Gourmet Life

Strictly speaking, this is less of a deli and more of a showroom for fine imported perishables – aka fancy, delicious things you don’t come across often in Sydney. Truffles and caviar are specialties, but it’s not just these boujee goods that makes this providore special. Browse and sample Piedmontese hazelnuts (a variety with a super fragrant, nutty-sweet flavour different from the ones you’ll find in Oz), Sicilian pistachio nut creams and herb-dusted almonds. You can drop $70 on a bottle of French olive oil or $97.50 on a jar of baby artichokes. There’s also a whole table devoted to Calabrian peppers, two long shelves to tinned fish, and a stellar selection of regional charcuterie from around the world. Cheese-wise, French varieties dominate, from Pavé d’Affinois to Crottin de Chavignol. The French theme continues with foie gras and fresh, wild (and very rare) chanterelle mushrooms. On Saturdays you can head in for fresh pasta making demos, which you can buy to take home, including truffle pasta in season. They follow truffle season around the world – June-August locally, imported white Italian truffles from September to November, and French black truffles for the remainder of the year. This black gold ends up on some of the plates of Sydney’s best restaurants, including Aria, Mr Wong, Ormeggio at the Spit and many more.