separates this food shop from other delis in London though is the selection of products made by QCH themselves. You’ll find homemade chutneys, pickles, roasted nuts, granola or jams. And if you’re short on time for cooking one day you can also grab one of their pies, (uber-popular) confit potatoes, or a little slice of ginger cake and pre-cooked rice pudding. Oh, and they offer delivery too. Sorted, on all fronts!

I can do without camembert or saucisson for several months without withdrawal symptoms. However, whenever I am after authentic quality French produce, Le Coq Epicier is one of the first places I think of. Set on the charming Camden Passage in Angel, the little epicerie is filled with a thought-through selection of quality produce.

Stocked with fresh baguettes (the best ones I have found), a selection of classic French cheeses (hello raclette and Mont d’Or fanatics) as well as delicious jams, artisanal soups, jarred casseroles (like cassoulet or blanquette), terrines, fresh pastries, gourmet sweet treats, French wines of course, and much more!

The charming London deli has been in the neighbourhood for 4 years now and their delightful produce and friendly service have earned them a loyal following, I included! Bring on the aperitif!

You shall find a tempting selection of Greek Kalamata olives and olive oils in the little shop set on Broadway Market’s side street but that’s not all!

Isle of Olive is our go-to place for Greek ingredients in London. There we source honey (they have an amazing selection, including some on tap!), dried herbs, pulses, herbal teas or artisan cheeses.

The friendly owners also offer fresh Greek borek, baklava pastries, and salads to enjoy at one of their tables, or to take away. If it’s a little far away from where you live, you can order from their well-stocked online shop too.

Located on the bustling Broadway Market street the deli and cafe is always busy with regulars and passersby alike, who are after a little cake and coffee or a fresh salad for lunch.

I personally stop by for their deli section though, as they offer a wonderful array of fruits and vegetables that rotate depending on the seasons, such as great girolles mushrooms, juicy peaches or fresh figs.

Of course, and very importantly, their cheese and charcuterie selection is generous with French classics, from delicious Comté, to Mont d’Or, St Felicien or truffled brie. They also have a nice choice of bread, roasted nuts, and French biscuits.

Lina Stores was established in 1944 in London and throughout the years has become a Soho institution. You may already know this Italian deli, for its pretty pastel green exterior that has made it uber-popular on social media.

Hype aside, this is one of our favourite delis in Central London for Italian products, sourced from quality Italian suppliers. The selection of cheese and cured meats are plentiful as is their dried pasta (we specifically got our macaroni for our Mac and Cheese there), biscuits, tomato sauces and condiments.

Building on its popularity, the London deli opened a restaurant on nearby Greek Street and their fresh pasta is available in the deli too to take home. Most recently though, Lina Stores has landed on our side of town in Kings Cross!

There, you’ll discover a large restaurant as well as a deli section all under one roof. You’ll find their selection of cheeses, salamis, anti pasties and also paninis made to order if you’re after an on-the-go lunch. The deli has even made its offering accessible to many with meal kits and pasta kits available for delivery throughout London, and even nationwide.

The below spots are less familiar to us, having been only once or twice for some as they are further away from us. Whenever we are close by though, we stop by and they are most definitely worthy of a mention!

We absolutely love Honey & Co and Honey & Smoke, the Middle Eastern restaurants run by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich. Their deli Honey & Spice, is just as enjoyable with a great selection of Middle Eastern ingredients. If you’re after the best quality tahini, some halva, amba sauce, or spices like baharat, sumac, or ras el hanout, this is the place!

The deli also has a delectable counter filled with fresh salads, hummus, sandwiches, tasty babkas, cookies and more. If you’re a bit far away they also offer a selection of products and meal kits to purchase on their online store for nationwide delivery, as well as their ready to cook meals (delivered within 12 miles of their deli).

If you’re particularly partial to Jewish foodstuff, then Panzer’s is your stop. You’ll find in the elegant deli a delicious choice of smoked salmon, hand-sliced with a choice of cure from dry, to medium or oily, as well as a variety of bagels, cream cheese, challah bread or matzo ball soup made in-house.

It also offers a wide range of high-quality products, from fruit and vegetables to cheeses, cold meats, own label jams & (seriously tasty) granola, bread, wines as well as a few American products.

There’s also a coffee bar, serving Square Mile Roasters where you can enjoy a little pastry or one of their salads, soups or sandwiches made in-house.

Panzer’s has won the Farm Shop & Deli Award in 2020 and we can see why. You can order their products as well as their hampers on their sleek website for London as well as nationwide delivery.

If you’re looking to throw a little tapas party, or you’re longing for the food you enjoyed in Barcelona, Brindisa is the perfect place to stock up on classic Spanish products. Freshly carved acorn-fed Ibérico ham? Check. Hot sobrasada from Mallorca? Check. Semi cured manchego cheese? Also check.

Whilst Iberico ham and cured meats are definitely the main event in their shops, you can find a variety of Spanish cheeses and accompaniments, like tinned fish, nuts, olives, pulses and quality olive oils and vinegars. The Brindisa shop, which also has 5 restaurants in London offers nationwide delivery from their well-stocked website. ⁠

I first set foot inside Bayley & Sage a little while ago at their Wimbledon store, which was established in 1997. To this day I remember it as one of the best delis I’ve been to, where I just wanted to purchase everything!

The generously sized shop is bursting with an incredible selection of cheeses, fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, delicious charcuterie, olives, wine, and amazing baked goods and breads. They make in house salads, soups, sandwiches as well as sausage rolls, quiches, or scotch eggs.

They have several locations in West London (sadly none in East London as of yet) including Parsons Green, Turnham Green, Fulham, Battersea, Wandsworth and most recently Chelsea. If you’re in West London I urge you to go!

This pretty store in Peckham is small but mighty. The South London deli is stocked with a considered selection of quality products and a valuable asset to the fellow foodies in the area.

From seasonal fruit and vegetables by Natoora, to delicious bread by the Little Bread Pedlar, scrumptious pastries from Flor, Pump Street chocolate, canelés from Babelle, Workshop Coffee, Bageriet biscuits... this is a treasure cave for great ingredients. My only wish? That the deli was bigger!