Alimentari

The only place in Queen's park to have decent coffee or good Italian grub with nice vibes and reasonable prices. Although on the fringes of Salusbury road, it's worth the trip.

I was lucky enough to score an invite to the Cappuccino e Cannoli demo on a soggy Tusday evening…cue a great lil deli with steamed-up windows for the evening that was in it (a dying trait don’t you think?) Getting a crash course in how cappuccino is actually put together ensures I’ll never take a decent barista for granted again.

Definitely worth a skip up to Queen’s Park for a lil slice of Italia!

Through the looking glass, that's how I would describe this delicious delicatessen, some kind of otherworldly place where you can find all the perfect Italian Delicatessen marvels, and couple that with a lovely environment to sit, read, and partake in.

Boy do they have an eye for detail. The aesthetics of this place really impressed me, not trite or contrived, but a great balance of country and chic... hard to do right, but what a pleasure when you do! Ripe oranges in baskets for squeezing, blackboards with friendly clear writing, shelves all piled high with produce, space to move.

I went for one of their introductory wine and cheese courses (note they neglect to tell you it's also meats- yay!) We got to try 6 different wines, along with Parma Ham, Speck, Mortadella and other finely sliced meats, with Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, and one of the best Mozzarella di Bufala on earth.
As I'm not local I might have to take advantage of their tailored food hamper service, else wander north and loose an afternoon amongst Alimentari's gastronomic delights.

The night we went to Alimentari for the Qype event, it was raining and miserable, but I couldn’t have asked for a nicer place to spend an evening. I expected to have a fair walk and possibly a little difficulty getting there, but it was a 3 minute walk and right in front me. It looked a bit small from the front, but once i got it in, it was much bigger and so warm and welcoming on a miserable night.

I loved the shop as soon as I walked in. It’s packed with an amazing assortment of Italian products, dry and fresh. The whole atmosphere is slightly rustic and reminds me an Italian family kitchen. The ranges of products they have are fantastic, with a lot of things that I definitely want to go back and get. Even the smell is welcoming.

Apart from learning how to make cannolo with Lisa from Le Dolci, learning how to make a proper cappuccino was the high point of the event for me. It’s one of those skills I’ve always wanted to learn and I got a great grounding in what it takes to make ‘the perfect cappuccino’. We each had to make a coffee for someone else in the group. At the end of the event, we were judged on our coffees and I was fortunate enough to win the prize – which was a container of ground Illy coffee and a beautiful espresso cup. I’m currently thinking of investing in a proper coffee machine that I can use to do justice to the coffee and try and use my newly acquired coffee making skills.

I also indulged in my love of good deli meat and cheese by getting some bresaola, parma ham, scamorza affumicata (a type of firm cow cheese) and di capra fresco (a soft goats cheese). Each of these was fantastically good quality with a refined taste which I really enjoyed. All in all, this is an amazing deli that I hope to be able to come back to it often.

It was tipping down with rain when I first visited Alimentari for a Qype Guru event, yet the atmosphere within was so warm that the weather was soon forgotten. This is an Italian specialist delicatessen with home kitchen-style seating around a large rustic table, so that if you have time to stay a while, you can sit, relax and indulge in something wicked.

The so-called ‘Alimentari’ cup of coffee, which might otherwise be described as a mocha cappuccino, is nothing less than chocolatey deliciousness. You might also be tempted to treat yourself to a couple of their freshly filled cannoli – such Sicilian bliss.

On the shelves are carefully-selected Italian products, from pastas and packs of biscotti to béchamel sauce mix and Italian wines, whilst in the fridge you’ll spot Italian favourites such as cans of San Pellegrino Limonata, Aranciata and Chino.

The deli section holds a wide range of hams and cheeses and one of the warm Italian staff will help you choose a delicious Panini filling. Everyone here is passionate about food; that’s why the selection is so discerning.

If you’re not a Maida Vale/ Kilburn local, fret not, for the Queen’s Park tube station is just a couple of minutes away. Pop in for a coffee on the hoof, or come in for a chat at the kitchen table. There’s a swap-a-book shelf for the keen reader and high chairs for the tinier Alimentari customers. Not only are the edibles great, this is the ideal place to pick up gifts for those foodies in your life, or perhaps a little present for yourself.

A prime little gem proving that there are spots outside of the centre that rival any of those based in central London - and may be worth the few extra tube stops. Went here to learn how to make a proper cappuccino and had a lovely night with the Alimentari team - and of course ended up buying half the shop on the way out including cold meats, cheese, olives and the obligatory bag of Mulino Bianco biscuits.

Besides killer cappuccinos this cosy spot also offers wine tasting evenings, takeaway paninis, and big barrels of olive oil that you can either buy bottles of or bring your own to fill up which is really nice.
If you live anywhere in North West you should definitely book-mark Alimentari.

Walking into Alimentari from the rain, I was immediately enveloped by Italian hospitatlity; a warm and enthusiastic welcome, wine and offerings of delicious Italian appetisers and sweets. The venue is chic and vintage-esque, with rustic furnishings, shelves filled with Italian branded pasta, biscotti and wine. The deli serves hams and cheeses, homemade pasta sauces and fresh pasta.

Alimentari's creators are passionate about their food and coffee and Clara, one of its three creators gave us a true insight into Italian coffee and coffee drinking. I'm not a latte drinker myself, but if you are, you might want to choose an alternative drink when you're in Italy, as only children drink cafe latte in Italy!

As part of our Qype Event experience, we had the opportunity to try our hand at making a perfect Italian coffee. The pressure was on when we were told we would be making a fellow Qyper's drink and not our own. To my relief, my marocchino(macchiato with a thick, rich chocolate!) was received with enthusiasm, so I was quite pleased.

The cappuccino I ordered was really good; smooth, not too long and just the right temperature. To accompany our coffees, we had sweet ricotta filled cannoli which we made ourselves. Lisa from Le Dolci guided us through the process whilst giving us a brief education on Sicilian cannoli (Sicilian cannoli is far more flavoursome than any other italian cannoli as the ricotta is made from Goats milk!).

Together with its Italian hospitality and wide range of real Italian products, Alimentari provides a warm, nutritious and delicious experience all in a lovely setting. Like Chris, I wish Alimentari was within walking distance, so I could visit often. But I will go back for more.

I had the pleasure of organizing (yet another fantastic) Qype Guru event at this lovely Queen's Park deli. I was blown away by the welcoming atmosphere and most impressed with the selection of Italian yummies. The only downside about this “truly Italian” vintage-chic deli is that it isn't within walking distance of my flat. That's a huge bummer, but I'm pretty sure I can suck it up and hop on the Tube for a delicious shopping excursion. It would definitely be worth the trip.

If you're looking to drink an attentively crafted cappuccino, browse a well selected range of Italian wines or simply enjoy a pleasant retail experience, visit Alimentari ASAP.

The best cappuccino and the best Italian sandwiches in north west London. Friendly staff and cool music make it a great place to read the Sunday papers and people watch.

Very nice place to eat some very well selected delicious italian specialities. Quite expensive but at the same time the quality is very high. This is definetely a must visit shop in London if you love italian food.

Step into this place and you are immediately transported back to Italy. Well known Italian food brands, such as Mulino Bianco, are neatly stacked on the shelves. At the large communal table customers converse in Italian over a coffee. The whole shop comes across as if you are in Rome, not London.

The charcuterie and cheese counter is at the back. Here you can order sandwich to eat in or take away. I was impressed by the tasty freshly baked bread, though my kids were more taken by the traditional gelato ice-cream at the front of the shop.