The Mount Street Deli

A welcome addition to fashionable Mayfair is this quite delightful delicatessen opposite Scott's Bar. The Mount Street Deli is a real lesson in how to do things right. Firstly, it looks amazing: quirky "kitchenalia" adorns every corner of the small yet seemingly spacious room, the walls are lined with shelves stocking the very best in Italian produce, the marble work tops are slick, the seating comfortable and there's even a smart terrace out the front. The place has the right sounds and smells too, with coffee machines and meat slicers in constant use as tempting aromas float up from the kitchen below. The delicatessen stocks specialist foods, sourced principally from Italy and the British Isles. The daily-changing menu is as seasonal as it is fresh and yummy, offering classics such as pistachio meringues, soft and hard cheeses, artisanal hams, homemade chutneys and jams, fine wines, mountain rhododendron honey, culatello prosciutto, fig lonzino (a type of cake from Ancona, served with cheese). Aside from the bespoke hamper service, the cleverest component to the Mount Street concept is the presence of favourite dishes from many of London's well-heeled private members' clubs on the menu, such as Annabel's decadent chocolate cakes, Mark's Club astonishing Scotch eggs, and grissini, polpetta and pizza from Harry's Bar. Open all week except Sunday, The Mount Street Deli serves breakfast (freshly-baked pastries, homemade granola and warm pancakes), lunch and dinner (homemade sandwiches and soups, smoked fish, cured meats, salads and indulgent cakes and puddings). All in all, it's a real find - and well worth a visit if only for the excellent coffee, the 1p white chocolate mice or the extraordinary tiny syrup-filled sweets sold by the jar.