De Gustibus

my god… THE BREAD – it’s absolutely delicious here. The brioche bap is one of my favourites (the eggs are fried to perfection). Come here for the affordable breakfast and lunch options.

It was a bit more rainy than usual, and I was craving a soup and a good hearty sammich. This place did not disappoint! It was a tad intimidating with the intensity behind the counter, but give your order straight and they’ll hook you up. The tomato bisque was exactly what I needed given the cold day. Combo’ed up with the hearty steak sammich and doing a dip of the sammich in the soup was top notch! I definitely would come back as they also had some pasta dishes which looked particularly tasty.

I was met at the table outside by a man who I can only assume was Papa Gustibus. A chatty old chap.
Papa: Hello, my dear. What can I get you?
Me: I’d like some hot cross buns, please.
Papa: [packaging buns] And how are you today?
Me: Pretty good, actually. And you?
Papa: Getting better. Was a bit rough earlier.
Me: …oh yeah?
Papa: You American girls, you’re trouble. Just last night, you insisted on taking me out to the pub down there [pointing] and getting me drunk.
Me: Sounds about right.
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While this exchange made me smile on the warm and sunny Good Friday morning of my visit, the buns — sadly — did not. They were dry and underwhelming despite being ‘fresh from the oven’, according to Papa Gustibus.
A failure in the eyes of Jesus and baked goods.

Now something seems to have gone a bit awry with Degustibus. When they first opened the range of breads was pretty revolutionary — everything was really fresh and the fillings were incredibly generous, turning a humble sarnie into a gourmet meal in itself.
But yesterday’s trip to the Borough market branch was — well — a bit ‘meh’, as Unilocal terminology would have it. It all looked a bit sad and depleted, and the range of breads available had shrunk to a handful of quite bland looking kinds, all pre-​sliced and a bit dry looking. I managed to get them to find some sliced walnut bread and had brie, ham and cranberry. Plus points — there was plenty of filling in there. But the bread was really disappointing, very dry, and almost stale tasting. I guess the problem is pre-​slicing it and leaving it to hang around in a plastic bag for god knows how long, rather than slicing a fresh loaf as they used to do when they first started.
For a specialist artisan baker, the bread should surely be the main story. And at Degustibus, they seem to have lost the plot.

Great fresh breads, tasty pastries, hilarious old Papa Gustibus
I love this place. Despite the multitude of Flour Power bakery stalls dotted around Borough (I go to them for their insanely chocolatey brownies), I still make it here for my weekly ration of six day sourdough.
First, the bread. The sourdough is (as you may have guessed) my favourite bread to eat on a regular basis. I use it for my daily sandwich when I can force myself out of bed an extra 5 minutes early to make the damn thing. It has a chewy crust with just enough crunch, a soft center that slices easily without tearing, and just enough acid sourness to counteract the richness of the meats and cheese that make up the majority of the sandwich filling.
I also like the nut and raisin loaf which pairs quite well with homemade mushroom soup. As far as pastries, I’ve only tried a few on Saturday mornings but they’ve been quite fresh (perhaps because it is Saturday morning) and overall quite tasty.
One thing that must be mentioned is the white haired gent who runs the table outside the shop on alternate Saturdays. From what I’ve gathered through conversation with him (he can be in his own world but incredibly smooth when it comes to the ladies) and the various other people at the shop, he’s the dad of one of the owners and likes to come down for a bit of fun. I try to time it so I get to have a chat with him and it always makes the morning start off well.
The prices are quite reasonable and easily affordable as the loaves are typically enough to feed a person for a week or two (I put half straight into the freezer when I get home so it will keep).
Give it a shot, and I’ll see you there come next Saturday!

Favourite place to grab some healthy and tasty lunch on those days when Borough Market is not open. Portions are big enough, and cheap, expect to pay 3 pounds for a dish. Roasted winter vegetables are a winner!

Peeking through the window of this place I was actually salivating. The breads, the cheeses, the menu… all were indicating great things, that was until I stepped through their door.
Wow, I was like Shaun Of The Dead walking in here. I actually wanted to cry and thought my server lady was going to as she took my order. I was then passed onto another melancholic character who took my cash and then gave a sigh so big I wanted to jump over the counter and hug her. And seriously the bread and baked goods here fabulous, maybe if they ate more of them they would be happier.
Now normally if staff were just non-​responsive to emotions I wouldn’t knock a star off but actually it was the life and soul that they sucked out of this place, making me grateful that I was ordering a take away.
Please come here and hug the staff, they need it, they really do.

Artisan bread and hearty, homemade-​tasting soups hit the spot at this low key London Bridge chain café. Many a lunchtime I made the trip from the other end of Southwark Street to pick me up a vat of steaming soup and some rustic bread to dip in to it, and it was always a journey well made.
The portions are good and reasonably priced — expect to pay around £3 for a soup and bread combo — though they could be a bit more generous with the bread. Other dishes are on offer too, though I have never tried any of them — I was only there for the soup, created with interesting combinations of vegetables and accompanied by weird and wonderful sounding breads.
It’s a shame there’s not enough space to eat in, and the staff get understandably rushed off their feet due to the location, but I’d happily head back for a quick bite if I was in the area.

De Gustibus have a very good selection of breads and fillings all of witch are of very good quality, though the menu can be a bit overwhelming. There is a small selection of hot food too, mainly pasta and chicken dishes. I am a bit disappointed in the selection of cold drinks as there is not much to choose from.
There are a few tables and chairs out side on the street, but none inside making De gustibus primarily for taking food away.
the service is very quick and friendly. The prices are a little above average but the quality makes up for it.

If you don’t like delicious sandwiches and mouthwatering pastries, you shouldn’t read this review. I’m not sure if we could even be friends anymore, but we can discuss that later.
This review is all about Sammy the Giant Squid. Sammy the Giant Squid loves fresh baked goods. Therefore, he loves Degustibus. Ask Sammy why.
«Sammy, why do you love Degustibus?»
«Uggle uggle othsiekggle buusiidkkggle siieybobggle sihbglle.»
Sammy only speaks Octopus, so I will translate. Sammy says, «Degustibus makes wonderful things to eat. Brownie bars, cinnamon rolls, healthy salads, golden loaves of fresh bread… mmmm. Of course I haven’t tried them all, but from those things I know, it is like eating plankton rolled in seaweed. DELICIOUS!»
Sammy like Degustibus. You should too.