Delis in Sydney
You’ll want to spend half your weekly wage at these finest of the fine food purveyors. By Jordan Kretchmer & Time Out editors
IF THE MARK of a good fruit and veg shop is just-picked freshness, then the mark of an excellent deli is almost the opposite. These places are all about preserving, salting, brining, pickling, fermenting, curing and drying some of nature’s most interesting offerings, and celebrating the world’s most complex and compelling flavours. That means funky blue cheeses, slices of fatty porchetta, briny green olives, bobbing blobs of burrata, rich oils and astringent vinegars, along with everything else you never knew you needed.
Delis preserve more than just food – they’re cultural snapshots, community hubs and flag bearers for age-old traditions. They’re also just darn good places to pop in for a look around, a bargain continental sandwich, or to assemble a winning snack platter. However you slice it, Sydney’s got a host of delis overflowing with delicious goods. This is our guide to some of the best (and what items to look out for).
1 Lamia Super Deli Marrickville Must buy: Bitey Greek kefalograviera cheese
We tell the owners we’re doing a story on best delis, and an unprompted punter quickly chimes in: “This is definitely one of them.” It’s not hard to see (and smell) why. Every inch of the narrow, winding, Greek-focused deli is packed – precariously balanced piles of sheep’s milk cheese, two square metres devoted to every type of olive soaking in brine, and a whole fridge of imported pastries and filo pies. Evidently this is a Greek deli, but you’ll also find continental goods from butter chicken mix to dried pasta. They make their own hummus, toum and tzatziki, and there are $6 falafel wraps and $5 chicken schnitzel rolls that diehard locals line up for every day.
270 Marrickville Rd, Marrickville 2204. 02 9560 1011. lamiasupadeli.business.site. Mon-Fri 7.30am-6.30pm; Sat 8am-5.30pm; Sun 10am-1pm.
2 Paesanella Haberfield Must buy: Mascarpone Reale – the signature layered mascarpone, blue cheese and fig jam layered cheese ‘cake’
Serving the Haberfield community and beyond for just shy of 20 years, this small but mighty gourmet grocer is a celebration of the downright delicious. There’s fresh pasta, a range of sauces by chef Luca Ciano, stuffed olives from Marrickville and exceptional puff pastry by Carême. You may recognise the range of vacuum-sealed deli meats up the back – it’s Paesenella’s own brand, which started here, and is now stocked in Harris Farm and other independent grocers. Cheese here is the drawcard. Paesenella’s main factory is just over in Marrickville, where they make all their own cow and buffalo milk cheeses. Think still-warm ricotta, ultra creamy orbs of burrata and just-sweet mascarpone.
88 Ramsay St, Haberfield 2045. 02 9799 0077. www.paesanellahaberfield.com.au. Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat 7.30am-2.30pm.
3 Fourth Village Providore Mosman Must buy: All the cheeses
Head here for the kind of fresh fruit and veggies that belong on a Sicilian postcard. There are floor-to-ceiling shelves bursting with preserves, condiments, spices and drygoods, and in the centre of the store is a veritable cornucopia of fresh produce, laid out in baskets, boxes, trays and barrels. Load up on spicy sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and air-freighted buffalo mozzarella for the perfect Caprese salad, or peruse the selection in the dedicated cheese room for a fromage fest fit for a king.
5a Vista St, Mosman 2088. 02 9960 7162. www.fourthvillage.com.au. Mon-Fri 7am-6.30pm; Sat 7am-6pm; Sun 7am-5pm.
4 Gourmet Life Edgecliff Must buy: Fresh truffles, year-round
Strictly speaking, this is less of a deli and more of a showroom for fine imported perishables – aka fancy, delicious things you don’t come across often in Sydney. Truffles and caviar are specialties, but it’s not just these posh goods that make this providore special. Browse and sample Piedmontese hazelnuts (a variety with a super-fragrant, nutty-sweet flavour different from the ones you’ll find in Oz), Sicilian pistachio nut creams and herb-dusted almonds. You can drop $70 on a bottle of French olive oil or $97.50 on a jar of baby artichokes. There’s also a whole table devoted to Calabrian peppers, two long shelves to tinned fish, and a stellar selection of regional charcuterie from around the world. Cheese-wise, French varieties dominate, from Pavé d’Affinois to Crottin de Chavignol. The French theme continues with foie gras and fresh, wild (and very rare) chanterelle mushrooms.
52-60 New South Head Rd, Edgecliff 2027. 02 9363 0775. www.gourmetlife.com.au. Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 10am-5pm.
5 Deli Mercato Five Dock Must buy: Olives and Sicilian focaccia with potato, fennel, chilli and rosemary on the weekends
Deli Mercato’s olives are the right blend of Italian origins and Australian hard work. Owner Nancy brings them to Sydney all the way from Gaeta, in the central Italian region of Lazio, near Rome, and then marinates them in the deli. If it’s not olives that you’re after, however, Deli Mercato offers one of the most comprehensive displays of Italian produce in Australia, from tuna to panettone, plus the most famous biscotti brands, like Mulino Bianco. They even stock Italian cleaning products. Why? Because, in Nancy’s wise words: “People need to feel at home even when they’re on the other side of the world, and their favourite brands from back home play a huge part in achieving that.”
107 Great North Rd, Five Dock 2046. 02 9712 2700. www.facebook.com/delimercato. Mon-Fri 7am-5pm; Sat 6am-3.30pm; Sun 7am-noon.
6 Charlie’s Deli Petersham Must buy: Ovelha sheep’s milk cheese
This deli’s got a Portuguese and Brazilian focus (which makes sense given Petersham’s expat community). To that end, you’ll find Brazo açai smoothie packs, Maizena corn starch and chicken coxinhas – killer croquette-like street food snacks. There are Portuguese cheese, plenty of different hot sauces and piri piri oils, imported sardines, and striking stacks of bacalhau (whole salted and dried cod). And, like all good delis should, Charlie’s lets you take your pick of meat and cheese and stuff it in a roll for a few bucks. Winning.
37 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham 2049. 02 9560 4037. Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm; Sat 8.30am-4.30pm; Sun 9am-12.30pm.