Vancouver, British Columbia has a strong multicultural identity and one of those is Italian. There are many exceptional Italian food market and delis in the city with most of them located in East Vancouver. It is important to cook with fresh, regional ingredients when replicating any ethnic cuisine and Italian food is no exception. Whether you are making pasta puttanesca or a caprese salad, having fresh, authentic, Italian ingredients is critical. Here are the top Italian delis and food markets in the City of Vancouver.
La Grotta del Formaggio
Located on Commercial Drive, La Grotta is a fantastic deli selling Italian imported food and related products. They have a great selection of meats and cheeses; make sure you take a panini to go as they are the best in the city.
1791 Commercial Drive, Vancouver – (604) 255-3911
Cioffi's Deli & Meat Market
This is actually in Burnaby but any list of Italian markets needs to Cioffi's. They actually have two stores on the same block. One is a meat market and the other has a deli and groceries. If you are looking for cuts of meat for classic Italian dishes, look no further than Cioffi's.
4156 Hastings Street, Burnaby – (604) 291-9373
Bosa Foods
This Italian food store has two locations, a large grocery store-style location on Kootenay just west of Boundary and another location on Victoria Drive. The Kootenay location has an impressive selection of meat, deli items and Italian groceries. The Victoria Drive location is much more shabby and has a smaller selection of items with no meat.
1456 Kootenay Street, Vancouver – (604) 253-5578
562 Victoria Drive, Vancouver – (604) 253-5578
Renzullo Food Market
This Italian grocery store on Nanaimo Street has a good selection of deli and grocery items. They also have a couple big bins with a couple varieties of fresh buns. Whether you are making an antipasti plate or a pasta dish, Renzullo's has all the Italian food basics.
1370 Nanaimo Street, Vancouver – (604) 255-9655
Bianca-Maria Italian Foods
This is a pretty small deli on East Hastings that has most of the Italian food staples. They don't have a huge selection but its worth a visit just to talk to the Italian proprietors.
2276 East Hastings, Vancouver – (604) 253-9626
Tosi Italian Food Import Company
Tosi Italian Foods is an odd spot being in the middle of Chinatown. From the outside, the store looks like an old fashioned grocery store and it lives up to that once you are buzzed inside. They offer a variety of Italian foods including their own private labelled imported tomatos. Every Italian food lover must visit this food store at least once for its seemingly old world, rustic charm.
624 Main Street, Vancouver – (604) 681-5740
This list would be remiss without mentioning Tonina's Deli on Main Street near King Edward and Duso's on Granville Island. Duso's has a great selection of fresh pasta and bocconcini.
Buon appetito!