Author: Gatis Mūrnieks
This is one of my favourite London eateries - simple yet surprisingly delicious food and creative atmosphere enhanced by the vivid presence of a variety of somewhat outlandish fellow-eaters. Story Deli is located in the vicinity of Brick Lane - a street famous for its Bangladeshi community - the Mecca of advertising, PR and other creative agencies. After boarding a number of buses and finding your way through a maze of East End side-streets, you finally stumble upon a vast shop window showcasing a mirror with a lightly gilded baroque frame. As you step inside the converted brewery building, there is this feeling of entering an artist's studio or at least a place still in the process of welcoming its new inhabitants: people are mopping the floor and rushing to assemble pieces of furniture; the walls are lined with boxes of flour and other foodstuffs. The slight storehouse effect lends special charm to the place.
A huge wooden table flanked by ordinary stools is the centrepiece of the room; no tablecloths, no showy chic. A few baroque mirrors and a blackboard featuring the day's menu - simplicity and efficiency. The speciality of Story Deli is pizza; however, a variety of salads are also an integral part of the menu. The seeming size of the helpings is deceptive: you may find that polishing off what looks like a smallish slice of pizza is not that easy after all. The food is prepared and served by the owner and a tall - six feet seven - Italian-looking bloke sporting Adidas track bottoms: could it be Sylvester Stallone's long-lost twin brother? The chap has his own sweet way of asking if the food is to your liking - my bet is that, should it not be the case, you would not feel like telling him anyway; it is perfectly obvious, however, that everybody is just one big happy family at Story Deli. If the thought of sharing a table does not appeal to you, there is always the perfect hideaway of the bar counter (usually chosen for a quick meal).
Meal for two (wine inclusive) - GBP 35-40 on average.
3 Dray Walk, The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, Brick Lane, E1 6QL
Keywords: London, eatery, eateries