Deli Cat & Sons is a hidden gem tucked down on the North Bank of the Thames. With an all-day casual menu and a cocktail list you’ll have a tough time choosing between, it’s the ideal place to head…
Among many things, lockdown has taught me to cook. I have branched out with my ingredients and learnt new skills (Flambé steak anyone?) Yet I’ve also realised that nothing quite beats the feeling of going out for dinner. Aside from having someone else cook for you, the restaurant experience is something you just can’t replicate. There’s nothing like getting dressed up and heading out for the evening, revelling in the atmosphere, languidly sipping on a glass of wine while you peruse a menu catching up with friends or family. This is why when I heard of Deli Cat & Sons new opening, I was eager to check it out. But I was also apprehensive following lockdown. There were many questions racing around my head, from how safe would I feel, to if the experience would feel more clinical or just as fun as it had always been. Here is how I got on visiting Deli Cat & Sons along Broken Wharf…
It is a sunny afternoon as I hop off the train at London Blackfriars, the air is balmy and the sky is slowing fading to a blossom-hue. My walk to Deli Cat & Sons takes me down Paul’s Walk on the North Bank and is a simple five-minute stroll from the station. The restaurant is sat on a dead-end so is easy to get to – simply walk until you can’t anymore. Tables are scattered outside, diners revelling in the last of the warm rays, drinking in the enviable views of the city.
I head inside and am greeted by a server who invites me to sanitize my hands and leads me through to the bar area for a pre-dinner cocktail. The restaurant has an understated industrial feel that is highlighted by exposed pipes and wood and is peppered with Scandinavian nuances. Light floods in from the full-length glass windows, puddling softly on the surfaces and casting a cosy glow. As we walk past the bakery area the scent of flaky pastry and freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air.
As soon as I sit down I feel relaxed and it’s almost as if I’m whisked back to the earlier months of the year when there were no thoughts or qualms of social distancing or lockdown. Things are different, but not in an overly-noticeable way that affects the experience. Everything is sterilised and clean, serving staff keep their distance and tables are well separated – if anything, it’s better than restaurant experiences before. You don’t have to profusely apologise to neighbouring tables that have been crammed in together as you try and make your way to the bathrooms and staff members seem more relaxed too. With Deli Cat & Sons having opened in March 2020, they never got to release their full potential before their doors were forced to close, but in my first ten minutes, I can already sense something special about the place.
Their menu works to marry the best of French and Californian fare, delivering an all-day breakfast and small plates menu alongside a self-service Deli, available to eat in or take away. My partner and I opt for an Eden Rose and Paloma Sky cocktail while we ponder over the menu and are impressed with both the speed of service and the taste of the cocktail. Our first tipple that hadn’t been haphazardly made at home meant it was that bit more special and we savoured the flavours that bit more.
Deli Cat & Sons have a range of sharing boards and we choose the Charcuterie Plate which consists of 3 local produced cured meats (Coppa, Salami and Saucisson), artisan mustard, smoked almonds, pickles and crusty sourdough and the Deli Cat cheese platter. This is made from 3 local handcrafted cheeses (a soft cheese, hard cheese and blue cheese), a spiced tomato relish, marinated dried fruits, spiced rye crackers and crusty sourdough. We eat these overlooking the Millenium bridge and taking in the sights of the South Bank. The Shard, OXO Tower and the Globe Theatre are just a few things within eyesight, so it’s a great place to sit if you want to take in a few of the city sights. Its location is ideal as it’s easy to get to by public transport or to walk, yet is tucked out of sight so a bit of a hidden gem. It has a co-working space included so if you’re looking to get out of your home and get some work done it’s the perfect spot to while away the afternoon, a freshly-roasted coffee by your side. The food itself is excellent. The sharing boards are relatively simple, yet executed and put together perfectly. The meats and cheese taste delicious and the bread is light and fluffy, the crust holding the perfect crunch and dusting of flour. Paired with a cold glass of chardonnay and the feel of the sun on your face you are whisked to more exotic climes.
Deli Cat & Sons is somewhere you can enjoy no matter the time or day of the week. It’s somewhere that is effortlessly cool and collected, that knows what it’s doing and know how to do it exceptionally well. The food is delicious and the cocktail list so carefully curated that you have a tough time picking between them all. Its location is ideal if you aren’t keen on getting a tube or bus, but also handy for if you do, and they make the whole experience easy and relaxing. If you are feeling nervy about getting back into the restaurant scene or just want to go somewhere you know you can trust, look no further.
Locke at Broken Wharf Hotel, 2 Broken Wharf, Queenhithe, London, EC4V 3DT.
