Uncommon Gourmet Deli & Bistro Café - Review
Uncommon is your neighbourhood café and deli store with international flair and the warmest of welcomes. Run by passionate foodie co-owners Mina & Neb and hosted by amazingly friendly staff. The café serves an array of classic easy dishes which exceed expectations along with takeaway goods, sumptuous treats and specialist ingredients for home preparation. Conveniently located for visitors to Tate Modern, they also have a sister branch in Northcote Road, close to Clapham Junction.
Upon arrival, we were met by Djorje, the smiling face behind the counter. Serbian born and raised in Italy Djordje greeted us like old friends. An integral part of the company, his input makes the day-to-day business run smoothly.
On our visit to sample their offering, we were delighted to be served produce of the finest quality. The food looks simple, but the standard is truly outstanding. It’s apparent they have taken their time to source the best local suppliers and specialists in their field, taking traditional recipes and your daily coffee to another level. The seating area is extremely comfortable, and table service is available, along with al fresco dining in good weather.
For our meal, we tried a selection of dishes, including the Goat Cheese and Sweet Potato Quiche, which was as light as a feather, not too heavy on the cheese and the pastry as delicate as a French patisserie, this came garnished with gently cooked broccoli stems augmented with chili. Unlike many deli counters where the food seems like it’s been sitting around, Uncommon serves up the freshest fare. Along with this, we tried their Classic Sausage Roll, which bears the coveted Great Taste Award. Again, the pastry was a triumph, flaky and light, with good quality meat.
Next to taste was the Turkish Burek; a crispy golden filo pastry parcel, filled with spiced mince, this was fragrant and truly delicious. We selected the meat version, but options are available for vegetarians. To compliment our choices Djorje recommended a slice of the creamy burnt top lasagna garnished with a fresh salad of tomato, pesto and rocket. Perfect soul food for a rainy afternoon.
To finish, I had the coconut and chocolate slice, a moist well-balanced treat which was not too sugary. My friend indulged in the Red Velvet Cake, she voted this the best she’s ever had, again the creamy icing and lighter-than-light cake layers were fluffy and vanillery but not overly sweet, making it an easy job to finish the lot, this we washed down with refreshing lemongrass tea.
Aside from great food Uncommon offers an incredibly well-stocked gourmet food shop, with everything from delicious organic and specialist wines to an array of luxury cooking ingredients such as truffle oils and dips, sourdough, an array of grazing plate goodies, including hams and artisan cheeses, plus of course your essential fruit, veg, and milk.
We went at lunchtime and refrained from indulging in wine or cocktails, but there is a huge selection of alcoholic beverages on the menu and happy hour daily from 5.00 – 6.30pm.
Website: www.uncommon-london.com
Address: 185 Park Street, Bankside, London Bridge, SE1 9RW
Written by Claire Bloom
Photography by Lateef