Lygon Food Store

Located on Lygon Street, Lygon Food Store is a café and delicatessen. On offer are various cured meats (prosciutto, jamon, salami) and cheeses (Parmigiano, Roquefort, Fromage d’Affinois) from all over Europe, particularly France, Italy, and Spain. Marinated artichokes, olives, peppers, and tomatoes are perfect additions to create a fantastic antipasto.
The best part is that you can order a Panini, ciabatta, or baguette filled with any of the delicatessen items. Or order from their limited, but good breakfast menu. I usually order a prosciutto and rocket Panini with a latte. Whilst the Panini is not large, it is cheap and quick. Sometimes that’s all you want for lunch.
For around $ 10, you get a light meal and coffee and are in and out. I don’t ever buy from their delicatessen because I prefer La Parisienne Pates and King & Godfree, which are both on Lygon Street and which both have better quality and more selections in their delicatessen.

The Lygon Food Store has been part of the furniture for fine and quality produce in Carlton since 1952. Besides being a deli full of cheese and meats, it also has a very pleasant café area outside where you can grab a coffee and a bite to eat.
They offer a range of ciabatta, baguettes, bagels and bruschetta to choose from which makes it a good place for a light bite. I’d prefer a wider range of fillings as it seemed that the choices I liked always had sun-​dried tomatoes in them (which I’m not a big fan of). The baguette I had was simple and did the job. I imagine it would be a very popular place for students and workers nearby to grab a snack or lunch with the food mostly around the $ 10 mark.
Unlike the other reviewer, I found their coffee to be really good.
I didn’t spend too much time looking at the deli. It looked impressive but there didn’t seem to be as much as you’d get in King and Godfree.

Beware the lycra-​clad warriors! On the weekend this place is swarming with gents of a certain age proudly displaying their dangly bits in brightly coloured bike gear. It’s enough to make you choke on your salami.
At other times, it’s okay. I don’t rate the coffee, but food is cheap and reliable. If you get a seat under the leafy tree outside and the bike-​men aren’t around, it’s a pretty good spot to waste an hour people watching.
The deli stocks tasty cheeses and cured meats but according to a friend with a proper Italian mum, the range is not as big as it once was, nor is the shop itself as atmospheric as nearby King & Godfree.