Emilia’s Delicatessen
EVERY LONDONER has a favourite delicatessen. This is mine: a family-run business with a reputation for unpretentious excellence that’s earned it a devoted following among the foodies of Parsons Green and Putney.
Established in 2002, Emilia’s is a veritable cavern of culinary delights. So confined is its floor space that customers (never fewer than three at once) are obliged to negotiate each other with quasi-balletic precision. The warmth of the welcome extended by the small but lively team of assistants, several of whom have been here from the start, is one’s reward for these occasionally complicated manoeuvres. Refrigerated cabinets bulge with the choicest cheeses and cold meats, while canned goods and bottles of wine are stacked from floor to ceiling behind. The take-out menu is extensive, with six or seven pasta and risotto dishes daily, as well as chicken Milanese, antipasti and croquettas. My personal recommendation? A slab of toasted bruschetta drizzled with olive oil and topped with mozzarella, prosciutto and fresh basil. If you can’t see one on a tray on the counter, ask to have one made.
Emilia’s runs a catering service, with lasagnes and desserts available for collection. That makes it a useful go-to for large and informal gatherings at home.
See also: Le Deli Robuchon, Paul Rothe & Son
