REVIEWED BY DE GROOTS MEDIALocated on a quiet corner just a short stroll from the Corso, Four Olives Deli is the sort of place where just walking through the door is enough to send you into fits of reverie about rolling green hills and the perfect picnic basket. Speaking of picnic baskets, I would pack mine with crusty French breadsticks, meltingly creamy double brie, smoked salmon, bitey salami, beetroot dip and a packet of garlic-flavoured toasted bagel bits. All of which is somewhere to be found within this gourmet wonderland. The space is long and narrow with a counter split into different sections (bakery, meatery, cheesery) and it’s almost always packed with people jostling at the counter for service (which is generally prompt and friendly).
Seating is available at tables tucked into spaces not already packed with jars of jams, packets of pasta, pre-made lunches, and freshly baked bread. The tables are quite roomy and there’s also outdoor pavement seating. Choose from ready-to-eat goodies displayed in the glass cabinets, such as stuffed mushrooms, arancini (baked rice balls), pies and foccacias; or peruse the menu with its selection of hot food cooked to order. Think thick and meaty ragout, steaming bowls of soup, and an array of risotto and pasta dishes. Open for breakfast and lunch seven days it’s all very wholesome, and they do a mean cup of coffee too.
Shelley Hepworth