As it happens, looking at real estate makes me hungry. Thankfully our rammed itinerary had a coffee break built in and we came here to Absolutely Starving (because I almost was, having skipped breakfast!) The table by the door was heaving with sweets and included a delectable looking oversize chocolate chip that all but whispered my name. It was my first time in an outpost of this chain and everything I encountered gave off good vibes, from the large selection of teapigs to the smell of chorizo being grilled for lunch and the airy, light-filled space. Oh and that massive chocolate chip cookie? I ate it over the course of two days and can surely say it was faultless. read more

Absolutely Starving - Delis Near Me - London, XGL

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Wow, what a selection! Who would go to Eat or Pret when there's this? Everything just looks so fresh and everything just looks so delicious. Tables of yummy looking pastries and coolers full of salads and sandwich makings and all sorts of other hot and cold foods. I was spoiled for choice! Decent seating areas with power outlets nearby and a working free wi-fi system, which are always big bonuses in my eye. I thought the bookshelves were an interesting and unique idea. Is it a lending library or are they for sale or what? I didn't think to ask. read more

Absolutely Starving - Pastries! - Delis Near Me - London, XGL

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Our first breakfast in London! Fast! Great coffee and tons of pastries. TONS. Oh my... pretty much a good indication that the Britz love their sweets!Great breakfast and other selections for sandwiches. Not a lot of seating, it's in front of the hospital so it's made for take out mainly. Not bad nor bank breaking in a pinch! read more

Holy cr@p the Breakfast Baguette was amazing! We stopped in for breakfast while I was on my way to the airport, and I immediately regretted not eating here earlier in my trip so that I could have gone back again. The decor is nice and rustic, and while the layout is a touch confusing, if you head to the back and work your way forward to the registers you should be okay. The coffee is good (they use Monmouth beans, which are excellent) and the baked goods were also tasty, but the Breakfast Baguette was the standout; it is a delicious baguette with sausage, egg, and bacon. If you are an American you should know that 'bacon' means something like irish bacon (or back bacon), not the thin-sliced, smoked and cured belly bacon that you find in the States. Regardless, the combination of the sausage and bacon with a perfectly fried egg in a fresh baguette shouldn't be missed, and it is even quite reasonably priced! read more

It's just like any other deli-cum-grocery store in a tourist area - mediocre and overpriced. Still, in a pinch it's great for nipping in to pick up a bottle of Diet Coke and some crisps on the way to London Bridge station. Or perhaps a slightly stale-tasting scone. And some Italian nougat for £11. Basically, it'll satisfy you if you're absolutely starving. [rimshot] read more

I visit Absolutely Starving because it is en route to work and a great place to go when you fancy something a little special. If you actually are 'absolutely starving' however, you may have to wait a while to be served as it is one of the busiest shops in the area and normally filled with tourists. The food itself is delicious and the fresh meat bar is worth a try. They also stock foods which are wheat and gluten free and the soups are fantastic. The shop also sells a wonderful variety of jams, marmalade and honey. My friend loves it so much that she is almost addicted and tends to buy most of her food here - which does come at a cost. It is very expensive which is slightly frustrating as it perhaps wouldn't be if it didn't attract so many tourists. Definitely worth a visit though. read more

Absolutely Starving - Delis Near Me - London, XGL

Absolutely Starving is so promising. It's big and airy, a bustling space that makes it clear with the decor that it's friendly but also serious about quality. Given that London Bridge is riddled with dismal chain coffee shops, it's lovely having a space like this in the area. I do wish it would live up to the expectations a little more though. There are some flaws that are constant. For example, the queueing system was designed by somebody who presumably has never returned to view the havoc they have created. Lines merge unhappily as those waiting at the roast counter run into the sandwich counter run into the soups run into the mains...it's a real pain. There's also really variable service - considering baguettes can cost over a fiver, it's annoying to unwrap them to find sauce all over the outside, so everything's a total mess. I've also stopped having the falafel (or anything where I'd want garlic sauce) after a rather traumatic incident a few months ago when I found a large, whole, bright blue clove of garlic in my wrap - it was truly radioactive and very offputting. I did get in touch with them about it but didn't hear anything back. All that aside, it's still worthwhile coming by every now and then - their hog dogs (hot dogs with pulled pork) are delicious, their roast pork belly baguettes are spot on, and I've recently started having chicken, bacon and sweetcorn sandwiches, which go down well and are a bit cheaper at £3.50. read more

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Yum! The food is delicious. Not much more to say. The best lunch in the area. I'll be back for sure.

I love the name of this place, as I imagine those wandering the streets of the Southbank (mostly tourists) stumble upon the inviting deli atmosphere with relief because they are, indeed, Absolutely Starving after hours of walking around. Spacious but not exactly laid out very well -- there was lovely table of treats right when you walk in on display, but that along with the line for the register made it annoying to navigate your way in or out. Plus there are loads of shelves piled with goods to buy (a deli must have), but little seating. I tried to get breakfast but found out it was after hours (which should be on the menu display so you don't have to find out while faced with a busy worker in front of you and a line of hungry people behind). So I rushed to the roasted pork and apple sauce baguette. I grabbed a bag of crisps and a can of coke to top it off and found a seat. The sandwich was incredible. The bread fresh, the meat perfectly cooked and spiced, and my doubts about the heaping apple sauce banished. I think the combo came to about £8 or so. Not bad, would totally come again and keep in mind if I have some out-of-towners in tow. read more

A good location for healthy and relatively fast food. Nicwle location near London Bridge tube station. Love that they have sugar free, non dairy milks for coffee and tea. Sometimes it's quite busy but at other times it's quiet ajd easy to find a seat. read more

I stumbled in here with my Sunday running crew after a solid 10mile run. Naturally we were starving and this place worked perfectly. Offering a variety of hot food but also some really nice, cakes etc. I had a chicken wrap which was really nice and also a Vita Co Co to that hydration in! The staff were very welcoming and helpful. The only thing that doesn't give this place a 5 out of 5 is the limited seating space but aside from that it was great. Even better! Free wifi! read more

man, working in London Bridge has its privileges. This place does serious food seriously good. They manage their massive queue decently well. This is good, honest, home-style food. Especially good in winter. I'll admit: I've been craving potatoes lately. So I had some beef and ale stew over mash. I dunno if they use a ricer or just a massive Hobart, but these are some creamy, delicious mash. Tender ale-braised beef. Braised carrots. Chunks of potato. £4.95. More than you can eat, but you will anyway. Also filled with loads of odds and ends of British überfoodie staples, from Franco Manca sourdough to Dorset cereals. And assorted £2 pastry and cookies. You won't come away hungry. Bloated, maybe. But satisfied. My favourite little girl had as a spelling word "contented" this week. I'll take her here to demonstrate contentedness. read more

Got back super-late from a day tour to Stonehenge & the only thing we knew was that we were starving but did NOT want to eat at the hotel restaurant. Absolutely Starving to the rescue! It was the only place open late on a Sunday night. Pubs? Closed. Eateries at the London Bridge Tube Stop? Closed. Frustration? Wide Open! Walked in to discover they still had a good selection of prepared sandwiches, tons of crisps & bottled drinks & we were good to go. This store also offers a variety of yummy-looking gourmet items that would have been perfect for a nice picnic or whatnot but we were tired & hungry & looking for something easy & fast. No energy to browse.....but would have been SO worth it! I had the BEST Brie & Pickle Baguette - lots of Brie & the Baguette was soft & chewy. Totally hit the spot & we weary travellers could settle back into our hotel rooms w/ yummy eats & a good British mystery on tele! read more

Falafel wrap? Yes. Chicken kebab wrap? Yes. Have lunch up to 500 calories (yes, I counted) that will keep you full, happy and satisfied until supper (well maybe a fruit in the afternoon - but I'm not here to give you a 5-a-day lecture! :) My advice - if you're going for falafel - don't do hummus - it's same chickpeas in both! Also, they microwave their falafel and kebab - just ask them not to: the grill they have is enough to make it hot and microwave is bad for you anyway. I love their liquorice & mint tea from Teapigs - I fell in love with the flavour there and now keep a pack at home! Now, for the bakery goods - these would probably be a reason why you came to that place, because they seem to lure you with their sugary shine at the store front. Don't go for them. Honestly, how do you expect a brownie that's been uncovered for the whole day to stay fresh and moist? I wouldn't. Salads - good, but overpriced. All in all - it's all about the wrap! read more

After all the hype and looking for a fresh, veggie friendly delhi, I dragged the Mrs along to Absolutely Starving. Maybe my expectations were high, but I was a tad underwhelmed by the whole experience. The place looks the part completely. Wide open plan, plenty of seating, lots of levels and very very well presented produce. Lots of salads on display, but at £1.40 per 100 and... absolutely starving, I wanted a little something something on my salad. However it's a pleasant place to step into. That's really where it ended. The stock was pretty standard, nothing particularly excited me or was different from the surrounding cafes and shops. In the end, I bought a coffee and a brownie, not wanting to leave empty handed. They were OK. read more

The name of this huge deli is SO appropriate. It helps you out in the exact situation it is talking about. I always have a little browse if I am in the area, and they sell dutch almond biscuits which are always a must and rare to find. Prices are not too bad in there either, if you compare the place to most other delis. They have loads of specitality foods and breads for people with intolerances, I am particular fan of the german rye bread they sell. There is a huge selection of condiments and foods from all over the place, making a shop here far more exciting than one to tescos for example. Also, the frech sandwiches with fillings are amazing, they close the sandwich bar a bit earlier than the store though so make sure you get in on time, and get a huge baguette with your choice of filling. Great place. read more

This is mainly a review for the quality (or lack thereof) of their coffee. Nice vibe and the smell and display of cakes as you walk in is very tempting. The deli counter also has a good selection but I can't comment on the food as I've never eaten here. I've had coffee here on a few occasions; normally just an espresso or a black coffee which was underwhelming but nothing egregiously bad. This time however I ordered a macchiato after being snapped at by an Eastern European waitress ironically backdropped by a massive "we absolutely adore you" sign in honour of V day. She then proceeded to just pour a measure of milk straight from the carton into the espresso. The result - the worlds smallest and coldest latte. Cafe owners please teach you baristas how to actually make the coffees on the menu otherwise it just smacks of couldn'tgiveashitness. read more

A fab selection of cakes and a great deli offering lots of sandeich options. There is also a hot meat counter and a salad bar tucked behind the back. A great place to hang out in the afternoon or even have a business meeting. It's even got a juice bar with lots of fresh fruit. A huge variety if food gifts. Perfect if you're wanting a coffee shop. Totally recommend it. read more

Absolutely Starving - Delis Near Me - London, XGL

I am keeping promise I made to my BF, eat well and put on some pounds, ;) this is your option if you are picky with food and don't know what to eat!! This place is amazing! Everything they sell is tasty! I am eating here since last 2 weeks (lunch). So far I tried couple of pastries/cakes, ridiculously delicious. I don't like soup much but when I visits Seattle USA, I give it a try but here it's soo delicious I had to buy large size, so far the best soup they have is chicken mushroom soup and cauliflower pepper with lots of veggies soup. I tried honey BBQ pulled chicken with caramelized onions and peppers. Ensure you tell them you want onions and peppers else all you will get is bread n meat! I tried salad, lot of options for salad so am not going to put them all here. Try past as well. I tried mushroom pasta sooo cheesy and tasty. They also have very good bacon sausage pasta and couple more which yet to explored. They serve chicken and rice and wraps. I haven't tried yet but looking at the Q for that food, has to be tasty!! MUST try if you want all options together like salad ,soups ,sandwiches , pasta and pastries! read more

This sandwich store is ideally located, very close to London Bridge and the London Dungeons. It is a delicatess store where you can get all different sorts of food under one roof. You can buy german and swiss chocolate, italian pasta and pasta sauce as well as brazilian soft drinks and organic tea. Furthermore you can get very delicious sandwiches which are hand made and freshly prepared in front of your eyes. They also serve soup and other nice little things for lunch. So I would recommend this place to somebody who wants to grab a bite on the go, but still wants to have some good quality food with unusual foods to choose from. read more

Absolutely starving? Why yes. Yes I am! After wandering around and passing all the popular little lunch-time chains (which I am sick to death of) I found this little shop and stopped in for a look. There's food everywhere! Sandwiches, crisps, breads, cookies, candies, sodas and hot meals. There are lots of speciality foods that look nice as well. And what's this? Booze and smokes? Nice! I have a feeling I will be spending a few lunch breaks here! read more

I've always been fascinated by this place! It does fresh salads, rolls and cakes and pretty much every posh food you can think of, its a cafe and delicassen! I had the most gorgeous salad...really filled me up! Everything here is posh and organic and whole foods esque! great!!!! read more

Had a sausage and bacon baguette with a cup of coffee ,the staff were friendly and helpful and overall it was an enjoyable experience .

Over-priced, understaffed... only 1 person in there that knows what customer service is. The food is very small... tasty? sure... but the portion sizes are TINY. It is cleverly located next to the big 4 so those working hard all day end up buying their breakfast or lunch there....... read more

Yuuummmm! I crave the sandwiches from Absolutely Starving. It was recommended to me saying that I had to order their salt beef sandwich - which, was good. But not even close to the honey mustard chicken. I order that with some rocket, jalepenos and a little mayo on their seeded multigrain french bread loaf... SO good. Then I would grab some fruit or a small salad and voila - a great lunch! read more

The roast pork and apple sauce sandwich is amazing. I have it for an occasional treat on Fridays. I haven't tried much else, but the lunch choice is excellent and they sell a load of drinks, sauces, teas and snacks as well. Always a massive queue at lunch time which is a shame so you need to have either an early or late lunch read more

I love going to this place for lunch. I'm a fan of the salt beef they have and tend to always order it. While the good is good, and they have a large choice, I am always dismayed at the value. I get the same sandwich all the time and it always looks quite pitiful when I see the tiny slice of salt beef they provide. For what you pay, you would expect more. For this reason, I prefer other options for lunch, but still do occasionally visit. read more

I was looking forward to trying here having walked past it on numerous occasions. I was pretty disappointed with what I got though! I went for the salad option where you can mix all the salads of the day. They looked pretty good and I thought there were some interesting flavour combinations but they were all a bit bland. The price really didn't match the quality either! Don't think I'll be going back! read more

Had a great lunch at Absolutely Starving! The service was fast and the Coronation Chicken was delicious!

It is overpriced and sometimes the stuff they make is not of the highest quality, but there is a good variety

One of my favourite places to eat in London. A massive choice of food and all of it is delicious, particularly the pasta and tortillas. Really good salad bar and so cheap! Only £2 for a small (which isn't so small) take away of fresh, high quality salad. Impressive selection of cakes and pies etc also, which are very tempting. The raspberry coconut slice has been my favourite so far, perfectly moist. Highly recommend AbStarv but don't go during peak times as it can get overwhelmingly busy. read more

FABSOLUTELY STARVING!! I had a piece of pecan pie today and i'm sat at my desk wondering if i should pop in for another, maybe if i walk down the stairs and up on my way back 12 flights hmmm. My favourites are: 1 . Belly of pork and apple in a ciabatta - melting and delicious 2. Salt beef and gherkin with mustard, fab classic and here it is only £4.50 for the same quality as Harrods! (£18) 3. Falafel wrap with chilli sauce and tahini warmed on the grill!! - YUM (falafel is better than any in London!-trust me I eat alot) (chicken and yogurt kebabs are delicious too) 4. Ah monmouth coffee! need i say more 5. The best salad display that you will ever see - i'm not a salad fan but this makes me consider it! 6. Cake - there are about 20 varieties of home made scones cookies and cakes so far i have tried the pecan pie (above). Polenta & raspberry slice O LORD TWAS A GREAT THING and a chocolate and walnut cookie which was lovely and crunchy and chunky. 7. Chorizo & red peppers with caramelized onion and rocket - FANTABULOUS I have more comments to make but I have a job so I must go and do that now - read more

Had the beef casserole. Chewy and inedible. Ended up throwing it away. WAste of money. read more

Nice little salad bar style lunch spot. Tons of items to choose from. I had the pesto pasta salad and my husband got a fruit pastry. We were able to sit here on the wifi while we waited to check in to our room. read more

Visiting from NY with my son on crutches (broken ankle). Exhausted after sightseeing London Bridge & Tower Bridge we stopped in unable to take another step for afternoon tea. The tea was fabulous and the eats equally as delicious. Different than what I expected in London but a welcome relief. Tables with chairs made the day for us! The beef & vegetable pie was scrumptious & the choice of salads eclectic. Loved the chicken curry on sticks & we finished with a yummy chocolate cookie. I guess we had what you British would call a High Tea. I would definitely re-visit if in the area again. I did not give 5 stars because the toilet was behind a door that required a code to enter and up 2 flights of stairs. Apart from that it was clean and functioned well. The staff was helpful & attentive. The RV1 bus runs along Tooley Street towards Covent Garden Market! read more

I work in Tooley street so I have a choice of eateries for lunch. One of these is Absolutely Starving. They have an excellent choice of deli food both dried jarred and fresh, and a prodigious food counter to serve the local area with lunches. Sandwiches, hot meals, baguettes, baps, all for around the £4-5 mark. They have recently given the place a makeover, and put their prices up to pay for it. Food is usually pretty good, although can get a bit samey, but I visit other local cafes to keep lunch variety. The one thing I am always astonished at is the service. I know I'm spoiled by the happy happy people of Pret; where you don't feel miffed even if you've paid four quid for a Sanger, but AbStarv have always got empty tills and the people serving you seem to be so grumpy it's less appealing to hand over your money. Its disorganisation that reminds me of the Apple store Regents street, and I always feel like I've been done over when I go there for lunch. To sum up. Good food at slightly inflated prices, but it's not really a pleasurable experience doing business with them. read more

Firstly, upon us entering the shop we were not greeted with even brief 'hi'. The server appeared terribly fed up and displeased that we were not immediately ready to order and after a few seconds left us without an explanation and continued chatting to her colleagues. She felt it was necessary to bring out both milks from the fridge and bang the packaging on the counter. What is more, we were not offered a receipt and had to request one. When the poor experience finished and we walked away from the counter, we could hear the server describing her views about us to her colleagues, so loudly that we were subjected to hearing that even in the opposite corner of the shop. The server continued describing us in a derogatory manner: detailing in an exaggerated and theatrical way that in her opinion we were taking way too much of her precious time. Summing up, the server seemed so unpleasant, and frankly I would find her attitude throughout this encounter very hostile; deliciously looking food and delicatessen from outside, however the experience was entirely spoiled by the server! read more