Deli Boy

Nicholas Totos grew up going to South Melbourne market, where market vendors nicknamed him “deli boy”. Today, the name extends to his sandwich shop across the road, which honours the market’s intergenerational nature and the suppliers he’s come to know there.

The Deli Boy offering is simple: coffee from 36th Parallel, pastries from Notting Hill, and things on bread made with Zeally Bay sourdough and produce from the market. The daily range may include egg and bacon focaccias; mortadella, stracciatella and truffle honey-glazed eggplant paninis; and sesame rolls piled with tomato, mozzarella and basil. There’s also a deli case with seasonal salads, cheese and charcuterie that can be made into tasting boards.

Deli Boy is in a former mechanic’s shop and shelves are filled with baguettes, tinned fish and bottles of olive oil. There’s footpath seating out the front, or walk through to a sprawling courtyard with umbrellas and heaters to suit all seasons. By night, the venue doubles as Barrio, a 330-person event space named after the Spanish term for a neighbourhood.