Tamás Sándor had worked for large companies all his life, dealing with premium products, but had long been dreaming of his own business. He fell in love with the Italian delicatessen culture when on holiday, and began planning that if he turned his back on the multinationals, he would continue in this field. He didn't want to start a new business right in the city centre, where the competition was strong – so he opened his store, Zamatic Deli & Caffé, at his home in Pestszentlőrinc, south-east Pest.
The aim is to enrich the area with a shop similar to salumerias and delicatessens found around the Med – outlets where you can shop for dinner, but also pop in for a quality breakfast or afternoon wine and tapas. It’s hard to separate these functions anyway – there’s a good chance you’ll take home one or two more exciting items from the products lined up on the shelves, even if you’ve just nipped in for coffee and cake.
These can be divided into chilled and dry: premium Italian and Hungarian smoked goods, French and Italian cheeses and local Cserpes dairy products are in the refrigerator, while noodles, oils, sauces, drinks and various high-quality canned foods await on the shelves. Tamás chooses what he allows into his shop. He works with several different suppliers, Austrian meats and Italian salami come from elsewhere, and he imports pastas and sauces from Puglia. The specialities, juices made by the former employees of the Nagykőrös Cannery, are as much a part of the stock as homemade creams from Kanálka or truffle products by Triffla.
Tamás didn’t leave the coffee to chance either - a beautiful La Marzocco machine adorns the counter, and the beans come from roasters Beanlight and Beyond Within. By the entrance, alcohol lines a long double shelf, a nice selection of mainly wine, champagne and small-batch beers, a strong range of Italian wines in particular. They regularly organise tastings, where you can sample bottles along with tapas, and the winemaker describes his wares.
À propos, tapas. Almost half of the customers come here specifically for the food. The sandwiches are made to order, and you opt for Italian or Hungarian, you have quite a spread of options for varying the sandwich inserts. Prices range from 750 to 890 forints with meat cheese or completely vegan. In the mornings, coffees and pastries are the most popular, tapas taking the lead in the afternoon.
Another option is the fixed-price selection platters, 4,290 forints for two, for example, with a mix of Italian and Hungarian salamis, ham, sausages, cheeses and various marinated vegetables. This is plenty for a main meal and, of course, you can ask for one or two glasses of wine or Prosecco.
The store has a spacious garden and, although it is located by the main artery of Üllői út, it’s a quieter section and traffic noise isn’t an issue. The back area attracts all kinds of birds and if you time your visit right, you can enjoy your morning coffee and pastry in the company of a nightingale or two. To identify your new winged acquaintance, a board details the varieties you can find here.
Zamatic Deli & Caffé
District XVIII.
1181 Budapest, Üllői út 393
Tram 50 to Kemény Zsigmond utca
Open: Mon-Fri 7am-8pm, Sat 7am-6pm, Sun 8am-noon
