One day, I arrived at work to discover that I'd forgotten my sandwich at home. "EGADS!" I cried…read more It was a heart wrenching affair, full of strife and tears, but I had to persevere. Come noon, I found myself on the street walking towards Dulwich centre. It was at this point that I came across La Gastronomia. Henceforth, unbeknown to me, I was saved from the fatal grip of a Tesco lunch. I walked in the store. The walls were lined with beautiful preserves, zesty spreads and fine Italian goods. The display cases boasted fancy meats and cheese along with a tantalizing display of antipastos. They also boasted things like "My food is better than your food" and "I can kick a soccer ball better than anyone!" but the staff did a good job quieting them up. The guy at the counter was very lovely and from hi I ordered a grilled ciabatta filled with goat cheese, pesto and sun-dried tomato. It might have done well with a bit more pesto, but the overall effect was just plain... - no not plain, because it was anything but that - just undeniably satisfying.

Oh this is a dangerous place indeed. A sort of Aladdin's cave of Italian deliciousness. I always…read morepromise myself that I am only going in for olive oil, but deep down I know better - I will emerge with some gorgeous biscuits, a slice of fresh lasagne, some dried pasta in weird and wonderful colours/shapes and some 'to-die-for' tomato sauce. So going back to the olive oil... they sell it by the half litre and will fill up any bottle you have, as long as it clearly shows the capacity. They also sell beautiful bottles to put the olive oil in. I like to make my own chili and garlic & rosemary oils, so it is ideal for me to re-fill those bottles. I don't love the taste of oils, but this one is really mild and lets the salad / food you're cooking do the talking rather than taking over - which is exactly what I look for in my olive oil. I would highly recommend this gorgeous place and tell you to take your time, spend plenty of time (and money!) getting some real Italian treats.

I really enjoyed the green olive "bread stick" (don't know what it was called as it was neither…read morelabeled nor priced. It was very flavorful and just the right amount when one is feeling a little bit peckish. What I didn't so much dig was the inability of the gentleman helping me to, really, actually be of much help. I wasn't a demanding shrew, but, as a first time custie, I had a few questions that I lobbed his way. The more I, in a friendly manner replete with smile, asked questions, e.g, "how much are your blah-blah-blahs?" and "what is this (pointing to unlabeled bread-thingie), please?" the more he seemed visibly nonplussed. Again, people, can we keep that sort of thing masked? No one wants to feel like they are a fuck-tard customer, especially when they actually aren't one. It was rather warm the day I visited EDD and the place was empty. I suspect that the folk behind the counter just wanted to go outside and enjoy a righteously warm sunny day instead of serving newbie customers like me. Who could blame them?

East Dulwich Deli is pretty monumental for a local delicatessen. The high ceilings, modern style…read moreand beautiful presentation is totally enticing. The staff are friendly and competent while the food is so delicious you can even taste the freshness of the ingredients and I do not believe anyone could complain about the portion sizes. The best but probably busiest times to visit the deli are during their fantastic seasonal sales (post Easter, Christmas, etc) where you can pick up perfectly good quality stock very cheaply. During the rest of the year the East Dulwich Deli is rather pricey, but you do get what you pay for and in this case I think it is worth it.

La Gastronomia is one of those illusive shops that you visit time and time again only to find that…read moreit is never open. This deli is run by an Italian family and I think that for extensive periods of time they must return to Italy, and this is when I normally choose to visit the shop. When the shop is open it is a nice little deli café. They do not have the greatest amount of stock but it is good quality and when the weather is nice enough you can sit out in the garden outside. The shop is rather oddly situated but friendly, very Italian and a nice little family business.

Very nice deli, people very friendly and quick service. The toasties and milkshakes are also really…read moregood. I don't know why someone else said it is often closed as I never have this problem.

Panino D'Oro is about as full as any deli can get. It is like walking through a rainforest of food…read morewith condiments, sweets, chocolates, jars and packets of food hanging from the ceiling and surrounding you on every side. You can also order food and drinks to eat at the tables outside, despite being on rather a busy road it always feels rather cosy sitting under the cover of the awning. I cannot help but feel that everything in here is slightly overpriced but that is often the way with delis, especially those in Dulwich.

Panino D'Oro is a an excellent delicatessen selling fresh salads, Italian products, cold cuts,…read moresandwiches prepared to order - try a prosciutto panini (panino for the pedantic). In the summer the place is popular with families and their children for ice creams, coffees and pastries; there are a handful of tables outside under an awning. Some parking is available directly in front, on Dulwich Village. Expect service with a big smile but don't expect budget prices - you are paying for quality and of course for the sophisticated Dulwich Village location.

As you would expect, this is the place to go for cheese as well as so much more…read more If you get there early enough in the day you can pick up delicious stuffed roti, samosas and ciabatta but the demand is high and they quickly sell out. The cheese selection unsurprisingly steals all the thunder. Other than a trip to France, I doubt that you will be able to find such choice and quality. To complete the list and tick all the boxes, The Cheese Block boasts fantastic meringues, baklava, fresh bread and an epicurean selection of condiments and confectionery. Should every shop not be like this?

I am updating this review after a most disappointing visit today. I go in here to take a long…read moreleisurely amble around the cheese selection, tasting and discussing everything with the experts behind the counter. However, today there was an extremely grumpy man behind the counter who when I asked him to recommend a good strong cheddar, simply said: "There are loads of Cheddars at the end, take your pick". Well, the reason I asked was to get an expert recommendation, not to simply pick one out of several by chance. There was no one else in the shop, so it wasn't as if they were over run with other customers. I will probably try this place again, but it has been a little soured for me!

Sesami sells Mustard & Honey mayo. Great, like I need another awesome store to fuel my mayonnaise…read moreaddiction. That's not all I can get addicted to in this store. They sell vinegar, spices, honey, goat milk, pesto - all of their stock is organic and most of it is locally sourced. It will cost you a pretty penny, but if you want quality, smack you in the face with goodness food then you won't mind spending £3 on a jar of mayonnaise instead of £1.50.

This gorgeous little grocers/deli has only been open for a few months but, perfectly situated a few…read moredoors down from Herne Hill Station, I hope it's thriving. I popped in when I was checking out the area as a new place to live and was heartened that this sort of shop would be close by. Selling a variety of healthy organic groceries along with a good range of vegetarian/vegan foods including tofu and spreads, Sesami is great for grabbing supplies from on the way home from work, and there's even a cafe/coffee shop element - they sell lovely sandwiches and hot drinks all day long and even have an organic sorbet counter. I can vouch for the blackberryYUM.

Korona Delicatessen has a panoply of deliciousness on its shelves. They import the best food from…read moreseveral countries on the continent. If you're looking for sauerkraut straight out of Deutschland or fettuccini from Florence, this place is going to save the day. Everything looks and smells so delightful. If I could bottle up the scent of that shop and spread it all over my house I would never leave home. In fact, I would become a hardcore misanthropic hermit leaving the house only when I needed a scent refill from the delicatessen. The prices here are cheap as well and they have an array of fresh cut deli meat, so you can feast for less than supermarket prices if you stock up here.

One of the nicest shops in a flourishing part of Streatham... although its wonderful dark brown…read more'woody' appearance transports you to a quaint European village. Perfect for all kinds of international foods, and I particularly love the selection of pasta, cheese, jams... and they do bagels that compete with those from Brick Lane (really!).

We had lunch at Le Delicorner today and we all enjoyed our food. The staff was very friendly, the…read morefood fresh and the coffee was excellent!!! I live five minutes away from there so... I'm quite sure I'm going to come back soon! Also, if you want nice bread, croissants, quiches... they sell everything to take away too. Nice little shop hidden in Upper Tulse Hill.

What a lovely addition to the abundance of eateries we have in Brixton. Newly opened, just before…read moreChristmas the husband and wife duo are serving all kinds of Nordic & Scandinavian breakfast options, and if that wasn't exciting enough, French and Spanish pastries, breads and all kinds of delicious dishes - simply, bringing a little of the continent into sunny ole Brixton!

Very nice little deli and gourmet foods store. I got some Gouda cheese here and it was delicious…read more Owner is a friendly guy. Bonus: can pick up a copy of the South East London Journal here.