Deli Fonseca is one of the few places that makes me wish I was loaded. A fab independent deli in Liverpool's business district, it's packed floor to ceiling with all kinds of mouthwatering goodies. The gigantic counter displays a myriad of delicious cheeses, hams, olives, pates, anti-pasti and salads whilst the nearby baskets display fresh sticks and loaves of bread. To top it off, they have dozens of wooden shelves groaning with all kinds of lovely store cupboard treats from organic granola, cereals and cookies to oat cakes, chutneys, olive oils, vinegars, sauces and spices. Now, where did I put that darn lottery ticket? read more

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This review is for the upstairs restaurant area - and sadly it is not a good one. One Saturday lunchtime, I popped in for a light lunch. Nothing complicated - in the end, I ordered a Greek salad and a plate of Serrano ham rather than the pricier mains on the blackboards. I'm not sure how two really basic things could be so disappointing. I think it's because on the surface, this looks like a place that prides itself on sourcing and attention to detail. On the specials during my visit were such items as hand foraged local samphire, Cumbrian lamb and Pink's award winning sausages. So why was the Greek salad about 50% raw onion? Why did it feature those mealy crunchy supermarket basics tomatoes, cold from the fridge? Even the black olives mentioned on the menu were green. And they clearly did have black olives in the kitchen, because my four slices of Serrano ham (almost £6) came topped with a single olive. They boasted it was "20 month aged" - most of it had clearly been in their fridge, as it featured a faint tang of refrigerator and managed to be unpleasantly rubbery. Not sure how Serrano ham can even go rubbery but there you go. If you've boasting of excellent ingredients then it's unacceptable for the basics to fail so badly. I wouldn't bother returning. read more

Delifonseca - Greek salad with loads of enormous chunks of onion, piles of dried herbs on the rim as a garnish and mealy supermarket tomatoes. - Delis Near Me - Liverpool, XMS

It's so nice that there are places such as Delifonseca. You can get a beautiful selection from the deli - olives, cheese and charcuterie.. The hummous is just absolutely delicious. I think the hummous with the fresh bread they sell is just the best snack. Also exotic spices and specialist ingredients - that I just can't find anyway else in the city centre. What is also surprising is that the deli stays open until 9pm which is a good stop on the way home. There is a restaurant attached to the deli, good for lunch and evening meals. Yeah I do love this place. read more

Delifonseca - Delis Near Me - Liverpool, XMS

This is a foodies heaven. Delifonseca was founded in 2006 by Candice Fonseca as a specialist deli and market for organic and exotic foods and has subsequently expanded to a restaurant on the first floor. It crams a very extensive selection of foods into a small space but the very friendly and knowledgable staff make it a cosy rather than claustrophobic experience. If you're just stopping in for a snack at luch time you will probably find it difficult to make a decision from the deli's range of sandwiches and snacks so I always go for a Deli Salad Box which gives you a little bit of everything like stuffed vine leaves, olives and taboule. The restaurant is a good combination of British and Mediterranean styles with plenty of local produce on the menu and is an absolute bargain at prices around 10-12 for a main dish. read more

Delifonseca - Delis Near Me - Liverpool, XMS

I love Delifonseca, it's definitely my cup of tea. I came for lunch not too long ago, and unsurprisingly it was full, so I waited quite happily at the bar for ten minutes until the staff rallied around and found me a table. The food is absolutely scrummy - yes that is a very accurate description! My absolute favourite starter is the spiced chicken soup. The menu is great, and the desserts looks amazing but unfortunately I've not yet managed to squeeze one in. The drinks are a decent price, and they have wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The staff are really friendly and attentive without overcrowding you, it sort of feels like your friend's parents house. read more

Delifonseca - Delis Near Me - Liverpool, XMS

This independent restaurant has achieved great things for such a little place. The quality is top notch, the service is excellent, prompt and attentive without fuss and it's definitely a wise choice for a lunch while shopping or an intimate evening meal. The seasonally changing menu can be a little hard to keep track of but at least it means you're always trying something new - we can all get in a rut when it comes to our food choices at restaurants and here you're guaranteed to keep things fresh. Fresh is indeed the nature of the game here. Everything tastes fresh, it's far from formulaic and the fact that it's so regularly full is testament to its popularity. The garlic bread is moreish, the platters to share as starters including the likes of vegetarian mezze and cheese and crackers, and the mains range from curries and daal soups to deli sandwiches and salads, and the falafel here is excellent. I of course don't know personally but I'm told the meat is deliciously tender and falls apart, which I know is good. And the desserts are quite simply heaven. Speaking of deli stuff, the restaurant is also a shop where you can grab its wares to take out with a coffee or nibble at home. If you're in the mood for a quick sharpener you can get wine, beer and even some real ales from local breweries. The big pull here is that everything is so reasonably priced, it's not insanely cheap but it's certainly good value. A must if you're someone who loves browsing delis myself, and the fact that you can munch the produce in there with a glass of wine just makes the whole thing more fantastic. read more

A truly authentic delicatessen, in fact come to think of it arguably the only one in Liverpool city centre. The restaurant has been talk of the town for a while with one great review after another. The food is of award winning standard with the sandwiches deserving a special mention. No delicatessen is complete without an impresive cheese selection and Delifonseca surprise surprise have a big selection of British Cheese. I'm not a big cheese person, however I was recommended Montgomery Cheddar and a continental cheese called Brie De Mieux. I do have utmost respect for the proprietor Candice Fonseca who was so desperate to have a decent deli in Liverpool she packed up her old career and spent all her savings on this place. Now that's what you call passion. That alone warrants a visit don't you think? So pop in and say hello!! read more

An excellent little deli-restaurant set into a light and spacious basement and first floor premises on Stanley Street, just a few minute's walk from Moorfields train station and the Liverpool One shopping centre. Downstairs is a fantastic selection of British and continental cheeses (admittedly I'm not much of a cheese fan but Mrs. Appleby's cloth wrapped cheddar made an absolutely perfect welsh rarebit) as well as dried, cooked and cured meats sourced from nearby Cheshire Smokehouse (their pancetta and smoked duck are absolutely delicious) and wonderful, doafy German Rye bread. Add to this the broad selection of local and international preserves, spices and chutneys (not to mention a decent range of complementary red and white wines) and you can see why this is one of my favourite stop-offs when food shopping in the city centre - it is worth going in for the smell alone. The staff here couldn't be more helpful and are happy to make helpful and tailored recommendations on the wide range of food and drink here. Upstairs, the smallish restaurant is equally impressive, with a fantastic menu that changes day by day according to what is seasonably available (and apparently also varies according to what the Chef is in the mood to cook). When I last visited I had a bowl of delicately spiced Italian oxtail soup and shared a chacuterie platter of cooked and cured meats. It wasn't particularly cheap (just under £5 for soup and up to £12 for a main course) but it was particularly good. Fantastic. read more

Delifonseca - Delis Near Me - Liverpool, XMS

Walked in here after a long day of shopping near the city center based on reviews from the internet. This restaurant features both an upstairs and ad downstairs. Although it looks like the downstairs has more of a "bar" like feel. We grabbed a seat upstairs and were promptly served. I got the greek salad which came with big chunks of cheese, and my companion got the Croque Monsiuer. Both were fresh and delicious, and made it wish we were hungrier for something a little heavier. Their prix-fix menu was tempting and a great bang for your buck. read more

Delifonseca is a deli tailor made to make your mouth water. Indeed, I think it's impossible for a person to walk past it without stepping in and sampling its world-class wares - either in its downstairs shop or in the café situated upstairs. Best of all, I would argue that its cheese and meats range is some of the most diverse and wide ranging in Merseyside. The owners of Delifonseca always seem to go that extra mile to make sure that you walk out of there with a smile, and with an interesting new ingredient in your shopping bag. Last time I was there, I left with a delicious slab of Monchego cheese coupled with a mouth tingling pat of Quince paste - just the thing to complement a large glass of Rioja! Their restaurant is also a delight - choc full of interesting and damn tasty food for carnivores and vegetarians alike. They also serve a mean cappuccino (and wonderfully gooey sticky decadent slabs of cake for the sweet toothed amongst you!) A glutton's wet dream. If you're ever in Liverpool and looking for an interesting place to fill your belly, I couldn't think of a better place to go. read more

A little bit of heaven in Liverpool. It's so lovely to have places like this dotted around - it makes a nice change to the commercial restaurants that are popping up everywhere. The quality of food here is stunning and if you haven't been here already then it is a must go. read more

Unfortunately we cannot review the food as we stood for 10 mins while several staff walked past us (in the most empty inside seating area) - told we could only sit outside as there were no tables (we seen at least 9 all empty ) advised we could sit outside however it was much much too warm so we decided to leave - would be unlikely to go again as felt like we were not welcome almost like we did not fit in read more

Fantastic; had the Italian platter there and dockers bfast the next day. Will definitely be back next week when I'm up in Liverpool again. Pity no wifi there, would come back more often. read more

After a number of visits to Delifonseca, it seems time to update my original review. The other reviews here are bang-on; this place serves some of the highest quality, most imaginative, and best-value food in Liverpool. Delifonseca has an impressive wine selection, including organic, sufficient to rival any mid-price-range restaurant or tapas bar. I always enjoy a glass or two of red. Portions are sufficiently generous that starters are usually unnecessary. On one occasion we sampled a deli platter of hummous, tahini, aubergine pate, olives, stuffed peppers, goat's cheese and tabouli, with crackers. The peppers, tahini and pate were fantastic. Everything else was tasty; the hummous was a little dry. The burgers here are flat-out amazing, and easily some of the best I've had in the UK: always cooked to a perfect pink in the middle, served on a very nice brioche bun, and with imaginative toppings, whether that be jalapeño relish, thick-sliced bacon, aged cheddar, or something more out-of-the-ordinary. The chips are great as well. We've also tried a fish pie, which was fresh-tasting but a little bland, and lacked a pie-crust. A pink, juicy, tender roast rump of lamb, however, served with kale and a delicious carrot purée, was a fantastic return to form. Dessert-wise, we thoroughly enjoyed the baklava with honeycomb ice cream. The baklava was unlike any I've had before: lots of walnuts, no filo, and a certain something I couldn't quite pin down. It was wonderful. An almond custard tart was less exciting, but I think that speaks more to the nature of the dish than the quality of its execution: my bad, in other words. We've been consistently impressed with the helpful service and pleasant ambiance. It is hard to miss the quality, care and creativity that goes into the restaurant and its ever-changing menu. If you're stuck for options, the servers always seem to have fantastic advice; and if, for some reason, nothing on the menu suits your fancy, check back again soon to see what savvy new creations the kitchen has on offer. And to top it off, the value-for-pound ratio puts most nearby options utterly to shame. In sum, I can't recommend Delifonseca highly enough. read more

An absolute gem. A two-level affair, Delifonseca has an excellent deli downstairs and an equally excellent bistro upstairs, both catered for by the same kitchen - a neat idea. You can pop in for a sandwich or a pot of houmous or some stuffed olives or cheese or something like that to go, or take a seat upstairs and have a sit-down meal with the same kind of thing - their Po' Boy is something else. It's not especially cheap, but every last thing that they sell is exquisite specialty food of some kind, be it locally sourced meat and dairy produce, or imported bizarreness like their olive oil. They also sell booze. This is the kind of place I could spend a lot of time (and money) exploring. It's even more pleasing that it's tucked away in a relatively un-busy area. read more

This is my favourite place to eat in the whole of Liverpool. The upstairs cafe / restaurant is really small, so it's a good idea to book, especially on the weekend. The food is fabulous - lots of locally sourced, seasonal produce on a changing menu, most of it pretty hearty. I'm always careful to leave room for pudding though - and I mean proper puddings. The deli downstairs is equally lovely. I love the fact that you can go and pick a bottle of wine from the deli and have it served at your table. They charge a small corkage fee on top of the price of the bottle, but it's still pretty reasonable. read more

A foodies heaven, I just wanted to buy so many things in the deli, unfortunately my purse strings wouldn't allow, Had a delicious light lunch, reasonably priced, wonderful service with a smile. :-) read more

We went to Delifonseca for breakfast and whereas we enjoyed the food we felt it was lacking in some areas. You can find our full review on it here: http://blogsontoast.wordpress.com/ read more

This place is really great. Deli on the lower ground floor with a lovely cafe upsatirs. The food upstairs is really varied with lots of veggie options (but not too many). The important thing is that everything is really tasty almost zingy flavours. Also, deli has proper stuff like Spanish hams etc rather just posh chocs and crisps like most delis. Reasonably priced and cool location for the city centre if you're shopping in town. read more

are these guys still open? cant count the amount of times ive tried to ring in to order my dinner and to no answer. When you can actually get a pizza from here though its the best in Liverpool. Just wish they EVER opened the bloody shop! read more