I Camisa & Son

Venue: I Camisa & Son, 61 Old Compton Street

Food: Sandwiches

Cost: £3-4

Rating: 81%

http://www.camisa.co.uk/

Looking back, it may well be that my first visit to I Camisa on a rainy Friday afternoon spurred me to begin Grabalunch.  An authentic Italian deli set in the heart of Soho on Old Compton Street and packed to the rafters with fresh Italian goods, the place is always teeming with customers, including (tellingly) many an Italian voice.

With vast quantities of meats, cheeses, olives, pastas and breads on show, it represents the ultimate antithesis to the pre-packaged sandwich culture of Pret and Eat. Personally I often feel a surge of excitement when confronted with delicatessens and the wealth of choice on display, as though each meat or cheese is competing with its neighbour for your favour.

Despite principally peddling raw ingredients, the non-advertised and freshly produced sandwiches win my lunchtime affection.  Having waited patiently behind middle-aged eccentric Italian women ordering their weekly supplies of ravioli, chilli olives and salami, upon reaching the counter you can select your individual bread of choice and sandwich size through the always-pleasing method of pointing and gesturing with your hands.

Stuffed full of quality ingredients and made to order with a minimum of fuss as expected when dealing with Italians, I am also fairly certain prices are made up on the spot. Or at least I would like to think so, as it adds to the charm.

But to give you a guide, my enormous ciabatta with parma ham, mozzarella, pesto and tomato came to £3.50, representing incredible value. I challenge anyone to argue a legitimate case for a pre-packaged sandwich over this.

Taste 9

Portion size 10

Service 6

Speed 6

Originality 7

Choice 10

Workability 9

Office response 8

Value for money 9

Brand 7

Overall: 81%