De Beauvoir Deli

Excellent! A local hub with delicious food and great service!

Have to agree with the bad reviews here re the service I'm afraid. Staff always very unfriendly and the food is average. I went to a Christmas fair at the local church where they had a stand with mulled wine, and when I asked if they had soft drinks too I was told no as though it was a really stupid question (I'm pregnant). I appreciate they were probably providing the wine free but presumably it was to advertise the deli - but they just reinforced the bad impression I had already. It's also incredibly expensive e.g. £1.20 for a croissant. The corner shop opposite sells fresh bread which is just as nice and cheaper, and they are all really friendly in there too.
I like going to local shops (I live literally round the corner) so I wish I could be more positive, but each time I go I have the same experience.

Popped in here the other day and am so excited to have found such a gem on my doorstep. Absolutely the best mozeralla i have ever tasted and the scotch eggs have to be tried to be believed. Service has been spot on whenever i've been in so maybe those commenting below have just been unlucky. Have been back several times already and will continue to do so, best coffee in the area by miles and great stuff for christmas presents or treats for dinner parties.

Best coffee in North London

Ordered a Debeauvoir Deli Club sandwich - very tasty and staff were polite and substituted mustard for mayo. It's a good-sized sandwich on fresh brown bread - better value than a Pret-a-Manger for a similar price. Tables inside and out were full today around 1:30pm - must be more working-from-home people or tourists in the area than I imagined. No attitude problem today - except perhaps from some of the sit down customers who imagine they're in a higher caste from the rest of us.

The spate of negative reviews for the de Beauvoir Deli is not surprising. I have been to this shop many times since it has opened, picking up items for my own kitchen, gifts for others and the occasional eat-in. Despite this the whole experience leaves me cold each time- to the extent that anytime I am asked about it by uninitiated friends and neighbours, my first instinct is to warn them of the rudeness of the staff who display acute anti-social behaviour (glaring eyes, frowning face, monosyllabic character of their conversation) When will this change? Each visit is only further confirmation that for the owners of the de Beauvoir Deli's the priority is not the satisfaction of their customers. WILL BE KEEPING AWAY FROM NOW ON!

I am really surprised by the negative comments on here - I find the staff really pleasant and fun, if a little rushed off their feet at the weekends. The food is great, as is the coffee - best macchiato in town! My only quibble is the price, but isn't that what you expect from such high-quality food? You get what you pay for, and while this is not somewhere I could afford to shop every day, it's the perfect place to get a great sandwich and a treat for the store cupboard!

It takes a while for you to realize that the staff at the De Beauvoir Deli have a bit of an attitude problem. I suspect that this comes from the top down as even the most senior staff (the management I assume) treat their customers as if they are an inconvenience. As a regular customer for almost two years, I have witnessed on numerous occasions that it is often the customers that makes far more of an effort towards the staff, rather then the other way around. Particularly when its busy, the poorly trained staff is more concerned with its image than with customer service. I challenge anyone to tickle as much as a smile out of a group of people who are simply 'too cool for school'. This is very unfortunate because some of the food stocked and produced at the deli is very good - despite being vastly over prized. I can't imagine that in these economically difficult times, a business will be able to survive without a minimum of respect towards their clientele. And so I return to the De Beauvoir Deli, always hoping that the staff has changed it's negative attitude.

I am an extremely regular user of the deli so I would like to think I my opinion is pretty worth while. I simply cannot believe some of the negative comments on this page.
Firstly, the deli offers quality and good value produce across the board.
Secondly, the staff are nothing but helpful and genuinely enthusiastic about what they are selling. They are always polite and good natured. I wish the same could be said for some of the customers that I have seen in the shop!! The rudeness of some people in this area is, at times, jaw dropping. I am not a resident of De Beauvoir but I work just around the corner from the deli and I therefore know how important the place is to the local community. So please - do everyone a favour and be a little more polite!
Also - Joanna Perry - the customers ARE "voting with their feet", it's always RAMMED.

It strikes me that so often these forums are just used by people to vent their anger rather then show any praise.

I live locally and we are regulars at the weekend. I love the selection of foods and gifts - and I expect to pay a bit more because most of the products are better quality It is a real bonus to have a decent coffee shop in the area... but the one big drawback is that on three separate occasions we have been upset by the rudeness of a staff member... churlishness I don't need when I'm having a quiet coffee. I think whoever owns this place should promptly give all the staff a lesson in customer service... before the customers vote with their feet.

I have lived in the area my whole life- at last there is somewhere to get a great coffee, bread, and good food generally- lush duck cassoulet by the way. Have always found the staff to be perfectly friendly, I ask for something, they provide it, not sure what else is needed really. Have certainly not found anyone to be rude. I will continue to enjoy the deli.

I love this place! Its transformed the area since it opened and transformed Saturday mornings for me. The coffee is fantastic, and its so nice to have somewhere local to buy decent bread, wine, and meals. I dont think its bad value at all, and its as though other reviewers are talking about a different shop with regards to rude staff - I've always found them very courteous and helpful.

Well, they certainly don't have any concern about the environment. Just passed by the other day intending to stop and shop and noticed they have one of those outdoor heater thingies. Heating the air outside. VERY un-cool and wasteful. Guys, make better use of the space inside and let people sit indoors away from the traffic fumes and cold!! I cycled past and defo will not be spending my money there unless they change their environmental attitude.

Like other reviewers, my experience of this deli/cafe is pretty dire. I love shopping in independent deli's but the stock is vastly overpriced compared to others. For this reason, I have never bought anything here. Either they are selling to friends and family or the Northchurch Road brigade who have too much money to worry about how darned expensive the place is!

Ruth - these comments have indeed been noted! It's extremely worrying to hear we've been getting it so wrong with certain customers. It is something which has been addressed and I am confident has now be resolved.
I'm afraid our prices (as with all delis) are dictated by the costs of running and independent shop stocking top quality products - if we could make it cheaper we would!

The food is indeed really good here, but the staff are oh-so-rude. I was actually reprimanded today for my sandwich order, and it's not the first time. The place offers up some real treats, but they need to think about how they speak to customers. I've been a regular there since it's opened, but I'm boycotting it from now on until they learn not to treat their customers like naughty schoolchildren.

Terrible service, rude and surly staff. Too arrogant to care about customers, not that there are many. Pity, cos if you can get past the staff, the sandwiches are quite good, if over priced.

I work near this deli and have been to it twice. On both occasions I have walked away promising myself I would never return - and I won't. The staff are incredibly rude and treat customers like they are a pain getting in the way of them hanging around relaxing. They seem surprised and annoyed if you order a sandwich, despite supposedly offering a service to make sandwiches to order.
The sandwiches are nice but expensive and the rest of the food is standard overpriced items which you kind find in numerous delis across London