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While awaiting our Saturday lunch, we watched a mother walk her nipper into this tiny café to enquire when this year’s honey would be available. ‘Depends on the bees,’ came the matter-of-fact reply.
The Deli prides itself on ethical sourcing – honey from Deptford Creek and home-cured gravadlax are sold alongside Borough Market favourites such as Neal’s Yard cheeses and Brindisa charcuterie.
Many dishes are uncomplicated, but the quality of the ingredients shines – witness the generous roast beef sandwich in chewy bread with nicely aggressive but not overpowering horseradish. Proprietor Dawn Safari is ‘working on’ introducing Sunday roasts.
But dinner is already served Wednesday to Saturday, for which an own-made burger or fish of the day might be joined by a winter-vegetable tagine, falafel and rose-petal couscous. At the front door are shelves of teas and coffee beans, the glass counter has cakes (a fist-sized chunk of heavy but moist lemon drizzle costs £2.95) and deli savouries, hot dishes come from a open kitchen and the few tables (two in, two out) are perforce shared.