Where once supermarkets reigned supreme, speciality food stores are now everywhere in town. They represent independent producers, and the best of these importers are bywords for community, accessibility and inspiration. You should be able to head into any deli worth its salt and discover a range of produce hitherto unknown; a cornucopia of ingredient-led inspiration to upgrade your home cooking.
London’s top chefs have already shared where they shop for their restaurants, but add to your list with our pick of London’s best delis and groceries, below, offering everything from daily essentials to pantry items to one-off special purchases. Here’s where to find them.
Central
L Terroni & Sons
Terroni lays claim to the oldest deli in London, making it a good place to start. Entering the double fronted space which has served London’s Italian community since the late 1800s, you’ll see walls lined with every shape of De Cecco pasta under the sun, alongside a few less familiar Italian pantry staples, all sourced directly from Italy. This isn’t an especially fancy joint, but it’s one of the most useful on the list.
138 Clerkenwell Road, EC1R 5DL, terroni.co.uk
Farm Shop
A newer addition to the roster of great delis, Farm Shop was set up last year from the team behind Hauser and Wirth, the Audley pub and Mount Street Restaurant. Some of the fare makes its way into these kitchens, offering truly top tier produce. Expect the best of the best seasonal British ingredients, from New Forest asparagus to Cornish Yarg cheese and just about everything else besides. Don’t miss the wine bar downstairs, either.
64 South Audley Street, W1K 2QT, dursladefarmshop.co.uk
Daylesford
£6 loaves of bread? £10 cookies? Where else but Daylesford? If the wallet can stretch, then there are few nicer places to shop for an hour or so than the Daylesford outpost in Marylebone. The provenance can’t be questioned, with so much of their ingredients organic and/or house-made. Just close your eyes and ears as they ring up your basket.
6-8 Blandford Street, W1U 4AU, and across west London, daylesford.com
Chiltern Street Deli
This cafe-cum-deli opened in 2019 and might be thought of as the thinking man’s Daylesford. The exuberant prices of Marylebone haven’t abated entirely, but the whole thing is altogether more reasonable. Punnets of freshly baked goods line walls and uprated pantry items, think beetroot salt or Deukes monofloral honey are abundant.
27 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PJ, chilternstreetdeli.co.uk
Paul Rothe & Son
“English and foreign provisions” is the language used to describe this 1900 established deli and sandwich shop. Initially the family run shop sold mainly German produce, but after the Second World War, and with an influx of French and Italian workers coming to the city, Paul Rothe & Son expanded to offer a wider range of European and British produce, and latterly, their famous sandwiches. There is still a daily made soup, and the family still makes their own cheese. A fabulous slice of history.
35 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2NN, instagram.com
Honey and Co. Daily
Baked goods, salads, sandwiches and good coffee sit alongside a vibrant Middle Eastern cupboard, with everything from Lebanese Al Yaman Tahini to organic Tunisian preserved Lemons. A must visit for fans of the well-known Honey and Co group.
19-21 Store Street, WC1E 7BL, honeyandco.co.uk
Auld Hag
More than just haggis and shortbread, who knew? The Scotch-founded Auld Hag (or Shoap) opened last year to plug an Irn-Bru-shaped gap in the market and have been slinging classic Scottish produce — be that fresh, chilled or frozen — ever since. It’s a small store which somewhat feels like it’s finding its feet, but nowhere else in town has this breadth of Scottish ingredients. Or Tennents on tap.
406 St John Street, EC1V 4ND, auldhag.co.ukhas
Furanxo
This lesser-known Spanish deli operates a buzzing site on Exmouth market, and a space in Dalston. The strapline is “Ultramarinos y Aperitivos”, which roughly translates here to groceries and snacks. That’s perhaps a bit of an undersell as Furanxo also stocks a variety of excellent Spanish wines, a number of Iberico jamon on the bone and some of the best selections of independent Spanish tinned fish in London.
63 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL, furanxo.com
North
Panzer’s
Panzer’s deli has become something of an icon. Open for a bagel and a schmear in the morning, the expansive deli inside houses everything from the finest fresh UK produce to a mini sushi counter. Despite the postcode, not everything is of stratospheric cost, with daily essentials broadly on par with the higher-end supermarkets — yet better quality — meaning it’s not reserved just for the well-heeled residents of NW8 (though beware brand names with massive mark-ups).
13-19 Circus Road, NW8 6PB, panzers.co.uk
Melrose and Morgan
While the Hampstead site has closed, the Melrose on Morgan in Primrose Hill continues to offer the well-heeled locals a sense of occasion when shopping. One might be forgiven for thinking Melrose and Morgan was just a bakery, but this gorgeous space offers so much more by way of fine cheeses, wines and homewares, with a good range of luxurious hampers a must if prepping for a day in the park nearby.
42 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8JD, melroseandmorgan.com
Monte’s Deli
Similar in a way to Terroni, Monte’s is unapologetically Italian. There’s zero pretence here, only fabulous, down-to-earth Italian produce. There are extensive Italian meats and cheeses, alongside pantry staples of La Fabrica Della pasta and Aggazzotti vinegar.
23 Canonbury Lane, N1 2AS, montesdeli.com
Parkway Greens
In the world of greengrocers, Parkway’s decade operating make its a slightly newer grocer in north London, specialising in the best of fresh produce. There’s little room for tinned anything in this tiny shop, with walls lined ceiling to floor with the best of the day's delivery. To swerve plastic tasting supermarket veg, go here.
52 Parkway, NW1 7AH, parkwaygreens.co.uk
All Greens Stoke Newington
With four locations across London, plus the wholesale site at New Covent Garden Market, All Greens has nailed the higher-end grocery store. Alongside the bounty of daily fresh produce and ingredients, All Greens also stock a very good selection of wines, pantry good and own-brand cupboard essentials. An admirable one-stop-shop.
39 Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0NX, allgreens.co.uk
Passage Pantry
Affordability and community are the hallmarks at Passage Pantry, who ensure the relatively reasonable pricing of the deli doesn’t scare off would be customers. In fact, it’s this kind of democratisation of often unobtainable specialty ingredients that keeps London returning to Passage Pantry — that and the La Tourangelle basil oil.
351-352 Upper Street, N1 0PD, thepassagepantry.com
Phoenicia Foodhall
There are no prizes for guessing where Phoenicia source their grocery and deli items. This fairly large foodhall and supermarket which has been supplying London’s Greek communities since 2003, with the vast range of olives a now-famous Phoenicia specialty.
Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AE, phoeniciafoodhall.co.uk
East
Deli Downstairs
Certainly a contender for London’s best looking deli, the Deli Downstairs near Victoria Park is a beauty. It stocks a decent selection of cheese, fresh fruit and veg, deli meats and deli counter goods (think quiches and pies) alongside sauces, jars and tinned food and dried goods. As a deli and grocer, it’s as useful as it is well-priced.
211 Victoria Park Road, E9 7JN, thedelidownstairs.co.uk
Tuck Shop
One of the most modern delis on the list, Tuck Shop is housed in a newish building on Roman Road near Stratford. The husband-and-wife founders proudly service their new neighbours with a butcher shop, cafe and wine bar on site. But the deli and daily provisions within remain a focal point for the duo, who, with restaurant pop-ups planned, seem to be going from strength to strength.
2 Casings Way, Fish Island, E3 2TH, tuck-shop.co.uk
Third Culture
The primary role that Third Culture plays is that of a plant-based cafe, though there are more than enough pantry items for sale to qualify the gorgeous little space as a deli. The Italian-American influence is palpable and bang on trend, but while the cafe and wine bar arm serves the business well, the plant-based ethos of the deli brings in a reliable crowd of curious home cooks too.
29 Broadway Market, E8 4PH, thirdculturedeli.com
South
Peckham General Store
The General Store is a small but perfectly formed little shop on a stretch of independent stores that make up Bellenden Road. It’s the sort of place that stocks obscure French Edmond Fallot moutarde alongside the delicious herbal non-alcoholic Botivo aperitif.
174 Bellenden Road, SE15 4BW, generalsto.re
Giddy Grocer
Less a deli and more, as the name eludes, a grocer, Giddy Grocer on Bermondsey street, is another small joint but with a decent selection of produce. Expect to pay a slight premium for some produce (most of the loaves of bread are around the £6 mark), but for great fresh produce and a good choice of meats and dairy items too, it’s the best grocer locally.
80 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD, giddygrocer.co.uk
Lulu’s
Part cafe, part wine shop, part deli; Lulu’s wears a few hats. Sister spot to Llewelyn’s next door, the multi-hyphenate serves a gorgeous little selection of fine ingredients, natural wines and freshly made salads and sandwiches.
291 Railton Road, SE24 0JP, lulus.london
Gladwell’s
Gladwell’s have done good things in Camberwell, despite only opening two years ago. This grocer and deli stocks possibly the widest selection of produce in south London, with a footprint big enough to accommodate a run of wine tastings dubbed “vino in the vault”.
2 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8QU, gladwells.co.uk
Italo
The name gives this one away, doesn’t it? Found on a gorgeous little corner on Bonnington Square, expect first-rate Italian produce. The choice is expert, and finely-sourced; not such a surprise, given it’s run by Charlie Boxer (son of Arabella, father of Jackson).
13 Bonnington Square, SW8 1TE, italodeli.co.uk
Lumberjack
Lumberjack might be first and foremost a cafe, but there’s a well-stocked dry goods and kitchenware room behind those coffee machines which house some of the most fairly-priced deli goods in the area. A quick price comparison of locations in SE5 shows that bargains from olive oil to natural wines are best sourced from this gem.
70 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8QZ, wearelumberjack.co.uk
Persepolis
Peckham favourite Persepolis houses a trove of west Asian goodies; from Turkish spices to Arabian apricot paste, there’s nothing it doesn't stock. What makes everything even more appealing is the pricing, which despite trends and burgeoning popularity, has remained accessible. Break out a good cookbook, get some inspiration, and get shopping.
28-30 Peckham High Street, SE15 5DT, foratasteofpersia.co.uk
West
Ealing Grocer
With nearly 25 years under their belts, Andy Harris and Katie Millard’s Ealing Grocer has stayed the course. The Vinegar Shed is the sister spot to the Ealing Grocer, solidifying the local credentials, but it’s the variety of dazzling fresh produce that ensures customer from all over London.
18 St Mary's Road, W5 5ES, theealinggrocer.com
R Garcia & Sons
Affectionately known simply as Garcia’s, this could be one of the best stocked Spanish grocery stores in London. Everything from pre-made tortilla to the best jamon Iberico and the finest Spanish wines, everything one could need for the next tapas and wine night can be found here.
248-250 Portobello Road, W11 1LL, rgarciaandsons.com
La Plaza
Garcia’s might be better known, but La Plaza arguably has a more interesting selection of wines. There are other deli staples too — tinned fish, biscuits and treats and even vacuum sealed octopus — but the wine is the star of the show. Salute.
288 Portobello Road, W10 5TE, yelp.com
Luigi’s
Opening in ‘73, Luigi’s is an essential neighbourhood stalwart for west London’s Italian community. It stocks a variety of specialist products, including a huge range of Italian cheese, wine and meats. A true local hero.
349 Fulham Road, SW10 9TW, luigisdelicatessen.com
Bayley and Sage
With nearly a dozen Bayley and Sage locations across town, and a further three locations for sister brand Abode, Bayley and Sage are taking over. The west London outposts are the biggest and the best for fresh produce, the best in pantry and dried goods as well as vintage wines, cheeses and charcuterie. A fantastic one-stop-shop.
