Vancouver's Best Italian Delis

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Quality Italian deli products can be the key to family meal success

From cured meats and fresh cheeses to the ripest tomatoes and the best semolina-based pastas, quality Italian deli products can be the key to family meal success, and a delicious alternative to regular meat and potatoes fare.

Here are five delis that offer a wide range of ingredients to tempt any foodie (new and expert alike).

1 of 5 — Bosa Foods

Image by Gerilee McBride
You'll find quality gourmet Mediterranean food at either of Bosa Foods' two Vancouver locations

Bosa Foods is the superstore of Italian delicatessens. With two locations (562 Victoria Drive and 1465 Kootenay Street) offering an array of fine Italian foods, its second location is a veritable warehouse of Italian delicacies.

There you'll fine towering walls of everything from olive oil to bulk nuts, but the overwhelming selection is made manageable by helpful staff.

2 of 5 — Tosi Italian Food Import Company

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Tosi carries a large selection of pastas, risottos, polenta, olive oils and more

Tosi Italian Food Import Company is your traditional Italian mom and pop shop. Second generation owner Angelo Tosi is a fixture amid his remarkable selection of imported cheeses.

Located in Chinatown and open since 1906, this deli has customers returning for a minimum of 20 years.

3 of 5 — Santa Barbara Market

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Santa Barbara Market's busy Saturdays are a testament to its amazing prices and food selection

Santa Barbara Market is a perennial Commercial Drive favourite. A hybrid fruit and veg mart and Italian deli, it’s the ultimate one-stop-shop for putting together a quick Italian meal.

Saturdays can be busy so go early to avoid the deli counter crush.

4 of 5 — Ugo & Joe's Italian Supermarket

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Don't leave Ugo & Joe's Italian Supermarket without trying the fresh bocconcini

At the chaotic intersection of Hastings and Nanaimo Street sits another favourite and well-stocked Italian deli, Ugo & Joe’s Italian Supermarket. Go for the vast selection of canned Italian tomatoes and dried pasta as far as the eye can see, but return for the fresh bocconcini that ranges in size from golf ball to ham-fist.

Plus, it’s not every day you can buy salted sardines by the piece on your way out via the cash register.

5 of 5 — Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli

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A wide selection of cheeses paired with a helpful team of staff make a trip to Cioffi's well worth it

Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli is the quintessential Italian deli located in the Heights neighbourhood of North Burnaby. Families have been selecting salami and Parmesan from Cioffe’s for over 20 years.

Having recently expanded to include a larger selection of house butchered meats two doors down from the original storefront, Cioffi's does a brisk business in Italian charcuterie. It also has a catering arm that supplies special events with house-made delicacies.